Critiques of Alcoholics Anonymous - Part 1
Calling out the criticisms and genuine shortcomings of the program
Nothing fires up a conversation for those in the recovery space like the topic of Alcoholic’s Anonymous. As with everything, you have a spectrum that people fall onto where finding yourself on the extreme ends is generally not a wonderful place to land. In the world of recovery pertaining to AA, that spectrum ranges from it’s the most destructive cult the world has ever seen (clearly untrue) to everyone, alcoholic or not, should be in the program and do the 12 steps it solves everything (also not true).
I am going to detail my view of AA, the common critiques and its major downfalls in this two part post. To be blunt - Alcoholic’s Anonymous is unquestionably the most successful program of recovery that has helped the greatest amount of people to date. It is far from perfect, yet no program or pill has achieved the scale and success of AA, and this fact should not be downplayed. It is seriously successful in solving an incredibly difficult problem of the masses and at the individual level.
Yet, in saying that, I will also confide that AA probably isn’t for everyone and each addict has to find a program and put in the work. Nothing with addiction is solved with passivity.
I have personally witnessed individual’s ego and pride step in the way of their ability to recover from addiction because they do not want to put in the work or they don’t want to be associated with an organization such as AA. Even though their life literally depends on their ability to work and maintain a program, they let their ego lead them elsewhere.
On that note, I am going to start with the most common attacks against AA and excuses that individuals cling to in order to avoid putting in the actual work.
It’s a cult
If AA is a cult, it’s the worst cult the world has ever seen. Having been a part of a boarderline cult in college (what up American college fraternity experience), I can say with certainty that AA doesn’t fit the definition of a cult.
The three primary characteristics of a cult are:
Devotion to a set of beliefs and practices which are considered deviant outside of the norms of society
Difficult, burdensome or disruptive for members to leave
Typically run by a charming and charismatic leader (aka there’s only one generation to a cult in its lifecycle)
I genuinely think that I can dismantle each of these in a single hyperlink. Here is the less cited, but equally as important to the 12 steps, 12 Traditions of AA. This is the operating model of the organization and individual meetings, and within it you will find a clear counter to each of these points.
On the first characteristic of a cult, yes AA does espouse certain practices and beliefs. Yet, counter to a cult, those practices and beliefs have the intention of bringing deviant behavior back into the norm. In recovery, if you’re living a boring and routine life there is nothing more amazing about that fact! Boring and routine is healthy, normal, and a serious change of pace for anyone who has suffered from addiction and its consequences.
There were two things that really caught me by surprise when we moved to Idaho over five years ago. The density of natural hot springs out in the mountains and the prevalence of Mormons. In living here, I have met numerous individuals and created friendships with people that have left the LDS church. That is a painful process, most times associated with a complete loss of relationship with friends and a financial burden that follows these deserters for years.
Now I’m not calling the LDS church a cult, but here’s the thing - I voluntarily show up to my AA meetings. I throw in $20 at the start of each month to help with room rental and coffee. I don’t have to, but I do. I can walk out of the doors of a meeting and never come back. All of that is my choice.
Finally, take a moment and just do a search for “Who is in charge of AA”. Leadership is distributed within the individual meetings. I have never in my entire life witnessed such an organization and such a strong example of delegated authority working so effectively. In what is now hundreds of AA meetings that I have attended, not once did I hear the phrase, “nationals told us to do X, Y or Z” or “our great and powerful leader Ned has instructed us all to go to Disneyland”. Never. Not once.
When it comes down to it, AA has a single purpose highlighted in Tradition 5 - “Each group has but one primary purpose — to carry its message to the alcoholic who still suffers.”
Seriously, if it’s a cult it’s the worst cult I’ve ever seen, they literally have an open door policy, come and go as you please. Onto a one that is a slightly more valid critique…
It’s a pseudo religion
I’ve seen critiques of AA come at this one from both sides of the religious spectrum. Atheists express discontent that AA stands firm on the belief in a higher power to achieve recovery. Then religious folks see AA as a (potential) stand in for their belief system and they express concern over people praising a false idol in AA. To address this two pronged attack, I will go back to this being a problem of ego. AA has worked for atheists, and the book actually has a full chapter dedicated to the topic.
For those religious members who struggle with AA, Tradition 2 of AA states “For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority — a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience.” There is no talk of replacing your belief structure, only that you trust and commit yourself to believing that there is a power out there greater than your own and that power can help alleviate you from your suffering.
I will be blunt here, I have seen more individuals from the far religious side of the spectrum push back on AA harder than atheists. I’m not going to dive deep into that one here, but do just want it noted.
I will share this from my experience - if I want to feel a deep connection to God and to Lucy, I don’t go to church, I go to my AA home meeting in the morning. It’s there, surrounded by other alcoholics, that I really feel connected with those two relationships in my life - my higher power and my daughter.
Ego and pride come into play on both these critiques of AA. Humans are fallible beings, we generally push back against change and discomfort. Recovery requires work, every single day. There is no method of entering recovery where you do not change some aspect of your life in a meaningful way, which always requires work.
Unfortunately, I have witnessed time and time again people that are looking for a comfortable and easy way to solve their problem with addiction and alcohol. It is just not the case that solving that large of a problem can be anything short of disruptive to your life. Yet, it does not have to be destructive.
When it comes down to it, these critiques of AA are merely excuses that addicts cling to in order to avoid the discomfort of entering recovery. This is the harsh truth. Individuals who are not willing to do the work will find these critiques and hold to them as tightly as a a paltry life vest in the middle of a raging ocean instead of grasping for the extended hand reaching out to them from the safety of a lifeboat.
I have never met an individual who has found the solution to alcoholism who did it passively. Every single person had to put in significant amounts of work and effort.
In the next post, I will detail my own personal critiques and shortcomings from the AA programming that I feel are imperative to living a life in recovery or are too often overlooked.
If you are interested in finding out more, visit the Alcohol Anonymous website or download the “Meeting Guide” app on your phone, find a meeting happening near you and just go and listen. Your life could be changed.
That’s all I’ve got,
Kyle