I'm sorry, outlaw sammy--I don't see anywhere I mentioned AA, or "their BS," as you put it. I am an alcoholic, and I brought it up because if I'd believed my family's analysis of my problem I'd be dead by now from drinking.

I'm also bipolar. I take medication in an effort to cope with the disorder. I am in AA--and some members or even chapters might argue that I'm not sober because I take these meds ... I'm guessing that's the BS you're referring to. All do not, however. I'm in AA, yes, but it's not a cult ... I work the program that keeps me sober. No one in AA controls me or makes choices for me.

I know there are many people in AA who think they have all the answers and will run roughshod over new comers, acting as if they know more than anyone else and turning AA into their personal vision. They can do a great deal of harm with their tunnel vision and need to control those in their group.

It's completely possible to get and stay sober without AA. There's a path that works for everyone, many paths that work for someone. Drinking isn't always a matter of self-medicating for some disease ... often it's quite simply addiction to alcohol. I didn't need "a reason" to drink to excess: The incentive was in my genes.