cyberius
Bluelight Crew
- Joined
- Mar 11, 2013
- Messages
- 1,571
To quote one of AA/NA' s own methods: "Take what works. If it doesn't help you, leave it." 95% of things said in meetings don't help me. But I still occasionally go for that 5%. I go for the people who have lessons of their own, unrelated to 12 steps, to teach.
I don't like "if you don't follow OUR way, you WILL relapse and die" what a horrible mindset for those who already have with issues with black and white thinking. I don't like the absolutism of "You are powerless"... then how the fuck do I recover? The 12 steps enter my body and do it for me? No. Fuck that. We have the power. We just haven't been honing and using it.
My biggest problem is this: "Higher power", "spirituality", or "god" is in steps 2,3,5,6,7,11,12. That is literally the majority of the program based on "Higher power"... This program was made for those who like the "god" paradigm already. If you don't, how could you possibly work a program if you don't understand 7/12 steps?
12 steps isn't right for me. For many it can be damaging with their extremely polarized thinking, full of absolutes and refusal to compromise. That being said, every single one of us can and should learn a thing or two from meetings. If it doesn't apply to you, ignore it. But keep listening, really listening, because one day one of those abnoxious, cliche sayings might click and make you see the world completely different.
I definitely agree with that. Me personally I dislike meetings and the whole junkie tears thing kinda just rubs me the wrong way (idk whether to call it entitlement or superiority but its probably me being shitty) but what really helped me is the 12 steps and the overarching theme of the meetings.
Admit what you're doing wrong to yourself, then onto others. Forgive humiliate become mindful repeat. It's all too common sense that many of us superior inferiors overlook.