OLD AA.............
Well, I'm not too proud of that last blog. That is one of my pet peeves, people who have titles, as in my name is so&so & I'm a real alcoholic, or a true alcoholic. I didn't know there were levels of alcoholism, you either are or you aren't. That's what Shadow said. as well as people who come into an AA meeting & annoumce themselves as alcoholic addict (that is ego based) or just plain addicts (that is disrespectful of AA). I really have a problem with both. But, that is my problem, & I must deal with it. Not the other person, even tho I know other people have a problem with it too. But when all is said & done, we just laugh about it. What can you do? You can't teach people respect, & you can't tell them they're being egotistical, they have to see it themselves. I prefer people that are real, that come from the heart, & keeps it simple, they don't need to have a title. I think you have to keep it to what ever program your in, out of respect not only for the just alcoholic, but for the program also. As I said, I was brought up on old AA, I learned about respect for my fellow alcoholics, & AA itself. I have such respect for the people in AA before me, what they went thru to get this started, & keep it going. Back east you get the old AA, Out here, at least in this town, you don't anymore. I'm glad I came in when I did, before it got watered down. I needn't get mad tho, that's only a reflection on me, I wouldn't want it to be a a reflection on AA. After all, love & tolerance is our code. I need to practice that in all my affairs. Sometimes I do ok on that, sometimes not. I apolojize to the 'real alcoholic' for stepping on your toes.I am very passionate when it comes to AA, I know alot of the history, & the pains that went with starting it, & growing in it. I don't like to see people disrespect it. Sponsors have to teach the old AA, let the alcoholic addict know it is AA, not NA. Why an addict comes to an AA meeteing, I'll never know. Why would an alcoholic go to an NA meeting? Of course unless they're both, & go to both programs, but I'm talking about the pure addict. I, myself am both an alcoholic addict, but I don't say both in either program. Well, enough about this. Can you believe it's almost the week end again? My town is hosting the area assembly this year, I love those, you meet people from all over, & learn alot about AA. You all have a good week end!
posted by sharonsjourney @ 8:52 AM
3 Comments:
I think that AA should be about alcoholism and should have singleness of purpose. It appears to be getting diluted by other addictions.
Yes it is, it goes against our singleness of purpose, & that very thing is why AA has lasted so long. Maybe people need to learn a little more about AA, it is more than just meetings, so much more. Thank you for your comment.
I share your sentiments about Singleness of Purpose - however the term "real alcoholic" is a legitimate one straight out of the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous and is perfectly applicable.
When someone says they are a “real alcoholic” sometimes they are sending a signal that they have read and understood what the co-founders of Alcoholics Anonymous understood about alcoholism - not unlike a secret handshake.
Other times they are doing something that most of us have done. They are simply repeating something they heard someone say in a meeting once and thought it sounded cool - not having the faintest idea what we are talking about.
The co-founders used the term freely and frequently in the Big Book. They had hoped that they had made clear the distinctions between the an alcoholic and the non-alcoholic. You may be familiar with this language: "our description of the alcoholic" - so there IS a "description" that they use - and for AA purposes is the only description necessary regardless of what anyone else’s, including mine or yours, might be.
They also make distinctions between classes of drinkers showing clearly the gaps between moderate - hard and alcoholic drinkers, the description of which are so enlightening it's easy to see why no one ever talks about them in meeting. They'd be found out to be non-alcoholics!
Most meeting attendees who's stories we hear are simply tales of "hard drinkers" or "problem drinkers" not alcoholics by "Our description". Those folks need help - but they don't need AA.
Thanks. Cool blog.
Peace,
Danny S
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