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Why do addicts go to AA?

lozgod

lozgod

Bluelighter
Joined
Jan 29, 2010
Messages
715
Alcohol is a drug, an addict who's drug of choice is alcohol has a place in NA since it is all inclusive, but why would say a heroin or crack addict go to a fellowship designed to support recovery from alcohol and it's effects.

If this disease doesn't kill me I will go to NA because I am an addict.

A station wagon can tow and carry a payload but it not a pick up truck. Why not use the right tools for the right issues?

I personally know Barbara Blaze and Jimmy K. Jimmy K started NA in California after getting kicked out of AA meetings seeking help for his heroin addiction. He is the author of the 12 steps of Narcotics Anonymous and made the first step focus on the disease of addiction vs the DOC.

"admitted we were powerless over alcohol" vs "admitted we were powerless over our addiction".

Jimmy K was like my sponsor's sponsor's sponsor's etc down the line.

Barbara Blaze was from Atlantic City and help start NA on the East Coast after getting removed from AA meetings for being a heroin addict and not being an alcoholic.

In all reality the alcoholics were right. They are a fellowship of men and women for whom drink had become a major problem. Addicts of other drugs do not belong there. There is a fellowship for them that also is accepting as alcoholics viewing alcohol as a drug.

So, CLEAN addicts, if you choose to go to AA instead of NA, why? And before you say you are cross addicted can you define what kind of crosses you are addicted to? Are they wooden or metal or what?

I am ***** and I am an addict. I have the disease of addiction. I do not have to make myself sound sophisticated but using fancy terms to describe myself. I am simply an addict. No cross, or dually addicted. I am an addict. Period.
 
an alcoholic is an addict who's problem is alcohol. it's all the same. some places there are more aa meetings around than na.
 
Some go to AA because NA is an easy place to make connections and score. Both have a lot of people on the fringe using off and on and are longing for some positive recovering people in their lives. It never worked for me but then I didn't give it much of a chance...
 
I'm court ordered to go. Damn, walking in AA/NA is like walking among people from Night of The Living Dead. Totally depressed beaten souls. Very few people in there are happy about anything.
 
Violenza666 said:
I'd never go cause I can't get past the jesus shit. I am glad it works for some people, it's just not my cup of tea.
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Exactly. Many people like the blanket of a common social purpose and the support of a "fellowship".

Well, although I'm an addict, I don't dig lame rhetoric, chanting while holding hands, and gross double standards (e.g. it's not a religious program - now lets all hold hands and say the The Lord's Prayer).

The hypocritical and double standard elements of such an organization might not irk individuals who don't mind not thinking critically, but it downright disgusts me.

True, AA has been a support vessel for many people since the 1930s. But the reality is, if you're gonna quit/change something, it's gotta be your decision that makes it happen.

What I really scoff at are the old crocodile types who adamantly swear that without AA "true" recovery isn't possible. Really? How did the millions of alcohol and other chemically dependent people who lived during the thousands of years before AA came about quit if they indeed did? They simply did, because they decided to.

I also like how AA advocates that nothing, absolutely nothing happens in "God's" world by accident. Then they ask God to remove their shortcomings. Hey God, why'd you dish out the shortcomings in the first place? Ah yes. God's will. He works in mysterious ways.

But remember, AA is not a religious program! You can choose the doorknob as your higher power, dig?

What a joke.
 
I had 2 years clean in NA and my experience was the opposite. Most of the people I met were happy, clean for years, not religous, some were but most were more spiritual than religous. I think it depends on the area. I know in big cities it is a totally different scene than smaller cities/towns. In Philly they had addicts clean but prostituting, some using still and lying, some getting clean just to become drug dealers.

In Delaware it is way more serene, people are genuine and happy and supportive. If I could get through the withdrawal and get clean I would kill to go back to NA. I find the most people that have a problem with it was people that aren't clean. They sort of use it as an excuse to keep using.

I don't know. To each their own I guess. I'm too much of a pussy to see WD all the way out long enough to have the strength to get in to my car and go to a meeting. I believe from experience it works, but if I had to go to meetings in Philly I'd have the same atititude a lot of other people do.
 
stuckinaloop said:
WTF?? Have you ever gone to na or aa?? Jesus is never EVER mentioned lol. Unless maybe you opened the bible instead of the big book??
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That is actually a no no. You aren't supposed to push one belief of God on anyone. As someone mentioned. A door knob can be your higher power. That is a metaphor more than literal. It means that you don't have to believe in God period. Just believe in something bigger than yourself to help you. The fellowship itsself can be your higher power.

Some churches and other organizations hold meetings and call them NA or AA but are not truly affiliated which can cause confusion.
 
stuckinaloop said:
WTF?? Have you ever gone to na or aa?? Jesus is never EVER mentioned lol. Unless maybe you opened the bible instead of the big book??
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Yes, Jesus is mentioned. And if he's not identified as such directly, go to any 12 step meeting in any state and count how many times you hear people say, "...but my Higher Power, who I choose to call God...". What do they nearly always follow such a sentence up with? Biblical references.

12 step meetings are chock-full of religious undertones. But some over the years have employed clever euphemisms and an effective use of semantics to disguise the fact that 12 step support is, essentially, all about God.

They say it's spiritual. Fine. Count how many times the word God appears in the 12 steps themselves and in the "Big Book". I really like it when I hear or find that someone whose life was a wreck due to addiction has changed for the better, but I strongly dislike AA.

No Jesus references? 9 out of 10 AA meetings close by their members holding hands and chanting the Our Father.
 
blues runner said:
Yes, Jesus is mentioned. And if he's not identified as such directly, go to any 12 step meeting in any state and count how many times you hear people say, "...but my Higher Power, who I choose to call God...". What do they nearly always follow such a sentence up with? Biblical references.

12 step meetings are chock-full of religious undertones. But some over the years have employed clever euphemisms and an effective use of semantics to disguise the fact that 12 step support is, essentially, all about God.

They say it's spiritual. Fine. Count how many times the word God appears in the 12 steps themselves and in the "Big Book". I really like it when I hear or find that someone whose life was a wreck due to addiction has changed for the better, but I strongly dislike AA.

No Jesus references? 9 out of 10 AA meetings close by their members holding hands and chanting the Our Father.
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In NA they do not use the Our Father for that specific reason. They use the serenity prayer. Yes they do reference God but the fellowship has muslims, buddhists, ausirians (my personal religion), christians, agnostics, atheists etc.

It is not a Christian fellowship. Again, with good intentions churches have started 12 step meetings called them NA or AA and used Jesus as the higher power but these groups are not recognized by the actual World of NA or AA. They are church based using AA or NA without permission or following the guidelines. I attended AA but chose NA when I got clean and NA uses the Basic Text not the Big Book, but even the Big Book has a chapter for Atheists and Agnostics.
 
blues runner said:
Yes, Jesus is mentioned. And if he's not identified as such directly, go to any 12 step meeting in any state and count how many times you hear people say, "...but my Higher Power, who I choose to call God...". What do they nearly always follow such a sentence up with? Biblical references.

12 step meetings are chock-full of religious undertones. But some over the years have employed clever euphemisms and an effective use of semantics to disguise the fact that 12 step support is, essentially, all about God.

They say it's spiritual. Fine. Count how many times the word God appears in the 12 steps themselves and in the "Big Book". I really like it when I hear or find that someone whose life was a wreck due to addiction has changed for the better, but I strongly dislike AA.

No Jesus references? 9 out of 10 AA meetings close by their members holding hands and chanting the Our Father.
Click to expand...

What the fuck are you talking about. You must have attended those 9 out of 10 meetings with your brain turned off.

The word God is mentioned, not Jesus. God referrs to your higher power, your idea/concept of god. Not any specific religion. Your higher power means a power greater than your self.

Higher power does not equal jesus. Reread those 12 steps that you say mention Jesus;

Also..closing a meeting with an our father prayer..wtf??? It's called the Serenity Prayer- there is no fucking our father prayer in aa or na nor any mention of Jesus. Why in the world would people chant a Christian prayer at the close of a meeting??..think about it for a second.

it is what you beleive to be your higher power, your idea of god.not the catholic church jesus

it would be AGAINST aa/na rules to close a meeting with the our father prayer. I have been to probably atleast 1000 na/aa meetings, never once have we broken out into prayer from the catholic church and started worshiping some bullshit lol. don't spew a bunch of crap when you have no idea what you're talking about.

At the open of every aa/na meeting it is SPECIFICALLY stated that aa/na is NOT religious program. If it was I sure as fuck would not go. Why would the na/aa program choose a prayer that would exclude every other religion? The Serenity prayer can be applied to any/all/no religions. It is a SPIRITUAL prayer.

If you don't like na/aa that's fine but don't go spreading a bunch of bullshit that will turn people off from attending meetings that could potentially save a life. They are not everyone's cup of tea..that's for sure, but you make it sound like you are going to a Christian church or some bullshit.
 
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stuckinaloop said:
What the fuck are you talking about. You must have attended those 9 out of 10 meetings with your brain turned off.

The word God is mentioned, not Jesus. God referrs to your higher power, your idea/concept of god. Not any specific religion. Your higher power means a power greater than your self.

Higher power does not equal jesus. Reread those 12 steps that you say mention Jesus;

Also..closing a meeting with an our father prayer??? It's called the serenity prayer- there is no fucking our father prayer in aa or na nor any mention of Jesus

it is what you beleive to be your higher power, your idea of god.not the catholic church jesus

it would be AGAINST aa/na rules to close a meeting with the our father prayer. I have been to probably atleast 1000 na/aa meetings, never once have we broken out into prayer from the catholic church and started worshiping some bullshit lol. don't spew a bunch of crap when you have no idea what you're talking about.

At the open of every aa/na meeting it is SPECIFICALLY stated that aa/na is NOT religious program. If it was I sure as fuck would not go.
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I've been to meetings that closed with the Our Father, and immediately after the meeting people got with the chair person and explained to them that we dont end meetings like that. It's usually a newcomer that doesn't know the difference and that was probably 15 years ago since that happened. I haven't been to a meeting in years but I heard people from the floor say their higher power was Jesus but never a chair person or speaker. From the floor you can say what you want but the program is spiritual not religious. They make it very clear.

In the NA Basic Text it talks about addicts my have a problem with religion and that no one is forced to believe in any concept of God or even God period, your higher power can be the fellowship, it can be belief in the program, it doesn't have to be God or Jesus, Jesus especially.
 
Blues is from India according to his location. AA and NA in a lot of countries are new and for years a lot had to be held under ground to avoid govt. punishment for just admitting to being an addict. In newer areas a lot of meetings are not formatted correctly and in time they get it right as they mature as a fellowship. Maybe in India they do go against the traditions not understanding them. I was one of the first NA members in Vineland NJ and in it's infancy it had broken a lot of traditions. Using the Our Father at the end, having AA speakers, using the term sobriety, then I went to a convention and attended a lot fo the tradition workshops and one homegroup at a time we got it together. I became what was known as an NA nazi. Someone used the word sobriety instead of recovery I'd get with them after the meeting, I'd make sure that we never used the Our Father, etc.

Groups in their infancy make a lot of mistakes. I remember one group lost it's meeting place because the church wanted to change the 3rd step from God to Jesus. They refused and the church said they couldn't have their meetings there anymore.
 
AA/NA is simply a fellowship of people helping each other overcome uncontrolled drug intake. Some meetings are better than others and you can choose the format of the meeting in advance from a local chapters listings. I can't imagine why anyone would criticize this concept. It hasn't worked for me probably because I didn't give it a fair chance... but it works for others and saves lives.
 
No matter what the program, NA, AA, church, IOP, rehab, to say something didn't work takes away one's self-responsibility. Even using, everyday we wake up and are giving a choice to use or not to use.

Today I went through great lengths to use. Had I applied that effort to staying clean it could of been my first day of recovery. I did my usual routine I do a few days before my unemployment check. I took my TV to the pawnshop for a loan. I get it out when the unemployment check comes. It's a big TV to carry, it's a long drive to the pawn shop, then its a 25 miles drive to the city to cop. Then I have to go through my routine finding a vein, etc.

Using isn't easy and neither is getting and staying clean. It's what decision I make as to where I am going to apply that energy. I could of pawned the TV to have gas money to go to a meeting or a detox or a rehab.

I decided to use my energy to get hi. Maybe it's time to take some responsibility for my addiction.
 
Some people choose to have a support network when dealing with recovery from drug abuse. AA or NA are just two examples of a support network. Better examples, in my opinion, are circles of genuine friends and loving family.
 
Captain.Heroin said:
Some people choose to have a support network when dealing with recovery from drug abuse. AA or NA are just two examples of a support network. Better examples, in my opinion, are circles of genuine friends and loving family.
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Hard to say how genuine my friends are and love makes me very uncomfortable. I do have maybe a handful of loving family members but love is the most uncomfortable emotion for me. Maybe it stems from growing up without a mother, I don't know but any type of loving affection and I feel sooooooooooo uncomfortable.

Mom died when I was 6.
I am a male that was molested by a female at a very young age. I was in the 3rd grade I think. I always thought of it as losing my virginity but I believe it has effected me just as if a man would of did it. I have very unrealistic expectations sexually and love and sex don't mix for me. Hugs, I love yous, I miss yous, all that makes me more uncomfortable the RLS from WD.

Somewhere along the line I was robbed of my ability to love or be loved. I think it was one of those two things or both.
 
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