Fear that what will work?

" I just think it's a sad day (when) others are offended when I share my story of how I got sober....."

Come on Bob in Maine, nobody has said they are offended by your stories. And nobody is trying to persecute you or your beliefs in AA. Tell all the stories you want in support of AA. Just don't take personal offense when someone challenges some aspect of the AA credo. If you want to defend what you feel is a challenge to AA, go for it with a reasoned and civil response. Otherwise, you can always hit that blue "stop watching this topic" button and go about your business.

There also are "Ignore" and "Report" functions as well.

I am with you Buck!

There are many paths to recovery. One must follow that path that calls the.

For example. I picked AA and I found myself having constant relapses. I often bought a bottle after an AA meeting. I kept trying only to find failure. I also tried Life Ring and SMART Recovery without success. I started going to lessons in Buddhism, not seeking a road to recovery, but what I learned there help me to stop drinking. I stopped going to AA. This worked for me. I stopped the relapses.
It took me awhile to find the path that called me. Once I found it long term sobriety was possible.

Others were lucky. They first tried AA and it was a perfect fit. There was no need to look for something else.

What I like about DS is that I read threads that interest me and ignore threads, where I have no interest. I cannot do that in a group meeting. In live meetings, I have to listen to someone tie up the meeting with utter nonsense, usually the whole group responds to someone who is a lost cause. The only thing that I learned was not to go to group meeting of any kind.

In Buddhism, I do not have a higher power. The Buddha taught that we have to do this ourselves. This works for me. I do not preach that my way is the best way. This is what works for me. When I newcomer asks for help I don't tell him go to a Buddhist temple. I let him know that I did it on my own. I used what I learned about grasping, acceptance and non attachment. He should look around at different path of recovery until he found the one that fits. If he is lucky the first one that he tries is a good fit.

I love this post and fully support your comments. I usually steer clear off any AA posts even though I would like to have some additional information because of the vicious attacks I've seen here. So what I did was go online and unfortunately as there was no meeting close by, I joined a meeting via WebEx and it was quite depressing as one of the older women (it was an online meeting for women only) more or less chastised me for being an alcoholic this young. Anyway, I'm subscribed to receive the weekly meeting minutes and the newsletter but I chose to do things my way in additional to the online support offered here. Bottom-line this fighting needs to stop. Life is hard already for all of us having to deal with this disease.

Agreed- I'm really glad you made this post :-)

I've been on here for a few years now. I see BuckStag's point.

I have read the Big Book, and yes, there is a lot of God in it. And yes, it has come under attack a lot. And yes, people have had divided camps on here.

My suggestion- as long as people share instead of prescribing, I think we should be all good. : )

My suggestion- for what it's worth? How about filling out our profiles on here to include if we are an AA person or not? It would almost be a disclaimer then. So when somebody is coming off a certain way, we could mouse over their profile and see their personal views.

Like for me, I'm not a huge fan of ANY 12 step for an extended amount of time. I think it's good in a pinch or tweak, but to rely upon meetings too much is shifting the focus a bit, IMHO. I tend to feel that if I want to be healthy, I should be around healthy people most of the time. But that's just me. Now, should I say that in posts over and over? No. That would be an agenda and I'd be constantly slamming people. But if I put it on my profile page ONCE, and if people really CARE about who I am and what's driving my perspective, they are free to check me out.

I think that would solve a lot. : )

I've not seen any "vicious attacks" since I've been a member here and I don't think anyone should have to tiptoe around in giving thoughts and comments on the board. Some people are just naturally more sensitive than others and there is no avoiding wounding some people's gentle nature.

This thread has once again turned into an AA vs. other methods argument when that WAS NOT the root of the complaint. People have turned into that because then they can deflect from what the real issue was and that was certain members of this board *sneering* at other people's choice of sobriety supports if it does not include "the big book". The condescension and out-right rudeness to other members is what I had an issue with ( some people on this site just don't seem to WANT to be nice to others no matter how much and how tactfully you point out that their comments are hurtful).

I COULD CARE LESS (and yes, I'm putting it in shouty caps so that the point gets driven home) HOW people get sober. But STOP with the negative, rude and snarky comments when it comes to judging other people's "sobriety"!! If AA works for you, GREAT. But stop ramming it down everyone else's throats.

Its so Ironic I think. Each of our own personality traits and dispositions and needs many times dominate our every waking our. No matter the approach ,lack of approach or genial we appear or not appear to be.Alcoholism is devastating to the individual,, the family and innocent bystanders !! I like this little saying ... I think it covers all bases ( in a wider interpretation of ourselves if it applies))whether your a Buddhist or not :)))
Billy
Even though you try to put people under control, it is impossible. You cannot do it. The best way to control people is to encourage them to be mischievous. Then they will be in control in a wider sense. To give your sheep or cow a large spacious meadow is the way to control him. So it is with people: first let them do what they want, and watch them. This is the best policy. To ignore them is not good. That is the worst policy. The second worst is trying to control them. The best one is to watch them, just to watch them, without trying to control them.

Shunryu Suzuki

waking Hour

I don't know if I'm one of those "overly sensitive" types or maybe I'm just itching for an argument, but what bothers me is the feeling that the mere mention of AA (as in "this is what worked for me") is considered "ramming it down everyone else's throats".

It would be helpful to me if someone could link to specific instances of these offending posts and comments so I might better temper my references to AA when I reply in these discussion threads.

But the mere fact that I may have to temper my comments seems to reek of censorship.

Texi- I think there's been times when people say what's worked for them and people get all, "stop preaching" and then others bristle and it goes south, all in the name of trying to learn how to stay sober.

I personally DO care about people's story. I DO want to learn about HOW people got sober.

I think some put down AA due to the s God stuff. And some dig in their heels.

My take??? (here it goes...) People who are alcoholics (myself included) tend to have a propensity for mental health issues to begin with... people self medicate other underlying issues.

So we on the alcoholism board are already tweaked... so it only stands to reason that a bunch of white-knuckled dry drunk dysfunctional will want to tangle...

Hmmmm... how many people did I offend with that one, lol?

Texas -"ramming it down everyone's throats" absolutely does not refer to the mere mention of AA - that is an over-the-top and unfair statement. I've not seen anyone balk when the positive aspects of AA are pointed out or if it's suggested as a viable option for sobriety. I myself attended meetings for 3 months and know for a fact that it is a great support and option for many people. The "ramming it down people's throats" comes when it is hyped as THE ONLY possible way for someone to get sober (which that EXACT comment has been made on this board) and other methods are sneered at, disrespected and other people's sobriety are mocked because they are not fanatically following the 12 steps of AA. That attitude (which is adopted by a few members on this board) is very much disgusting, IMO.

Sorry - meant to address that to "Texi".