Guest guest Posted June 28, 1998 Report Share Posted June 28, 1998 Hi > > Its been great reading your articles, Cool Brit! I'm going > to answer a couple more in a little while, and am saving > all of them. Aw, shucks <blush>. I was going to post " androgyny " to addict-l (might still do) bit those guys *do not* have a sense of humor. now you know it gals - AA makes your voices break and you grow a beard - saves you a fortune on steroids. before reunification you could have got to swim for East Germany! I'm wondering how much more of this " supportive research " is like that? ok, > > There's another fun way we can make this world a better > place. Wrting book reveiws for Amazon.com. Anyone can! > Below is the one I wrote about the test, ALCOHOLICS > ANONYMOUS. I did not think one of the reviews of Ken's > book was very accurate, so I'm going back to write a more > detailed one. Time to investigate whats there under > Trimpey's and Chaz Bufe's book, too. If accurate reviews > are already there, fine. But is not, well, I like knowing > I'm not > powerless, don't you? > > Anyway, tell me what you think: > > fransway29@... from California , 06/20/98 <Picture: > 1 out of 5 stars> > > This Book is Passe > > Alcoholics Anonymous, aka the Big Book, may have seemed > like great news 50 years ago, but it was bad news then, and > its bad news now. > > The book is divided into 2 basic sections: The program of > recovery along with glowing descriptions of the AA way of > life can be found in the first 11 chapters. The second part > of the book is devoted to the personal stories of > beleivers. Yes, Alcoholics Anonymous is a religious text. > No studies, no scientific evidence that anything proclaimed > in this book is factual, is cited within its pages. > > In the first 11 chapters, alcoholism is described as a > malady so hopeless only a spiritual experience, through a > Higher Power, will grant a daily reprieve. The spiritual > experience is supposedly gained through taking the 12 > steps. These steps are blatantly religious. . It becomes > clear by the end of chapter 6 that the program consists of > admissions of powerlessness, insanity, and the need for a > " moral inventory " where " character defects " are found. A > complete confession to another person of past wrongs is > also required. Those who leave embarrassing facts out of > this confession have this fate: " Quite invariably, they > (get) drunk. " > > Included in the moral inventory is a treatment of anger so > unhealthy that any counseor who actually were to recommend > this book to a client as treatment for anything should be > sued. In chapter 5, on pages 64-67, people who have had > serious drinking problems are told that anger and > resentment, rather than being valid emotions, are " poison " > for alcoholics and will " destroy more alcoholics than > anything else. " A method is then outlined for dealing with > anger: basically, finding that all anger is the alcoholic's > fault. Along with self blame and the finding of one's own > defects, a prayer is recommended for further > anger-squelching. These methods, along with the continual > humiliation and finding of defects required in the rest of > the steps, are surely more a recipe for depression than for > any kind of healing. > > Wives and familiy members who wish to be insulted and > abused have their own chapters: " To Wives (chapter 8) " and > " The Family Afterward (chapter 9) " In this chapter, wives > are cautioned about intolerance and nagging-- their men > might get drunk(p.135). Family members are given a > description of the religious fanatic their loved one might > become due to his involvement with AA(P.128). > > The second part of this book consists of a number of > first-person stories told by AA members of their drinking > past and their AA experience. There's no way of knowing how > useful these stories are, since they are strictly the > opinions of the writers. But we can rest assured not one > story is by anyone who may have attempted the program with > disastrous results. We do hear about one such person in > Chapter 1 : " One poor chap committed suicide in my home. He > could not, or would not, see our way of life.(p.16) There > are also references to " distressing failures. " > > This book does not belong in the recovery, or health care > sections of any bookstore or library. It belongs in the > religious section, perhaps even in the New Age, Cult or > Christian Mystisism departments of larger stores with a > warning label: CAUTION: Following these directions could be > dangerous to your mental health! > > > Sincerely, > > > > ______________________________________________________ > Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com Pete ---------------------- Cool Briton PERSONALITY-DISORDERS LIST: http://rdz.acor.org/athenaeum/lists.phtml?personality-disorders _____________________ " Every great scientist is part B.F. Skinner and part P.T. Barnum " - Bart Simpson's science teacher ---- Read this list on the Web at http://www.FindMail.com/list/12-step-free/ To unsubscribe, email to 12-step-free-unsubscribe@... To subscribe, email to 12-step-free-subscribe@... -- Start a FREE E-Mail List at http://makelist.com ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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