"Not Drinking" Is Secondary

I can hear it already. “Well if I don’t stay sober then I can’t help anybody.”

And now that you ARE sober you’re searching out other alcoholics and taking them through the steps , right? Puhleeze!

Just bear with me for a moment, OK? Sparky?

Some attitude I have, huh?

Have you ever wondered how folks who say they “practice these principles in all their affairs” manage to do it without “working with others” – with no one to sponsor and they aren’t looking either.

“Working with others” IS Step Twelve.

I don’t wonder. The world is full of liars. Even in AA.

Chapter Seven is a living, visible and experiential set of instructions that brings incredible joy and meaning to our lives. Especially since by now in the process WE HAVE RECOVERED! That means “We have been given the power to help others”. Our lives and daily activities are NO LONGER focused on NOT DRINKING. Something new happens.

Watch: “These men had found something brand new in life. Though they knew they must help other alcoholics if they would remain sober, that motive became secondary.”(159:2)

Sobriety is SECONDARY? Holy smokes!

I was always told that my SOBRIETY CAME FIRST! No wonder I couldn’t stay sober – even after years of meetings and “Keep coming back” and “Just show up.”

“It was transcended by the happiness they found in giving themselves for others. They shared their homes, their slender resources, and gladly devoted their spare hours to fellow-sufferers.” (159:2)

I couldn’t stay sober because I hadn’t helped others and I couldn’t help others because I had not been given the power, and I hadn’t been given the power because I had not had a spirtual awakening and I had not had a spiritual awakening because I had not taken the twelve steps and I had not taken the twelve steps because I had not been shown HOW and I had not been shown HOW because no one else knew how and no one else knew how because they had been told all we have to do is “Keep Coming Back” and we all just kept coming back, just not drinking a day at a time until finally the insanity of the next first-drink came and smacked me broadside like a runaway freight train – and I was sitting down on the tracks – not doing a damned thing except making coffee, mopping the floors and “sharing” in meeting after meeting after freakin’ meeting.

What a fucking mess! No wonder we can’t recover anymore. No wonder we want to save face by changing the promised of being recovered alcoholics to “recoverING” alcoholics. No one is actually experiencing full recovery anymore – like we used to – not in the average AA group – not anymore. The outside treatment organizations have fully infiltrated our “recover speak” and have managed to get most of us to eschew the steps as originally practiced. And why not? KEEP COMING BACK has come to mean “Keep coming back to rehab” and bring your checkbook or credit card !

Speakers in meeting now BRAG about how many times they’ve been in rehab – many dozens of times for a lot of them – as if it shows how “bad” and qualified they are to be in AA.

Shit, all that proves is that REHABS DON’T WORK.

WOW. How different was the experiences of our co-founders – such a contradiction to today’s status quo, ‘Pop-AA’ thinking and half-measured, treatment center, fee based “addictions counseling” propaganda that has leeched like a failing septic tank into our once effective, growing and God centered Fellowship based on the teaching and practice of the Twelve Steps.

Peace,

Danny S

"Not Drinking" Is Secondary

I can hear it already. “Well if I don’t stay sober then I can’t help anybody.”

And now that you ARE sober you’re searching out other alcoholics and taking them through the steps , right? Puhleeze!

Just bear with me for a moment, OK? Sparky?

Some attitude I have, huh?

Have you ever wondered how folks who say they “practice these principles in all their affairs” manage to do it without “working with others” – with no one to sponsor and they aren’t looking either.

“Working with others” IS Step Twelve.

I don’t wonder. The world is full of liars. Even in AA.

Chapter Seven is a living, visible and experiential set of instructions that brings incredible joy and meaning to our lives. Especially since by now in the process WE HAVE RECOVERED! That means “We have been given the power to help others”. Our lives and daily activities are NO LONGER focused on NOT DRINKING. Something new happens.

Watch: “These men had found something brand new in life. Though they knew they must help other alcoholics if they would remain sober, that motive became secondary.”(159:2)

Sobriety is SECONDARY? Holy smokes!

I was always told that my SOBRIETY CAME FIRST! No wonder I couldn’t stay sober – even after years of meetings and “Keep coming back” and “Just show up.”

“It was transcended by the happiness they found in giving themselves for others. They shared their homes, their slender resources, and gladly devoted their spare hours to fellow-sufferers.” (159:2)

I couldn’t stay sober because I hadn’t helped others and I couldn’t help others because I had not been given the power, and I hadn’t been given the power because I had not had a spirtual awakening and I had not had a spiritual awakening because I had not taken the twelve steps and I had not taken the twelve steps because I had not been shown HOW and I had not been shown HOW because no one else knew how and no one else knew how because they had been told all we have to do is “Keep Coming Back” and we all just kept coming back, just not drinking a day at a time until finally the insanity of the next first-drink came and smacked me broadside like a runaway freight train – and I was sitting down on the tracks – not doing a damned thing except making coffee, mopping the floors and “sharing” in meeting after meeting after freakin’ meeting.

What a fucking mess! No wonder we can’t recover anymore. No wonder we want to save face by changing the promised of being recovered alcoholics to “recoverING” alcoholics. No one is actually experiencing full recovery anymore – like we used to – not in the average AA group – not anymore. The outside treatment organizations have fully infiltrated our “recover speak” and have managed to get most of us to eschew the steps as originally practiced. And why not? KEEP COMING BACK has come to mean “Keep coming back to rehab” and bring your checkbook or credit card !

Speakers in meeting now BRAG about how many times they’ve been in rehab – many dozens of times for a lot of them – as if it shows how “bad” and qualified they are to be in AA.

Shit, all that proves is that REHABS DON’T WORK.

WOW. How different was the experiences of our co-founders – such a contradiction to today’s status quo, ‘Pop-AA’ thinking and half-measured, treatment center, fee based “addictions counseling” propaganda that has leeched like a failing septic tank into our once effective, growing and God centered Fellowship based on the teaching and practice of the Twelve Steps.

Peace,

Danny S

Tolerating Intelopers

This recovery deal is a life and death thing. Hearing watered down baloney from people who have no idea what they are talking about – no experience to back up their garbage can certainly be a Step Ten exercise.

Not because I care about my experience being contradicted – I don’t give a tittly- toot about that – but because alcoholics freaking’ die when they hear and follow crap solutions from crap spewing Pop-AA club-housers and meeting goers. Seriously.

I know a lot of people read this blog – from all over the world – India, all through the UK, Israel, Korea, Scandinavia, European countries and that means that some folks are going to think I’m an asshole. (One or two – MAX!) It’s in the numbers. Sometimes they’d be right – broken clocks are right twice a day aren’t they – and I am a frail human being.

But Goddamn it – how much bullshale do we have to endure while watching our fellow alcoholics die at the hands of people calling themselves AA “SPONSORS” who haven’t got a clue of the responsibility that goes with that. And who insist upon hating this blog and sending me silly ad hominem attacks. It is silly and it is a waste of time.

I’ll say it again – only those who recover can sponsor others. RecoverING alcoholics have no recovery to offer.

Being a good Samaritan isn’t what this program is about. Many of us want to believe it’s about that but that is only when we have nothing else to offer. This Program is about finding God, experiencing the miracle of recovery then getting similarly lost people to God so He can work His miracle on them, fix them up and then pass the process onto others. It goes on and on. It’s got nothing to do with just not drinking or using and becoming a tax payer.

Unless you redefine “sponsorship” to mean being a phone, meeting, coffee & life-coach buddy. But that isn’t what Step Twelve s is about and it isn’t what “working with others” is about either.

Recovered alcoholics who do NOT sponsor others do not stay recovered. Nor are they practicing these principles in all of their affairs.

Step twelve means to take others through the steps – THAT is the only help we are qualified and prescribed to pass on as the result of having a spiritual awakening as the result of the steps.

It is an epidemic inside of our own Fellowship – that so many people have NO IDEA what Step Twelve means.

They think they do but they have not embraced or understood the importance of the prescribed method of “helping others” is. They just make it up as they go along – whatever they think is good in the moment – make the coffee, drive a newcomer to a meeting, become the “greeter” – hell I know people who think that just “being nice” to people is STEP TWELVE, carrying the this message.

I have bad news for them. Your SUPPOSED to do that stuff anyway. Dufus! As a social human being! That is not not the this message.

Then enough similar people who haven’t experienced what’s in that Big Book either go along nodding their heads – “Uh huh – Uh huh” – and I swear we can hear the marbles rattling around in those skulls because they’re just hypnotized Pop-AA zombies with their OWN Program that is not even CLOSE to the Twelve Steps – but some sort of cafeteria style hybrid.

The poor REAL alcoholic comes along, hears that stuff, tries it and dies. Meanwhile the chicken shit drug/alcohol abuser - not alcoholic – with the chicken shit ‘sponsor’ who also got sober through non-spiritual means stays dry, gets a job and starts getting laid on a regular basis and now all of a sudden, “AA WORKS!” God help us. Apparently nothing could be finer than to be in her vagina – not even a spiritual awakening.

THIS IS THE FELLOWSHIP HE CRAVES.

Culpability lies with THAT middle-of-the-road solutions person who proposed non-spiritual means in the first place – like what is given in books such as Living Sober. That has got to be the most disgustingly insipid bit of AA “Conference Approved” drek that AA Publishing, Inc. has ever produced. Living Sober does NOT contain the solution to alcoholism. The Twelve sand Twelve does NOT contain the solution to alcoholism. The Big Book DOES contain the solution to alcoholism – in its entirety. No further authentication is needed.

You push books like those on a newcomer BEFORE bringing him to the solution in the Big Book and very often he is as good as murdered. Anyone who has not experienced this themselves – who doesn’t take people through the steps and watch to see who dies and who lives and what they did to get what they got have NO IDEA and may differ in their opinion – but opinion are no match against experience – I’ve been through it more than once. Too many times and not enough times – depending on the result.

Please look at this: (From the 53rd General Service Conference of AA)

“The basic responsibilities in a sponsorship relationship are to work the Twelve Steps as outlined in Alcoholics Anonymous, read the Big Book, the Twelve Traditions, the Twelve Concepts, and other Conference-approved literature.”

There isn’t much unclear about that is there?

So, to answer my first question: How much bullshale do we have to endure? Apparently a whole lot. All we can do is ask God to show us how to show patience, tolerance, kindliness and love toward all – even POP-AA interlopers who kill real alcoholics.

Peace,

Danny S

Tolerating Intelopers

This recovery deal is a life and death thing. Hearing watered down baloney from people who have no idea what they are talking about – no experience to back up their garbage can certainly be a Step Ten exercise.

Not because I care about my experience being contradicted – I don’t give a tittly- toot about that – but because alcoholics freaking’ die when they hear and follow crap solutions from crap spewing Pop-AA club-housers and meeting goers. Seriously.

I know a lot of people read this blog – from all over the world – India, all through the UK, Israel, Korea, Scandinavia, European countries and that means that some folks are going to think I’m an asshole. (One or two – MAX!) It’s in the numbers. Sometimes they’d be right – broken clocks are right twice a day aren’t they – and I am a frail human being.

But Goddamn it – how much bullshale do we have to endure while watching our fellow alcoholics die at the hands of people calling themselves AA “SPONSORS” who haven’t got a clue of the responsibility that goes with that. And who insist upon hating this blog and sending me silly ad hominem attacks. It is silly and it is a waste of time.

I’ll say it again – only those who recover can sponsor others. RecoverING alcoholics have no recovery to offer.

Being a good Samaritan isn’t what this program is about. Many of us want to believe it’s about that but that is only when we have nothing else to offer. This Program is about finding God, experiencing the miracle of recovery then getting similarly lost people to God so He can work His miracle on them, fix them up and then pass the process onto others. It goes on and on. It’s got nothing to do with just not drinking or using and becoming a tax payer.

Unless you redefine “sponsorship” to mean being a phone, meeting, coffee & life-coach buddy. But that isn’t what Step Twelve s is about and it isn’t what “working with others” is about either.

Recovered alcoholics who do NOT sponsor others do not stay recovered. Nor are they practicing these principles in all of their affairs.

Step twelve means to take others through the steps – THAT is the only help we are qualified and prescribed to pass on as the result of having a spiritual awakening as the result of the steps.

It is an epidemic inside of our own Fellowship – that so many people have NO IDEA what Step Twelve means.

They think they do but they have not embraced or understood the importance of the prescribed method of “helping others” is. They just make it up as they go along – whatever they think is good in the moment – make the coffee, drive a newcomer to a meeting, become the “greeter” – hell I know people who think that just “being nice” to people is STEP TWELVE, carrying the this message.

I have bad news for them. Your SUPPOSED to do that stuff anyway. Dufus! As a social human being! That is not not the this message.

Then enough similar people who haven’t experienced what’s in that Big Book either go along nodding their heads – “Uh huh – Uh huh” – and I swear we can hear the marbles rattling around in those skulls because they’re just hypnotized Pop-AA zombies with their OWN Program that is not even CLOSE to the Twelve Steps – but some sort of cafeteria style hybrid.

The poor REAL alcoholic comes along, hears that stuff, tries it and dies. Meanwhile the chicken shit drug/alcohol abuser - not alcoholic – with the chicken shit ‘sponsor’ who also got sober through non-spiritual means stays dry, gets a job and starts getting laid on a regular basis and now all of a sudden, “AA WORKS!” God help us. Apparently nothing could be finer than to be in her vagina – not even a spiritual awakening.

THIS IS THE FELLOWSHIP HE CRAVES.

Culpability lies with THAT middle-of-the-road solutions person who proposed non-spiritual means in the first place – like what is given in books such as Living Sober. That has got to be the most disgustingly insipid bit of AA “Conference Approved” drek that AA Publishing, Inc. has ever produced. Living Sober does NOT contain the solution to alcoholism. The Twelve sand Twelve does NOT contain the solution to alcoholism. The Big Book DOES contain the solution to alcoholism – in its entirety. No further authentication is needed.

You push books like those on a newcomer BEFORE bringing him to the solution in the Big Book and very often he is as good as murdered. Anyone who has not experienced this themselves – who doesn’t take people through the steps and watch to see who dies and who lives and what they did to get what they got have NO IDEA and may differ in their opinion – but opinion are no match against experience – I’ve been through it more than once. Too many times and not enough times – depending on the result.

Please look at this: (From the 53rd General Service Conference of AA)

“The basic responsibilities in a sponsorship relationship are to work the Twelve Steps as outlined in Alcoholics Anonymous, read the Big Book, the Twelve Traditions, the Twelve Concepts, and other Conference-approved literature.”

There isn’t much unclear about that is there?

So, to answer my first question: How much bullshale do we have to endure? Apparently a whole lot. All we can do is ask God to show us how to show patience, tolerance, kindliness and love toward all – even POP-AA interlopers who kill real alcoholics.

Peace,

Danny S

The Divorced Alkie Will Drink – No Matter What

Calm down – not marital “divorce” – SPIRITUAL Divorce!

To the average Pop-AA devotee, the worst possible thing that an AA can do is drink. Not me. Drinking is NOT the worst thing. The worst thing I can do is give up my relationship with my Creator.

That probably will RESULT in drinking – and a lot more other horrendous behaviors too – but drinking is certainly not the be all and end all of this recovery deal.

Liquor is “but a symptom” (64:0) – a mere bag of shells – an indication of another far more serious problem – spiritual sickness that stems from our own resentments.

When a protegee tells me that they have “slipped” it is usually while we are working together on the Steps. My reaction is always the same, “NO SHIT!” I say. Why? Because it is not beyond expectation.

He is after all still suffering from a spiritual malady – a self imposed divorce from God.

Real alcoholics will drink, no matter what, until such time as their spiritual awakening and that is NOT “Upon arrival” in the Fellowship. “Just showing up” is not a treatment for alcoholism.

I have noticed that when a protegee is steadfast in wanting to stop drinking and change his life then right after Step Three – immediately after vowing to God that we will now turn our lives and wills over to Him in a process we call Steps Four through Twelve – there seems to come a sort “grace period” – as if God is keeping us safe from alcoholic obsession in this interim – that period of time prior to the spiritual awakening.

Others, just seem to be “Free agents” until that awakening occurs – and IT DOES – usually somewhere in and around Steps Five through Seven.

Some of these “free agents” drink. I don’t consider it a big deal. It’s to be expected because that’s what real alcoholics do – they DRINK – NO MATTER WHAT. Until they have recovered through the awakening transformation from one type of character into another.

It’s NOT because they aren’t going to enough meetings, or making coffee or calling their sponsor, or have a Home Group. Those are the POP-AA tools of sobriety. We are concerned with “Spiritual Tools” – not weak, human hand forged implements reserved for people with “A drinking problem”.

When that happens we just keep forging ahead to get him there This is why we try to get a newcomer through this process as fast as possible – none of that “Step a Year” bull-dinky or whatever other procrastination techniques we too often hear. This person life and the well being and health of an entire family might be at stake. It IS a RACE!

Pretending to know how much time a newcomer has before that next first-drink obsession is going to hit him broadside is just plain arrogance. Yet we hear it all the time don’t we? Yes, from meeting dependent AAs who HAVE power over alcohol.

You know the ones – the Jugheads. Those who “Put the plug in the jug“ to stay sober and in saying that ADMIT openly that they are not real alcoholics since they HAVE power over alcohol.

Not me or the men I sponsor. I don’t sponsor Jugheads. they have the luxury of another, less drastic, easier-softer solution.

We are POWERLESS until such time as a the spiritual comes to remove the obsession.

Peace,

Danny s

The Divorced Alkie Will Drink – No Matter What

Calm down – not marital “divorce” – SPIRITUAL Divorce!

To the average Pop-AA devotee, the worst possible thing that an AA can do is drink. Not me. Drinking is NOT the worst thing. The worst thing I can do is give up my relationship with my Creator.

That probably will RESULT in drinking – and a lot more other horrendous behaviors too – but drinking is certainly not the be all and end all of this recovery deal.

Liquor is “but a symptom” (64:0) – a mere bag of shells – an indication of another far more serious problem – spiritual sickness that stems from our own resentments.

When a protegee tells me that they have “slipped” it is usually while we are working together on the Steps. My reaction is always the same, “NO SHIT!” I say. Why? Because it is not beyond expectation.

He is after all still suffering from a spiritual malady – a self imposed divorce from God.

Real alcoholics will drink, no matter what, until such time as their spiritual awakening and that is NOT “Upon arrival” in the Fellowship. “Just showing up” is not a treatment for alcoholism.

I have noticed that when a protegee is steadfast in wanting to stop drinking and change his life then right after Step Three – immediately after vowing to God that we will now turn our lives and wills over to Him in a process we call Steps Four through Twelve – there seems to come a sort “grace period” – as if God is keeping us safe from alcoholic obsession in this interim – that period of time prior to the spiritual awakening.

Others, just seem to be “Free agents” until that awakening occurs – and IT DOES – usually somewhere in and around Steps Five through Seven.

Some of these “free agents” drink. I don’t consider it a big deal. It’s to be expected because that’s what real alcoholics do – they DRINK – NO MATTER WHAT. Until they have recovered through the awakening transformation from one type of character into another.

It’s NOT because they aren’t going to enough meetings, or making coffee or calling their sponsor, or have a Home Group. Those are the POP-AA tools of sobriety. We are concerned with “Spiritual Tools” – not weak, human hand forged implements reserved for people with “A drinking problem”.

When that happens we just keep forging ahead to get him there This is why we try to get a newcomer through this process as fast as possible – none of that “Step a Year” bull-dinky or whatever other procrastination techniques we too often hear. This person life and the well being and health of an entire family might be at stake. It IS a RACE!

Pretending to know how much time a newcomer has before that next first-drink obsession is going to hit him broadside is just plain arrogance. Yet we hear it all the time don’t we? Yes, from meeting dependent AAs who HAVE power over alcohol.

You know the ones – the Jugheads. Those who “Put the plug in the jug“ to stay sober and in saying that ADMIT openly that they are not real alcoholics since they HAVE power over alcohol.

Not me or the men I sponsor. I don’t sponsor Jugheads. they have the luxury of another, less drastic, easier-softer solution.

We are POWERLESS until such time as a the spiritual comes to remove the obsession.

Peace,

Danny s

FOTS

Congratulations to Fellowship of the Spirit (FOTS) – Boston on a successful inaugural “First Annual” conference. It warms the heart to see this take off in New England. I know that I have not been kind to the POP-AA culture abounding in this part of the country but maybe we are seeing a small counter-swirl in the tide of “middle-of-the-road solutions” based recovery.

The volunteers who worked on putting this conference together did an amazing job. Nice going!

And thank you.

Peace,

Danny S

AWOL IS NOT AA – The Truth

If you love “POP-AA” – then you will ADORE AWOL.

If you live in the New England area this article may be of particular interest to you. Over the last decade alcoholics in the New England area have begun to resort to an OVEREATING Program of Twelve Step Recovery. Why has AA failed these people? Why have they had to go outside of the AA Fellowship to “take the steps”? And how come many of them don’t even know that AWOL is not designed for alcoholics? Oh and if you are an AWOL “grad” and go around AA telling folks in AA meetings that AWOL is AA and that you’ve “done the steps” – be prepared for an intense inventory tonight. You will need it. You are about to get your ass spanked.

If I told you that there was another Fellowship – a non-alcoholic Fellowship – which had adopted The Twelve Steps for their own purposes (A problem other than alcoholism – but a serious problem – deserving of a treatment non-the-less) and that this fine, non-alcoholic Fellowship had designed a new method of taking the steps for their own “Members” – what would you say?

I know what I would say.

I would say, “Bully for them!” That is what I DO say! If our Twelve Step wholesale method of getting to God and recovering can help others overcome their problems too – then it’s a beautiful thing! ” . . . we are sure that our way of living has its advantages for all.” (Forward to the First Edition)

There are, in fact, very many such Fellowships out there – modeling their recovery methods straight from our Twelve Steps. The best known I suppose would be Al-Anon, NA, CA, OA, GA – there are oodles more of them. Some are listed here: 12

Are you with me so far? Good.

Now . . . . what if I told you that one of those “Non-alcoholic” fellowships – say one which dealt with people with food addictions (not alcoholism) – had developed a schematic for their own use, straight out of the Big Book – The Twelve Steps – and additionally provided diet regimes etc – renamed their Twelve Step method to say, G.O.D. (Good Orderly Direction?) and that thousands if not millions had been helped with their food addictions and become healthier and more prolific – perhaps even happy joyous and free? Still good, no? Of course!

Now here comes the punch line. I call it a punch line because it so closely resembles a joke it isn’t funny – albeit a cruel one:

Now what if I told you that folks who call themselves alcoholics and “Members” of AA, the originating Fellowship of all this – the Fellowship which named itself after the book “Alcoholics Anonymous, which contains the pure, unadulterated version of the Twelve Step instructions designed specifically for alcoholics – would rather follow the G.O.D. method than the Big Book method of taking the steps?

It has happened. And it’s not funny. It has become a virtual sub-cult right within the AA Fellowship itself!

. . . it is an adaptation of The Twelve Steps that has gone from from alcoholics to food addicts and now back to alcoholics again! Do you really we want to put your life or death that kind of dilution and third degree of separation from the AA Program?

There is a fine Fellowship know as Greysheeters which have a system of step taking – they call AWOL (A WAY OF LIFE) which AA’s in this area (New England) use to take the Steps INSTEAD of the Big Book! These AA’s do not necessarily join Greysheeters. They just get together and take the Greysheeters facsimile version (AWOL) of the Twelve Step instructions.

Few if any of these AA’s know that AWOL is TWICE REMOVED from AA’s 12 step procedure and actually THINK that they are using the AA method of recovery in taking the steps the AWOL way.

Let me repeat that: They think AWOL is AA!

What is wrong with this picture?

I know many people who just WILL NOT follow the Steps out of the Big Book – so they will eschew their own Big Book and instead gravitate toward sponsors and Groups that have managed to re-invent watered down version of the steps – perhaps using a 12 & 12 – which ARE NOT the instructions so there is total freestyle 12 step-ability available.

OR they will enroll in an alternate facsimile with an adaptation like AWOL which is just about the SICKEST most watered down and most sinister versions of the Twelve Steps that I have ever seen – for alcoholics anyway. I could NEVER stay sober and recovered using AWOL! All of the key ingredients that help maintain recovery have been filtered out! And so it probably should – it’s for people with FOOD PROBLEMS! Not ALKIES!

AWOL purports to be “THE STEPS” out of the Big Book – and it isn’t. All you need do is get a copy of it and read it for yourself. IF you are familiar with the Big Book’s directions you will not believe how middle-of-the-road AWOL is. Unfortunately many folks do not have the experience with the Big Books Twelve Steps to make that evaluation, so they believe it. It is a LIE!

I can hear it now, “Well, AWOL gave me the support I needed”

SUPPORT? YOUR needs? Sorry but “your” needs and “support” is not what the Twelves Steps are about. They are about Finding God, serving Him, HEALING – MIRACLES and helping other to do the same. But AWOL is prefect for self-centered folks wishing to remain that way – the Big Book is the tool that takes all of that selfishness away – and what self-serving drunk wants to do that? Only a few.

AWOL may be very suitable and successful for food addicts but it is horribly deficient for the real alcoholic. It is an attractive facsimile though – and since it’s easier folks gravitate toward it to claim their “I TOOK THE STEPS” credentials. And they have done no such thing

It’s not Greysheeters fault. They GOT what THEY need! God bless ‘em and Bravo!

But for an alcoholic, AWOL is an absolute half/measure – just about the most awful thing I have ever seen tossed into an already MOTR* fellowship.

So all these still-crazies stand up in meetings – still suffering from untreated alcoholism OR not suffering from it at all because they never had it to begin with saying “I’VE taken the steps” – still un-recovered – still crazy as loons and horrible examples of what the steps really do for real alcoholics who adopt and practice it’s principles.

I am waiting for someone to break out in tears of gratitude from a podium one day saying “AWOL SAVED MY LIFE”. I am waiting to hear from an AWOL alumni, those ever important words, “I have recovered”. But so far I have never heard it. And I doubt I ever will.

Yet folks up here in the Boston and Cape Cod area will promote another Fellowship’s twelve Step method like AWOL from podiums absolutely unchallenged. Do they realize the harm they do to our Fellowship and to newcomers when they do this? I doubt it. I don’t know if they even care.

Please . . . the next time someone says “Wanna do an AWOL?” (“Again” in many cases) remember that it is an adaptation of The Twelve Steps that has gone from from alcoholics to food addicts and now back to alcoholics again! Do you really we want to put your life or death that kind of dilution and third degree of separation from the AA Program?

What happened to keep it simple? Good Grief!

It is no wonder the AWOL sub-cult folks – in AA – still sound and act like newcomers – middle-of-the-road AA hobbyists.

Folks if you seek a solution to your alcoholism – stick with with the genuine article! If you have a problem with food – maybe try Greysheeters AWOL. Apparently they have a great diet system (Distributed on Grey “sheets” I understand) and “A Way Of Life” – A.W.O.L.

But if you want to recover from alcoholism and be apart of AA – we in have a “Design For Living” and a “way of life that is incredibly more wonderful as time passes” that results when we follow and live it – on, that doesn’t end when the AWOL sessions complete and then leaves you to your own devices and to the sloganeering and lip-service crap doled out by shitty-assed sponsorship.

If you are an alcoholic and live in New England and want to take the Twelve Steps – PLEASE stay away from AWOL or any alcoholic who embraces it. That person will kill you. Get a hold of me and I personally will either take you through the Steps of I will find you someone who will. That is a promise.

SEE: “AWOL and Other Ways”

Peace,

Danny S

* Middle-of-the-road

AWOL IS NOT AA – The Truth

If you love “POP-AA” – then you will ADORE AWOL.

If you live in the New England area this article may be of particular interest to you. Over the last decade alcoholics in the New England area have begun to resort to an OVEREATING Program of Twelve Step Recovery. Why has AA failed these people? Why have they had to go outside of the AA Fellowship to “take the steps”? And how come many of them don’t even know that AWOL is not designed for alcoholics? Oh and if you are an AWOL “grad” and go around AA telling folks in AA meetings that AWOL is AA and that you’ve “done the steps” – be prepared for an intense inventory tonight. You will need it. You are about to get your ass spanked.

If I told you that there was another Fellowship – a non-alcoholic Fellowship – which had adopted The Twelve Steps for their own purposes (A problem other than alcoholism – but a serious problem – deserving of a treatment non-the-less) and that this fine, non-alcoholic Fellowship had designed a new method of taking the steps for their own “Members” – what would you say?

I know what I would say.

I would say, “Bully for them!” That is what I DO say! If our Twelve Step wholesale method of getting to God and recovering can help others overcome their problems too – then it’s a beautiful thing! ” . . . we are sure that our way of living has its advantages for all.” (Forward to the First Edition)

There are, in fact, very many such Fellowships out there – modeling their recovery methods straight from our Twelve Steps. The best known I suppose would be Al-Anon, NA, CA, OA, GA – there are oodles more of them. Some are listed here: 12

Are you with me so far? Good.

Now . . . . what if I told you that one of those “Non-alcoholic” fellowships – say one which dealt with people with food addictions (not alcoholism) – had developed a schematic for their own use, straight out of the Big Book – The Twelve Steps – and additionally provided diet regimes etc – renamed their Twelve Step method to say, G.O.D. (Good Orderly Direction?) and that thousands if not millions had been helped with their food addictions and become healthier and more prolific – perhaps even happy joyous and free? Still good, no? Of course!

Now here comes the punch line. I call it a punch line because it so closely resembles a joke it isn’t funny – albeit a cruel one:

Now what if I told you that folks who call themselves alcoholics and “Members” of AA, the originating Fellowship of all this – the Fellowship which named itself after the book “Alcoholics Anonymous, which contains the pure, unadulterated version of the Twelve Step instructions designed specifically for alcoholics – would rather follow the G.O.D. method than the Big Book method of taking the steps?

It has happened. And it’s not funny. It has become a virtual sub-cult right within the AA Fellowship itself!

. . . it is an adaptation of The Twelve Steps that has gone from from alcoholics to food addicts and now back to alcoholics again! Do you really we want to put your life or death that kind of dilution and third degree of separation from the AA Program?

There is a fine Fellowship know as Greysheeters which have a system of step taking – they call AWOL (A WAY OF LIFE) which AA’s in this area (New England) use to take the Steps INSTEAD of the Big Book! These AA’s do not necessarily join Greysheeters. They just get together and take the Greysheeters facsimile version (AWOL) of the Twelve Step instructions.

Few if any of these AA’s know that AWOL is TWICE REMOVED from AA’s 12 step procedure and actually THINK that they are using the AA method of recovery in taking the steps the AWOL way.

Let me repeat that: They think AWOL is AA!

What is wrong with this picture?

I know many people who just WILL NOT follow the Steps out of the Big Book – so they will eschew their own Big Book and instead gravitate toward sponsors and Groups that have managed to re-invent watered down version of the steps – perhaps using a 12 & 12 – which ARE NOT the instructions so there is total freestyle 12 step-ability available.

OR they will enroll in an alternate facsimile with an adaptation like AWOL which is just about the SICKEST most watered down and most sinister versions of the Twelve Steps that I have ever seen – for alcoholics anyway. I could NEVER stay sober and recovered using AWOL! All of the key ingredients that help maintain recovery have been filtered out! And so it probably should – it’s for people with FOOD PROBLEMS! Not ALKIES!

AWOL purports to be “THE STEPS” out of the Big Book – and it isn’t. All you need do is get a copy of it and read it for yourself. IF you are familiar with the Big Book’s directions you will not believe how middle-of-the-road AWOL is. Unfortunately many folks do not have the experience with the Big Books Twelve Steps to make that evaluation, so they believe it. It is a LIE!

I can hear it now, “Well, AWOL gave me the support I needed”

SUPPORT? YOUR needs? Sorry but “your” needs and “support” is not what the Twelves Steps are about. They are about Finding God, serving Him, HEALING – MIRACLES and helping other to do the same. But AWOL is prefect for self-centered folks wishing to remain that way – the Big Book is the tool that takes all of that selfishness away – and what self-serving drunk wants to do that? Only a few.

AWOL may be very suitable and successful for food addicts but it is horribly deficient for the real alcoholic. It is an attractive facsimile though – and since it’s easier folks gravitate toward it to claim their “I TOOK THE STEPS” credentials. And they have done no such thing

It’s not Greysheeters fault. They GOT what THEY need! God bless ‘em and Bravo!

But for an alcoholic, AWOL is an absolute half/measure – just about the most awful thing I have ever seen tossed into an already MOTR* fellowship.

So all these still-crazies stand up in meetings – still suffering from untreated alcoholism OR not suffering from it at all because they never had it to begin with saying “I’VE taken the steps” – still un-recovered – still crazy as loons and horrible examples of what the steps really do for real alcoholics who adopt and practice it’s principles.

I am waiting for someone to break out in tears of gratitude from a podium one day saying “AWOL SAVED MY LIFE”. I am waiting to hear from an AWOL alumni, those ever important words, “I have recovered”. But so far I have never heard it. And I doubt I ever will.

Yet folks up here in the Boston and Cape Cod area will promote another Fellowship’s twelve Step method like AWOL from podiums absolutely unchallenged. Do they realize the harm they do to our Fellowship and to newcomers when they do this? I doubt it. I don’t know if they even care.

Please . . . the next time someone says “Wanna do an AWOL?” (“Again” in many cases) remember that it is an adaptation of The Twelve Steps that has gone from from alcoholics to food addicts and now back to alcoholics again! Do you really we want to put your life or death that kind of dilution and third degree of separation from the AA Program?

What happened to keep it simple? Good Grief!

It is no wonder the AWOL sub-cult folks – in AA – still sound and act like newcomers – middle-of-the-road AA hobbyists.

Folks if you seek a solution to your alcoholism – stick with with the genuine article! If you have a problem with food – maybe try Greysheeters AWOL. Apparently they have a great diet system (Distributed on Grey “sheets” I understand) and “A Way Of Life” – A.W.O.L.

But if you want to recover from alcoholism and be apart of AA – we in have a “Design For Living” and a “way of life that is incredibly more wonderful as time passes” that results when we follow and live it – on, that doesn’t end when the AWOL sessions complete and then leaves you to your own devices and to the sloganeering and lip-service crap doled out by shitty-assed sponsorship.

If you are an alcoholic and live in New England and want to take the Twelve Steps – PLEASE stay away from AWOL or any alcoholic who embraces it. That person will kill you. Get a hold of me and I personally will either take you through the Steps of I will find you someone who will. That is a promise.

SEE: “AWOL and Other Ways”

Peace,

Danny S

* Middle-of-the-road