An AA friend passed on to me an email that's circulating around the Internet by some AAer going on at some length about how AA has gotten corrupted as a result of treatment centers and the influx of their graduates into the rooms of AA and that, as a result, our proven "success rate" (whatever that is and however anyone could ever measure that!) has dwindled to unacceptable levels. The email basically concludes that the only solution is to get back to the basics, go back to doing it that way they used to do it in the good ol' days of early AA. Ahhh, then things will be as they should be!
I think not.
The email resulted in my own counter-rant email to my friend --- a rant against the position espoused by the forwarded email's anonymous author. I even forwarded my AA friend a link to a previous blog of mine on this dangerous theme of some old timers that we need to get back to the way it was done when they were getting sober. I mean, why not get some more mileage out of that previous rant of mine? Anyway, apparently, I've still got some steam in me over this, so I thought I'd let it go here.
First of all, one of the cornerstones of early AA (at least as I read it...) is their humility. They didn't claim to have found a conformist or dogmatic cookie cutter kind of a program that would work for everyone in exactly the same way. They knew that such a dogmatic approach wouldn't work for alcoholics like them. I suspect if the early timers in AA heard the dogmatic "back to basics" chanting of some of the folks I hear in AA meetings today, they'd stand up and tell these "I Know the Way" gang of folks to sit down and shut up. They want to hear more about what happened to these folks who found part of their answer by means of a treatment center....
They might remind us to re-read that paragraph toward the end of the first part of the Big Book, on page 164, where they closed this section with the most clear statement of their humble, not know-it-all approach to a program of recovery: "Our book is meant to be suggestive only. We realize we know only a little. God will constantly disclose more to you and to us."
Why is it these "Beware the end of AA is near-sayers" don't consider that treatment centers are part of this "more" that would be disclosed to us?
Why is it they don't consider that the reason AA stopped doing things like they did in the good ol' days---like having newcomers get down on their knees and saying/doing their 3rd step prayer before ever being allowed into an AA meeting---is that this shit didn't work? They adapted and looked for ways that worked more effectively at allowing people to come into the rooms of AA and to stay as long as they wanted.
Why is they seem to be fighting a never ending battle against the trends currently being seen in AA where we are more and more tolerant of others and their paths into the rooms of AA? Weren't we supposed to get to a point where we ceased fighting everyone and everything? Isn't that one of the "basics" old time AA? The grumpy old men and women who chided new and not so newcomers for identifying as "andas" (alcoholic and a addict) seem to be dying out now and it just doesn't seem to bother most folks how other folks identify themselves in an AA meeting. Personally, I don't see a distinction between alcoholic and addict. Alcohol is a drug. A recovering addict will not do well in their recovery if they consider alcohol "less than" any other drug. A recovering alcoholic will not do well on any sort of marijuana maintenance program. We all know that. I really have more important things to do in my life than concern myself with these semantic nonsensical pissing matches.
In fact, I think I'm done with this rant. Feel better now.
Take care.
Mike L.
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2 comments:
There is a pamphlet entitled "Problems other than Alcohol" that is worth reading. In it, it talks about unity, and singleness of purpose. This pamphlet is approved conference literature.
In it, it identifies that there are those who have grave emotional and mental disorders, and those who have problems with drugs other than alcohol. Those people are members "if they have legitimate drinking histories."
Yes, it is only semantics, but old timers play an important role in the group as well as in any society. There must be a balance between the will to progress and change, and the endurance of older ways that transcend generations. Old timers are keepers of a certain culture and legacy and more often than not, they are, as the 2nd tradition reads in the 12&12 the effective conscience of the group. They have the wisdom to shut their mouths most of the time, only to open it when there are grave deviations from something generally approximating the path.
I have heard members passionately talk about the traditions and emphasize the unity and singleness of purpose and note the historical evidence of failure of other groups who attempted to solve the alcohol problem and other problems too. I have heard these members say that out of respect for the traditions, when they are in a meeting of AA, they identify themselves as alcoholics.
My own view is that the third step tells me that by the time I reach it, I realize that I have more problems than simply drinking. Our solution obviously must involve something more than simply not drinking. This is where the steps and traditions and concepts come into play.
I know not to involve myself in outside issues because they break unity. I know not to stray from singleness of purpose because it breaks unity. I know that my primary purpose is to carry the message to still suffering alcoholics. "[I] can secure their confidence when no one else can" I am not a professional. "[I] realize that I know only a little." I have come to realize that I cannot stay sober alone; I need the group.
I have faith that the will of the group will be the path of wisdom in all things, though "we are not servile or scraping -- we crawl before no man." I have faith that my focusing on solving the alcohol problem, the many other problems in my life will be resolved as well, whether these problems are other drugs or grave mental and emotional disorders.
I also know that "defiance is the outstanding characteristic of alcoholics". I can see that by doing the things that break unity, I isolate myself from the safe harbor the group provides. I shut myself off from the sunlight of the spirit. As the defiant spirit within us resists the will of the group, the power of the group and the fear of isolation will bring us back. Else I will drink and die. The emergent result is that both the group and the individual change.
Ultimately, how I feel about this really depends on how I feel today. (for the problem and the controversy and conflict is really within me) I would direct you to another pamphlet you can find in a meeting that is called "AA Tradition, How it Developed" and read the section on the Third Tradition about Who is a Member of Alcoholics Anonymous.
It can be very enlightening.
Afternoon Delight:
I too change my position on these subjects more often than I change underwear.
Ultimately, I think that what keeps AA afloat and vibrant is that we're not forced into a single answer to these questions.
I'm ever so glad that they decided on using the word "Unity" in the first tradition, rather than the word "Uniformity". Unity implies, by definition, diversity of ideas and thoughts. Uniformity implies the exact opposite.
I'm also ever so glad that when circumstances have arisen in AA where people with "different" and additional problems other than alcohol came to our doors, e.g., so-called "sexual deviates", we let them in even when our attentions were focused mostly on their differnces rather than their similarities.
There's a great talk by the author of the book "Living Sober" (Barry L.) to the first international gay/lesbian AA convention which recounts this amazing early history of AA. If you've never heard it, I highly recommend it. Interestingly, in the Best of the Grapevine series, if you look up any of the Traditions in the index, you'll see that they always included an article by Barry L. on each of the Twelve Traditions.
Take care!
Mike L.
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