AA is not for you. (A rant)

[69882000]

A little about myself. I'm going to school to become a drug/alcohol counselor. As such to receive my diploma I have to work at a few rehab clinics and sit in during a few AA meetings with one of my advisors as he moderates the group.

One of the things I hate most is when cops arrest someone who commited petty theft or sleuth of other minor crimes while under the influence and force them to attend AA meetings.

Have any of you had this type of thing happen??

[topgame85]

had to go for underage possession 6 years ago it was bull

[69882000]

Did it help you out at all??

[topgame85]

Nope not at all I was a huge drinker in High school and I cut way back by myself over the past two years

[picantel]

No joke here I pretty much stopped drinking when I turned 21.

[69882000]

Heed the title of this thread guys. AA was not for you.

[topgame85]

Yah, it sucks though because then your tolerance drops so much and when you do drink you get hammered easily

[69882000]

Looking back Topgame85 did you ever consider yourself to be an Alcoholic.

[topgame85]

I don't get the concept of AA, NA, GA they just put you in a troom full of other addicts or people who aren't addicts but people think they are and the meetings are so lame you just want to go out and do the thing your there to stay away from

[topgame85]

Yah I definitley was an alcoholic in high school

[topgame85]

I have a very addictive personality but only way I ever stopped doing something was on my own did coke, smoked bud, gambled, use tobacco and drank heavily. i got rid of coke and bud and drink far far less, definitley not an alcohlic anymore, but still gamble, all though a lot less on impulse and more on smart plays to win, and smoke over a pack a day

[69882000]

You were able to cut back. An alcoholic can't do that. Thus you were not an alcoholic. You were just someone who liked to try new things.

[topgame85]

I drank half a bottle of vodka a day for 3-4 years if thats not an alcohlic I don't know what is and the withdrawal was not fun I just realized one day I liked money more than booze and forced myself to stop, I would blow money on the booze and other stupid stuff when drunk somepeople can be addicts and have the self control to stop

[69882000]

Addiction and Self-Control are polar opposites bro.

[topgame85]

I just never bought the fact that someone who wants to hard enough cant quit something, cigarrette smokers are definitley addicted and a good amount of people quit cold turkey, I know schools and doctors say addicts CANT help themselves but from someone who was and has been around a lot of people deep into drugs I know that addicts CAN quit alone

[InTheHole]

AA is for those seeking sobriety. I too work in the drug and alcohol field and I have no problem mandating a client to attend 2-3 meetings if the reason for treatment is a drug/alcohol related charge. AA can't hurt you. I want to know my clients will have a resource other than me after they complete treatment.

[topgame85]

NA can hurt you maybe not AA but its just a waste of time AA's success rate is prob lower than 10%

[Brooks]

i did the program for first time offenders of oui in massachusetts many years ago but unfortunatley will remember this one guy.

he had a nervous way about him and when we started out talking about ourselves he was convinced he wasnt guilty and was getting a raw deal.

when the truth came out he was on alot of prescription drugs which led to his problem staying in the lane which technically is operating under the influence

i, of course, with nothing better to do on a saturday morning before foots called him out and told him to shut up and just get thru it like everyone else because the rest of us were sick of listening to him

he decided to kill himself 2 days later.

i know this isnt AA related per se but my point is i avoid all group type activities like AA because even tho the ripple effect can be positive it can also go the other way and i dont need that shit in my life as i still think of this poor guy who i didnt give a break too when i should have kept my mouth shut.