I started out by going to AA meetings, went for a year or so, then stopped. I couldn't take the constant blaming of "the disease" when everyone was not drinking, the staunch belief that AA was the only answer for sobriety and that any other method would not work, and the incredible contradictions between people's behavior and how they preached the steps and the slogans. And also, there is the apparent replacement of one addiction (alcohol) for another (AA meetings). And while it's better to be in AA meetings than drinking, they all seem to think that if you're not at meetings, you're not "sober," even if you're "dry." It's ********.

But most importantly was really the blaming of "the disease" without taking personal responsibility. It was very deflective and it annoyed the hell out of me. They also seemed to often disregard how mental illness could play a huge part in substance abuse.

I've been sober for almost 6 years this April. I only went to AA for one of those years. I took what I needed from AA and left. It's all about resolve, self-awareness, and ultimately "thinking through the drink," to use a slogan. You just have to remember it's not worth it -- going back to drinking is not worth the loss of what you've rebuilt for yourself, and of your relationships.