Well it's been fun but all good things must come to an end......well not really ….
We've been
going (in one form or another) since 2007... seems a helluva lot
longer! aacultwatch launched its Stop Press section (an early form of the blog format we later adopted) in that year with the
highly edifying (and attention grabbing) title “Debbie Does
Dallas”.....which proved to be highly popular (although rather
disappointing for those who expected something quite different!).....
Since then
we've attempted to raise awareness of cult activities in this country
(and others) with some modest success. But there are only so many
ways you can say the same thing (eg. Tradition Four does NOT imply unqualified group autonomy, 'sharing' your
experience does NOT mean 'directing', controlling, bullying
and abusing newcomers, Wayne P (Plymouth Road to Recovery CULT group) really SHOULD buy some braces to
stop his trousers from falling down, Clancy I is NOT to be taken seriously (even if he does!), Joe and Charlie did NOT produce a definitive interpretation of the
Big Book etc etc etc.....) and so we've decided to move on …. to
bigger and better things... Over the last few weeks we've been
preparing a new initiative. Whereas the aacultwatch campaign is
mostly aimed at AA members (especially newcomers) we've decided that
we needed to shift the focus somewhat. Our main concern has always
been the welfare of those who come to AA for help (ie. NOT to be
bullied). Over time we've come to the conclusion that Alcoholics
Anonymous itself is structurally incapable of reform. Since there is
no centralised authority any guidance offered with respect to
combating bullying etc is only as effective as its local
implementation. Unfortunately the latter is sorely lacking (with
some notable exceptions). Collective responsibility IS implied in
Tradition Four and yet there's seems to be a widespread reluctance to
apply that principle. More often than not unacceptable conduct
(especially where it has become effectively institutionalised ie.
cult groups) goes unchecked simply because no one is prepared to
grasp that particular nettle. The only effective way in which
newcomers can be protected, it seems, is to ensure that they are made
fully aware of the dangers they may encounter BEFORE they actually
attend AA meetings. Moreover many of the agencies currently referring
clients to AA (eg. probation service, treatment centres, GPs, etc)
may not be cognisant of these hazards. Unfortunately, and not
entirely unsurprisingly, the AA national website presents a somewhat
idealised version of the fellowship. For example in their FAQ
section (under Is it a cult?) the following is stated:
However
any newcomer who attends cult groups within AA in Great Britain will
very rapidly find themselves under considerable pressure to continue
with (only) those particular meetings, that “suggestions” very
quickly transmogrify into 'directions', and that finally there is
very little if any licence to “go their own way”. The official AA
'line' fails to acknowledge the subtle (and sometimes not so subtle)
dynamics of cult indoctrination. This is a reality that needs to be
communicated to potential members (as well as the aforementioned
referring agencies) if a truer picture of AA's actual operation is to
emerge.
Therefore,
to remedy this deficit, we will shortly be launching a national
campaign (and website) aimed directly at potential (and actual)
newcomers as well as a range of referring agencies (probation
service, health trusts, 12 Step treatment centres, GPs, employers etc
throughout Great Britain but including other interested parties: MPs,
local councils, various media, religious organisations etc). Our
objective will be to draw attention to the real benefits AA may
afford those who suffer from chronic alcohol addiction but not
omitting the dangers inherent in attending (some) AA meetings: in our
view to be forewarned is to be forearmed. This, of course, may result
in some individuals electing to seek help elsewhere. However there
exist a growing number of alternatives to AA both 'live' and online,
free and not free, including Smart Recovery, counselling,
psychotherapy, Stop Drinking ….. Priority should always be given to the welfare of
the individual rather than the reputation, deserved or not, of any
organisation (including AA).
The
existing aacultwatch site will remain 'live' but our activity will be
much reduced. However if anyone wishes to draw our attention to (and
potentially publicise) cult misconduct please do not hesitate to
contact us.
Finally we
would like to thank all our supporters (and various contributors)
past and present without whom aacultwatch would literally not exist!
Cheers
The Fellas
(Friends of Alcoholics Anonymous)
What can I say but many thanks for all your help guys!!..please keep me informed of your future venture. The cult are still there and still peddling their emotion free feeling free honesty free version of recovery. Looking forward to hearing from you!!..Philthy
ReplyDeleteYeah thanks. Keep up the good work guys, r-e-s-p-e-c-t. Your blog is an eye opener and very helpful to guys like me who are sick to death of the joys/roadie mob and their damaging abuse lies & cover ups. I reckon I would have left AA long ago if they were all there was, and who knows what then. But I've learned that I still need AA and the program to stay sober, but I don't need the cults and their killer sponsors to stay sober. And I dont need to pay for Clancy's 1st class air travel and 5 star hotel costs and then kiss his ass for the privilege. I can keep my hard earned money and get a life instead. A sober life without any of that weak pathetic cultclown bullshit. Sober happy and cult-free and lovin it.
ReplyDeleteI have personally spoken to many AA members over the years who are very grateful for your blog, even though they do not comment here. You have given validation and a voice to those loyal members and friends who have serious and legitimate concerns about the abusive, and even criminal behaviour of certain groups and individuals within AA. Concerns that the AA service structure either cannot deal with, or lack the willingness to do so. What the cult is most furious about is that all these concerns are true and are no longer hidden. More and more people within AA and outside of AA are aware and informed about these matters. The cult have been found out and they are riled, and that can only be a good thing. Their foul-mouthed rants and childish attempts at revenge only serve to prove the very thing they are accused of. It is a shame that the reputation of AA as a whole suffers, but “no pain no gain” as the saying goes. I am sure AA will come through all this one day. “This too shall pass” – another saying.
ReplyDeletePerhaps our cult friends might like to practice the program of AA (for once) and pray for you fellas; and for me and others who comment here? According to our Big Book page 67 … “We asked God to help us show them the same tolerance, pity, and patience that we would cheerfully grant a sick friend. When a person offended we said to ourselves, "This is a sick man. How can I be helpful to him? God save me from being angry. Thy will be done." We avoid retaliation or argument.....” All prayers gratefully received of course. But I won't hold my breath. I expect the response will be more of the usual - i.e. abuse, evasion, ad hominem fallacies, lies, libels, insults, and foul language. Because, being of a criminal mindset and having lost millions of brain cells after years of drug and alcohol abuse, that is all they've got in mitigation of themselves. I send them Love and Light anyway :)
Dude I wouldn't worry about their bullshit. Who cares what mad wayne & his cult puppets think. What those losers say doesnt change a thing. pfftt!! theyre a sick joke. Remember they are the ones stealing AA group & intergroup money & shagging newcomers while they think theyve got superior recovery better than anyone else. How many kids has mad wayne fathered so far by 13 stepping newcomers? Ive lost count. Supersober my ass. I hope its costing him heaps in child support.
ReplyDelete