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12 step group effectiveness

Posted by gilbert on June 22, 2001, at 22:59:41

In reply to Re: Staying Sober and taking meds, posted by gilbert on June 22, 2001, at 22:32:46

JCB,

I have been in the trenches since 1979 in and around 12 step groups and in and out of 3 inpatient rehabs plus 3 outpatient rehabs....have been sober 15 years and am still very active. I have personally taken about 100 drunks or addicts to hospitals for detox on 12 step calls. I have enrolled at leat half of those people in half way houses. I think AA is miraculous.....that being said. I think statistically it is a failure. About 1 out of 10 stay sober and of those who don't relapse probably only about 1 out of 15 stay sober permanantly. Of all the people I have tried to help some are dead, few are sober, most are missing. I believe 12 step groups to be a great assest but there is much dangerous advice and much dangerous misconceptions in and around AA. Many many people are advised not to take meds to just work the steps. I have a friend who in the early 80's was advised not to take lithium if he just worked the steps he would be fine. This almost cost him his life. I think with the new found spirituality and God like fervor that is felt when sharing with other suffering humans some feel that the hand of God will come down and fix their underlying mental illnesses. Or if they only do a good enough 4th step they will be free from this bondage of depression......you know all the slogans and cliches that sound so good but don't work for all.
I would dare say if all the depressives and all the anxiety sufferers were to be medicated and getting proper pychiatric help prior to using alcohol as medicine.....AA would be quite empty. There are very few pure alcohlics out there who simply do not suffer from some form of mental illness. I would remind all of my fellow recovery AA members who visit this board that Bill W. the founder of this program suffered from sever depression until his death. He also had much trouble in the fidelity area......One could say after alcohol was no longer his medicine....sex than became his new medicine. He finally resorted to dropping acid LSD to try and get some comfort. This does not sound like the kind of sober life I would wish to live. I think 12 step groups need to realize they need some input and need to be very openminded in pychiatric concepts. The meetings are shrinking in my area. They have gotten smaller and smaller. I don't think it is coincidence that after the invention of some tolerable effective medicines people no longer have to keep drinking to the point or level I did in order to stop. I think people are getting their underlying illnesses treated prior to getting in trouble because of all the advances in medicine and therefore the numbers at 12 step groups have dropped. I am gratefull to be sober and to have AA......I also realize without my meds I would be drunk or dead..........I use both to live my AA alone would not sustain me. I think many in the program pay painfull lessons and even lose their lives trying to 12 step something that can't be.

Sincerely,

Gil


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Psycho-Babble Medication | Framed

poster:gilbert thread:1356
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010618/msgs/67541.html