A bumped up controversial topic from SR

Days Inn sucks so much ass.

Days Inn knows how to make you feel at home.

This is the ambience you get when you tell your brother-er boss that you're in recovery and like to stay somewhere nice when on the road.

Typical drive in the ATL

What's my bro doing on here? Wow.

Closed A.A. meeting and NA's?????

A newbie from SR posted this in a recently bumped up 2 year old thread that some of you's were a part of;

First, I would preface this by saying the Big Book was written in the 1940's, before most of the drugs being abused today were available. Second, professional drug/alcohol counselors recommend AA to everyone. Do you honestly believe these traditions/ if written today/ would exclude drug addicts? My history with drugs is identical to those of alcohol addicts. My AA meetings are available at the times I need and NA meetings are in bad parts of town and Im not willing to put myself at risk for exposure to potential drug dealers. This discussion has really irritated me as these people are all seeking the same solution and following the same principles. Someone confronted me at a meeting recently and was basically thrown out of the meeting because of everyone's comments about alcohol and drugs all being the same. AA is AA is AA whatever! keep your mouth shut if you approach someone in recovery. Do you really want to jeopardize someone who is TRYING and SEEKING a solution??? All you are doing is taking away the solution and creating a problem, possibly instigating a relapse. Grow up!

Wow!  Tell it like it is, SR newbie!

My take... I go to open meetings as well as closed meetings because there are good folks in both.  I know some addicts who have a good recovery program and they've had to battle the hardlined A.A.ers who remind them of the traditions.  I also know some addicts who have finally got off of their high-horse and supported their own damned N.A. meetings rather than try and turn an A.A. meeting into an Anda meeting.

When someone new comes into our (my main group) A.A. closed meeting, we ask why you are there.  One of the questions we ask you is, "Are you looking for an A.A. meeting?"  We also ask you whether you're an alcoholic or not?  Do you know what an alcoholic is?  Do you have a problem with booze?"  ... and this one is like... my fav!  "Do you want to do something about it?"  If you're confused about this or will not submit to the admission that you're an alcoholic, then maybe you're not and you're free to go.  We don't need you and we've got nothing for you.  So, in other words, "See ya!"  "Later gator!"

But at these open meetings, some folks just slobber all over and "cater" to the addict andas and go so far as to say, "We don't discriminate against the addict here.  All are equally welcome."  This is the product of the "Treatment Center" alumni in my hometown.  Of this, I am not proud.  I've heard that those who have come before me have talked to these folks and tried to change their group conscience and they just fight.  They refuse to see it any other way.  "A drug is a drug is a drug" is their motto.

I don't go to these N.A. meetings.  I don't because I'm not an addict, I can't help them and they can't help me.  But I respect their respective recovery.  I didn't make the rules.  Oh, how dare I say rules!  Traditions, whatever the hell you want to call them.  In my closed A.A. meeting, if you're not alcoholic and/or not willing to identify as "My name is ______ and I'm an alcoholic", you'll be asked to leave.  None of this anda or "... and I'm sober in recovery"... shit.  This is not Life Ring.  But... how do I feel when a new person comes to our group and isn't sure if they're alcoholic or not or if they identify as addict?  I'm uncomfortable as hell for them because I don't like them being asked to leave... or telling them that this is a closed A.A. meeting and to "Ixsnay on the addict-pay alk-tay...!"  How about, "My name is .... and I have a desire to stop drinking."  Nope.  GTFO!  You're alkie or your not.  What's better is to say, "My name is _________ and I'm here to find out if I'm alcoholic or not." 

"My name is _________ and I'm here to find out if I'm alcoholic or not."  Is this not the perfect introduction for the new person?  They don't know what an alcoholic is really... but some think they do.  The A.A. book talks in vast detail about the line between the hard drinker and the real alcoholic.  One thing I learned about me and this... topic; I lied to myself about my own identification.  This may sound pathetic, but I sort of let others label me as alcoholic or just assumed that I was an alcoholic because I couldn't handle my booze and it always got me hurt and/or in trouble.  This sounds like a good enough definition to some.  Certainly good enough for some counselors that have worked with me over the years.

But until someone set me down and asked me what I drank like... how it was with ME and booze, there was no movement.  I was just no where near "conceding to my inner most self".

Being a real alcoholic eludes so many.  I can see it.  I am partly ashamed that it eluded me for so long... that I really am an alcoholic and that I really really cannot just don't drink.  The anti/XAers hate us for this separation.  Not being able to "Just don't drink, no matter what" or "Just keep coming back, no matter what", I thought that I was just an A.A. fuck-up.  In a way this is true.  But the fact is that I'm just not like those others who don't identify.  This is as true for MOTRers as it is for addicts vs alcoholics.

I did drugs and I ain't an addict.  Like that or not.  This pisses some folks off.  It really does.  Don't believe me?  Go read that bumped up thread at SR and you'll see.  It pisses them off so much that they add things to their preamble like "We don't discriminate against the addict here."  Well guess what, treatment center alumni muther-fucker?  We don't either!

Oops.  Sorry about that.  Just had to get that off my chest.  I do love my fellow addicts in recovery though.  I'd like to start a non-A.A. spiritual 11th step meeting where we can all get together and just read the Emmitt Fox- Sermon on the Mount book or something.  Maybe some David R. Hawkins.  But then we'll probably start talking about steps and how we do them and that would be that.

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Update from SR newbie;

I do see open meetings but at lunch I have one aa place to go to (closed) and at 5pm I have another aa close to home (closed) The open ones are at 8pm and I have 2 newborns and a 4 year old. This is the only way for me to attend regularly. The NA meetings are few and far between in Oklahoma City and I have always preferred AA. What's the problem here? Are the "traditions" which were written in 1940's so important that you would ask an addict to leave? This entire thread has insulted me. I read the Big Book not NA book, I do not want to go to NA meetings even the few available as they are bad parts of town and could compromise my sobriety. I would just ask that someone explain to me how they can validate this argument on some level that would make sense because as far as I can tell, there is no argument!!

Wow!  Are you serious?  You want A.A. to cow down and cater to you?  Save the drama for yo mamma.  Take that anger and attitude and shove all that up your ass.

To think that A.A. is being accused of being a cult.  Go over to Stinkin' Thinkin' and Orange Papers and develop a hatred for A.A. and leave it the fuck alone.  You sound like a ripe prick so... I pity the folks who have to put up with you.  Maybe you can go get some booze and drink the shit.  Become a real alcoholic and shut the fuck up about the drugs.  Or... you can grow some balls, grab that NA book and refuse to fail.  Make it work for you and maybe you'll even help a fellow addict. 

Drugs and booze are different.  Booze is food and drugs are not.  They are different, despite what you say and think.

Of all the MOTRs and Andas I've seen come down the pike, you deserve no compassion.  You are giving CarolD and Dee a headache and they cannot express their true disappointment in you.  You are posting in the 12 Step Alcoholism thread.

What you really are is a troll from Stinkin' Thinkin'.  So... knowing that, I think it's kind of funny.  Those folks over there are not being fooled by you in the least.  I can tell that Tomvlle and Keith and some others are on you like stink on shit.

Happy New Year now!