rent lowering gunshot time
12 step isn't a support group, it's a cult. akin to scientology in that the deeper you go the worse it gets. if you just scratch the surface you might walk away not thinking anything of it or just thinking it wasn't for you/you messed it up.
the Alcoholics Anonymous book is quite literally just the grandiose ramblings of a former member of a Christian cult (The Oxford Group) and connected to very wealthy individuals, from a wealthy family himself. he pretends to be his own wife in one chapter in order to convince the wives to join the 12 step way of life.
it's incredibly misogynistic, ableist, saneist, conservative, and capitalistic. it's also chock full of Christian pseudoscience. if you get deep enough into 12 step, you eventually learn the entire book was written specifically to convince people to submit to God, even if they're an atheist or agnostic.
and who had "all the answers to your problems through God"? Bill W and Dr. Bob. the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous. there was a third founder but he was an atheist and he died. he was kinda seen as a shame. but all subsequent 12 step groups are based off this shitty literature.
if you end up following a traditional AA program like i did, they start by treating you like you know nothing. they tell you that you know nothing. they tell you your thoughts can't be trusted. they tell you that you have an incurable, fatal, progressive disease and that all you get is a "daily reprieve" through constant submission to God through the 12 steps.
they tell you that if you don't follow the steps, you'll die. and you won't just die. you will die a miserable, lonely, chaotic, cold death. and then when your friends overdose? they tell you to step over the bodies. don't dwell. this is what happens when you don't practice the steps. you don't want to die too, do you?
i cannot stress enough that all of this is a real experience i had in the largest AA group in my county. they are widely connected to other groups, and have coordinated with the main Alcoholics Anonymous office in NYC.
now if that's what they said to someone just coming to meetings. how do you feel about the fact there are private retreats in rural areas where popular members of the community act as spiritual guides for others.
if you think AA is just a group of people with substance use issues getting together and talking about getting sober, you're so incredibly fucking wrong. this post is already so long but there is so much more fucked up stuff i could share.
