I was a member of AA for years.
What did it get me?
Several relapses, many, many people up in my personal business, and experience with several cult(like) steps and principles.
Ok, so not what you would call a huge fan of AA.
Getting together everyday (recommended), and when you don’t you are judged, sometimes harshly, and if you decide to stop attending altogether, then you are cut off, treated like a pariah, and no one EVER believes that you are sober, or happy again.
Why? Because if you aren’t attending meetings, and not hanging out with the “Members”, then you can not POSSIBLY be sober, because AA is the ONLY way!
Well folks, I’ve got news for you.
AA does work, and can be very effective, however, it is absolutely NOT the only way!
There are certain principles and steps, which are absolutely dead on. They work, they are tried and true, and they are, believe it or not the only two that one must actually practice in order to remain sober, and happy, without having to suffer the ludicrous nature of the meetings, and more importantly the ludicrous nature of the people.
The two concepts that work are these; A. I maintain a solid spiritual program, and B. I maintain rigorous honesty, and I mean rigorous.
Oh yeah, and there is one other thing.
Everyday, unless G-d forbid I miss a day for some reason, I write a blog post about addiction.
You see, the biggest problem for addicts, without the shadow of a doubt, is that they forget.
The addict, as hard as is to believe, actually forgets. They forget what the last time was like, how much pain they caused, and all the damage they did on their last bender.
That I have the ability, B”H, to write a new post daily, allows me to never forget.
And it is literally a miracle.
All that any addict, who has actually made a “cast-in-stone” decision to stay sober, needs to do is follow this simple, but in NO WAY softer method, but you can on your own, on a daily basis, stay sober.
Now, we all need support; friends, family members, etc. But we DO NOT need people who now matter how long they have been sober, ride in on their high horses and judge.
Listen, an addict is an addict, and it makes absolutely no difference how long they’ve been clean. They still (even though they have no right so at all) judge everyone!
And that’s it.
Mordechai
Addiction Central 