The ones that I have seen, they have not had any belief in any religion, and hence they did not see it as sin, but it did trouble them in their health, their relationships and their life as a whole. They were going down fast, so they decided the only other option, since they tried everything else. It works for some it does not work for all. The ones, who have lost all control over their addiction, they found relief to place their mind power over onto something else, external of themselves.I think it is a bit of both. The addiction troubles them because they believe it is a sin or the work of the devil, but it also impedes on their daily functionality. I think you are both right.
Only because in the condition of dependancy, the child within the person has not grown, they were highjacked from their childhood, and pushed into adulthood. In order to outgrow their dependency, that part needs to be reached to and brought forward to heal. It is Inner Child work!AA treats adults as children.
Just like many . . .
Can i choose my car as my higher power? It's got way more horsepower than i have and by any sensible definition of the word is more powerful (power = work done / time taken) than me.
If not then it's a religion.
You don't really belong there if you've been forced to go. It's for people who have a desire to stop drinking. The preamble even says that "the only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking."
Many people go because they were court ordered and they have no desire to stop drinking. Some of them identify with the stories from others and they begin to change their minds about that. When I went, I was desperate. I wanted to stop but couldn't even though I had tried on my own countless times. I didn't have alot of options.
I understand what you mean about some of the things coming across as creepy. I didn't feel comfortable talking to strangers about the personal details of my problem. But part of the whole program is learning how to overcome our fears and get on with living life a better way.
If you've been court ordered and you think AA won't help you, then pay your debt to society by showing up and getting your paper signed. You don't have to pay any attention to what's being said. Or, ask the judge for an alternative sentence. Then go out and take care of your problem on your own. If you cant and you need help, you know where you can go. If you're fine without it, that's even better for you.
The key is balance. A mixture of medical assistance combined with using the program to help you is recommended by most sane individuals, addict or not.