I'm really glad that AA works for 5-10% of the people who are successful with it. I read another statistic that said it was successful about 35% of the time, which is probably more accurate (I hope).

The one thing I remember most about the first group I participated in was this little stone in the garden with the engraving, "Dedicated To Those Who Didn't Make It". Yet when I inquired as to how many don't make it, nobody seemed to know or either they simply weren't willing to answer. And with that small a success rate - be it 5, 10 or 35% ... No Wonder!

However, it isn't the "only" way to get sober and stay sober, and for some people the "christian" & "cult" like mentality of the AA program can be more damaging than helpful, especially for those of us who are recovering from abuse that involved us being "powerless" while being ritually abused, gaslighted & brainwashed in and by our families of origin and overly zealous and supposedly "religious" churches and spiritual institutions.

I don't see this reality as being cynical at all ... It simply would not work for many of us with C-PTSD that also developed an addiction or substance abuse issue to cope with the horrid abuses we were trapped in while growing up.

With that said, all it took for me was to sign an agreement with my therapist that I would abstain during treatment. I felt so much better not imbibing, that even when I'm taking a break from therapy, I still honor the agreement and JUST DON'T GO THERE!

Of course, not everyone is strong enough to do that without a really good support group, which AA can provide, but with that being said, there is nothing worse than the AA Nazis who like to get into their little "sponsor" positions and use those positions to further abuse those who've already had enough abuse in their lives!

THIS is based on my own personal experience with more than one AA program and is exactly why I rejected the "program" - because that's exactly what it felt like - that I was having my power taken away and once again being "programmed" (brainwashed & gaslighted) by a bunch of maladjusted miscreants that were unhappy with their own progress and could only feel good by abusing those of us that were encouraged to "choose" a sponsor in order to be successful. @#$%! THAT!

Since one size doesn't fit all, here's a handful of alternatives to AA ...

https://www.hellosundaymorning.org/
LifeRing Secular Recovery
https://rational.org/index.php?id=1
Self Help Addiction Recovery | SMART Recovery®
www.sossobriety.org
Women for Sobriety, Inc.

My advice is to find what works for you, and to not let anyone undermine or sabotage your efforts ...

Including yourself!

Sincerely,
Pfrog!