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legit alternatives to 12 step programs.

T

thedawn

Bluelighter
Joined
Jun 12, 2013
Messages
528
i ,for one,am sick and tired of AA and what they preach and their "don't question anything we say"attitude.
they say they will love you until you love yourself.
IME nobody picks up the phone,calls back or seem especially caring beyond obvious
fakeness to please their sponsor and get high standing in "the community"or whatever.
i have called many different people many times in AA when i just started.
my experience is that they don't walk the way they talk.
<snip>
IME in the Bay Area.
i am not judging the program as a whole or "talking shit"about it.

I am relating my personal experience.
others might identify.
we might in time be able to start something new.

i think AA is so off putting with the annoying God stuff that in effect keeps many,many away.
the God thing needs to,if not go,be toned down and the wording in the Big Book needs to be changed.
IMO.

what i can think of is a big book without certain chapters(like we agnostics which is fake and not what the title says).
IMO.

i have googled a couple of recovery words and so on but haven't found anything
that seems any better either.there's life ring .not my thing.
if anyone benefits from life ring keep going and put yourself and your own well being first.
i wouldn't listen too much to advice from alcoholics that are unqualified.includes me.

so what I'm thinking about is to start a new kind of recovery for the next generation.
big,big words and i have no idea as to have to go about it but after reading the other thread
and seeing that others too are critical to AA something needs to change.
too many young people become addicts and get in trouble deep and need help.
AA does not deliver on it's promise.IMO.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
SMART recovery available in san francisco tonight

hi,
neversickanymore suggested i'd try something other than AA
that IMO isn't for me.

SMART recovery is a thing i know nothing about,but nsa does.

there is a meeting in san francisco on friday march 7 in
an area I'm not comfortable in.

it lasts from 7 to 830 according to their site,SMART recovery.org

St Francis memorial hospital 900 Hyde st between pine and bush.

second floor,Weyerhauser room.
 
I love the SMART recovery philosophy. It is very practical and addresses addiction from many viewpoints. I'm anxious to hear how it went thedawn.

I am hopeful that as time goes on there will be not only enough physical meetings to provide structure for people in early recovery but also to break the monopoly that AA has in rehabs and certainly in the courts.

I think it is vitally important to remember that different things help different people. If something does not work for you, don't participate but there is no need to bash it. The arguments for and against AA are standard fare in TDS and SL; they heat up and die down and heat up again. That's great--we need debate which is why we have an entire thread devoted to that debate. Bluelight can and does respect and encompass everyone's choices. Our mission is harm reduction as a site but in the recovery forums we go even deeper. Our mission within Bluelight is to specifically address addiction, dependence and the emotional states that lead to those. These sub-forums are safe spaces and we should try to be especially gentle with each other here. The way I look at it is that people are fighting for their lives. Fighting about strategies for doing that is kind of like two drowning people arguing over how best to stay afloat.

I am very hopeful for you thedawn, that this proves to be something that you can be connected to and get the support you need.<3
 
thedawn said:
ii think AA is so off putting with the annoying God stuff that in effect keeps many,many away.
the God thing needs to,if not go,be toned down and the wording in the Big Book needs to be changed.
IMO.
Click to expand...

This is one reason I'm not sure meetings will be for me. I don't know where I stand on God or religion and I don't want it preached to me. Thats why i don't go to church. I used to but I wasn't comfortable. Most of the meetings around here are held in churches. I don't feel comfortable in church. I think I'm gonna go one on one with a counselor instead of meetings
 
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