I've got no problem with the things rehab/treatment centers do. They can and will do whatever they want. But just keep that stuff out of A.A.
I've been sent to detox a time or two... and was one way or another persuaded by the adjacent treatment center... or my family... or my place of employment... to chill out for 5 or 14 days.
On the surface, it sounds like a reasonable idea. For some, it may even be helpful. But for me, it was a waste of time and money. What I would have made good use of would just be the 24-72 hour drying out period, then just sent home to decide where I was going to go for long term help. But to spend the next few or couple of weeks going over proper nutrition, thought therapy, addiction education, feeling management, etc... not such a useful approach for me.
I, like Jim in the A.A. book, had made a good beginning; I knew what would happen if I drank again, I knew that there would be consequences detrimental to my well-being and perhaps the safety of others... yet I drank again.
Danny S, the Real Live Recovered Alcoholic is at a point in his book study now which really hits home for me and jives with my experience; the fact that we recovered alcoholics are called on to judge... that's right, JUDGE... other alcoholics. We're supposed to find out all we can about them, to sit them down when they "go back out again", and find out specifically what they were thinking the moment before they drank. They did this with Jim and found out he thought he could put whiskey in his milk. They put their finger on... for him... a direct piece of insanity that preceeded his next bender.
Now... the book goes on to say, "We don't like to label others as alcoholic... let them find that out for themselves"... or something to that effect... but we still judge. Why? Because we know what it's about. We should not be at all surprised when the alcoholic drinks again.
So what do we do from there? Send them to rehab again? Oh, the Alcoholism Industry would love that idea. It's my opinion that it's up to us to get them at a time when they are receptive for a talk... to try and "hook" them... to give them a glimpse of what happened to us and what we did to get to a point of desparation... and utimately to surrender and to a decision.
For some weird reason, I came back in of my own accord... without much hope... if any, I was debriefed once again about the possibility that I was "beyond human aid"... but then somehow given hope when I heard the statement, "It's up to you, bud. Either you're gonna do this stuff or you're not."
So, for me, I was given hope when I was told that I basically have to take responsibility for my own recovery. That's Step Three, and most of our detractors, if not all of them, to a man... do not understand or deny the paradox that making a decision to seek God is also a decision to take responsibility. If you don't understand this, maybe you aren't an alcoholic... or, maybe you are an alcoholic that truly needs to find a non-spiritual approach to recovery. For you, maybe you can turn away from this form of recovery and "go take responsibility for your own life" and just don't drink and just don't go to meetings.
