Drug Addicts in AA

[Jools]

I was at a meeting last night and an old timer spoke up about people saying I'm an addict or I'm an addict and an alcoholic. He spoke up about people who're drug addicts being in AA and I was glad he did.

It seems to me AA has lost it's singleness of purpose. I realize this is the 21st century and most people use drugs and drink, but I didn't come to AA to stop using drugs, I came to stop drinking. I have compassion for those who are addicts, but there are meetings specifically for that.

If AA continues to have this kind of tolerence for addicts will it also have tolerance for gamblers, over eaters, and sex addicts?

A lot of people were offended, one even left. They continued to say I am an addict, or alcoholic addict even in light of what the gentleman said.

Who knows where AA is going from here.

Sincerely,
Julie

[sunlight]

Just got our central office newsletter & in it is an article by Bill, excerpted from the Grapevine, February 1958, on this subject.

Here's a piece of it:

"Sobriety - freedom from alcohol - through the teaching and practice of the 12 steps, is the sole purpose of an AA group. Groups have repeatedly tried other activities and they have always failed. It has also been learned that there is no possible way to make non-alcoholics into AA members. We have to confine our membership to alcoholics and we have to confine our AA groups to a single purpose. If we don't stick to these principles, we shall almost surely collapse. And if we collapse, we cannot help anyone."

He goes on to say that he has great sympathy for addicts, and that they may sit in on open meetings, if the group is willing. But they are NOT AA members.

The AA club I belong to has a meeting that allows addicts. I don't go to that meeting.
Some of the addicts have told me that they lie & say they also have a problem with alcohol, just to "fit in". Where's the rigorous honesty?
If I'm going to start fudging from the start, it's not going to get easier to be real!

I knew 2 addicts who wanted to come to our group cuz it was close & they didn't have a car. We let them, & they even got sponsors & began the work. But, they never seemed to get better. Both of them took their lives, & after that we decided, in our group conscience, to have mainly closed meetings & not allow addicts. Our group feels much cleaner & clearer with the focus on alcoholism.

There are many great NA meetings. I've been to them. I take addicts to them. They get well.

Bill said, "In AA, the group has strict limitations, but the individual has scarcely any." I can help in many ways, if I observe the traditions of anonymity & non-endorsement. And I don't call it AA.

I love AA. I want it to STAY AA. Our group has a responsibility to see that it does.

Love ya Julie

[GeoffS]

When it comes to non alcoholics in meetings, I'm with Clancy. he may have been harsh but had the 3rd tradition in mind when he spoke about these issues.

Hearing from addicts or overeaters or gamblers is all useful information, but thats all it is. Can alcoholics identify with the experience of being an addict and vice versa. Yes some of the info is the same, but the experience is not.

I'd hate to think an alcoholic ever heard an addict speaking at a meeting and didn't identify, so failed to hear what they needed and went out and drank and died.

Also Clancy points out that people who are alcoholics and addicts etc. of course are welcome at our meetings but perhaps don't need to identify as such. He always believes that if they do then we should say Hi back, twice!

[DiggerinVA]

Actually last night the meeting I went to opened with a guy speaking on his back injury and the drugs he was taking. So of course all the duals spoke. Now I can identify with the multi users, do to my path. The only person that really spoke the answer was for him to actually follow the Doc' suggestion, which I know he would be breaking by simply being there (the doc's want you on your laying on your back as much as possible). The reality is there are some drugs that affect the same parts of the brain as alcohol so for these I see a big relation, but others I just don't see the connection. Except the cure is the same and that is a loving relationship with God. Which is achieved through the use of the steps.

[Dallas]

Thanks for your post GeoffS.

I second that emotion!

Dallas

[GeoffS]

Thanks Dallas and Digger,

I had a sponsee ask my opinion just the other day about how I thought his giving up alcohol would impact on his anti-depressants and other prescription meds.

Geoff's opinion is neither here nor there.

All I could suggest he does is keep his doctor current with whats going on and take direction from the qualified medic.

Powers greater than ourselves come in all shapes and sizes, I'm just grateful I can see that today.

[ROBERT]

SERIOUSLY ON MY PART,--BILL & BOB I'VE READ USED DOPE NOW IT IS NOT CLEAR IF THEY TALKED ABOUT IT (DRUG USE) OR NOT-BUT THEY DID PUT IT OUT THERE--SO THIS THING CALLED LIVE&LET LIVE APPLIES FOR ME 'CAUSE I DON'T FEEL RESPONSIBLE FOR WHO-WHAT-WHERE-WHEN,A FELLOW SUFFERER MAY HEAR EXACTLEY WHAT HE/SHE NEEDS TO IN ORDER FOR THEM TO CONNECT THE DOTS.THE TRADITIONS ARE A IMPORTANT PART OF THIS DEAL-SO ARE SPEED LIMITS-SO WHEN ****ANYONE,**** ANYWHERE, REACHES OUT, I AM RESPONSIBLE.... "TO BE THERE" ....THE REST IS UP TO GOD......

[Dallas]

For me, common sense would tell me that it's not a good idea to see a butt doctor to get my teeth fixed, nor to see a dentist to fix a butt problem.

We often hear discussed, what a great idea it is for a person to discover their purpose in life -- and live a life on purpose.

AA has a purpose.
NA has a purpose
GA has a purpose.
OA and the rest... have a purpose.

One might say that "well, since all those are Anonymous organizations, and some suggest the 12 Steps... they all have the same solution."

However, if you do some researching and checking the facts and visiting the different Anonymous organizations -- few have anything in common with the recovery program of AA, and... AA... as it's name implies... is for Alcoholics.

Why would a man want to join a womans club and a woman join a mens club?

Why would a wind surfer want to belong to a pilots association?

AA has a purpose and the purpose of AA's 12 Traditions -- is to keep AA's singleness of purpose.

Can you imagine a car with one steering wheel -- and five passengers are each trying to steer the car at the same time??? The car ends up crashing in a ditch.

Let the five passengers drive their own car -- and focus on their own steering rather than trying to steer others.

For the most part, what I've seen in meetings where the members do not understand Singleness of Purpose -- it's like the blind leading the blind... and they can't figure out why people aren't recovering.

When I want my lawn mower fixed I go to a lawn mower shop.
When I get my hair cut -- I go to a person that cuts hair.

Well, you might say... "they both deal with cutting, don't they?"

Sure. But, one cuts grass and the other cuts hair.

If I walk into a barber shop -- and the guy or girl pulls out a weed eater...
it isn't difficult for me to decide that I'm in the wrong place.

Can you imagine how I would look to the other customers, if I was arguing with the barber... as to why he doesn't cut hair with a lawn mower? It's all the same thing... cutting.... Isn't it?

So what if Bob & Bill used drugs?

What person or what doctor hasn't used drugs?

Bob was a doctor.

Bill was a patient.

They didn't get together to fix patients or drug addicts... their common bond was "one alcoholic talking with another alcoholic... for the purpose of achieving and maintaining sobriety -- not drinking alcohol.

The reason that Bill took such great notice of the Washingtonians, a bunch of drunks that were staying sober in the 1860's... was because they disappeared... when they decided to start trying to fix other problems... in other words... when they forgot their primary and singleness of purpose.

Do you think it's a good idea for AA to disappear?

That's what's happening... in the areas where the members are mixing it up and getting away from their primary and singleness of purpose.

Dallas B.

[ROBERT]

THERE WAS A TIME WHEN I DID NOT KNOW ABOUT ANY THING--I WENT TO LOTS OF DIFERENT MEETINGS AA,NA,CA ACOA,ETC--IT WAS PART OF THE JOURNEY FOR ME-IF SOME ONE HAD PREACHED TO ME THAT I DON'T BELONG AT THEIR MTG. BECAUSE I USED SOLID FORMS OF CHEMICALS-INSTEAD OF LIQUID OR-vice versa-LIKE THEY DID-WELL IT WOULD HAVE HAD A NEG.AFFECT.SURE I HAVE TO PRACTICE SPECIAL VIGILENCE,TOLERANCE @ TIMES-BUT AS I LOOK BACK SO DID THE ONES THAT TAUGHT ME THIS--I WAS A PERSON IN SEARCH OF AN ANSWERE TO A PROBLEM I DID NOT UNDERSTAND-MY LOVE AND TOLERANCE WILL DO MORE GOOD THAN BAD-JUST AS IT DID FOR ME.....GROWING PAINS ARE MORE THAN JUST THAT FOR ME----THEIR GROWING UP PAINS---

[GeoffS]

The only reference to drugs I've come across (so far) is Bill using LSD.