Dec 17, 20232 min read

Cult

Last night, my mom brought out the Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) Big Book. Since she's been going back to meetings, she wanted to read the chapters to better understand the steps discussed in her new group. She offered to read them to me, knowing I don't enjoy reading, but I declined, expressing my disagreement with AA. She argued that I never really tried it, and I reminded her of the months I spent at the Kaiser Permanente Outpatient Program. I shared that I feel AA is like a cult, and I don't need to surrender to a higher power because I have the power within me.

She then stated AA is the one thing that “Is allowing her to deal with this living arrangement.” contradicting what she said at Thanksgiving about being thankful I was staying at her house, ensuring my safety. I questioned whether it's about safety or control and pondered if AA is a cult, given the 12th step involves recruiting. After she went to her room, I researched AA and watched a documentary called "The 13th Step." It was eye-opening, similar to the "Blackfish" documentary about SeaWorld.

The documentary raised concerns about AA's corporate office in New York, revealing their refusal to address issues. I found it shocking and somewhat believable. We should never give away our power to others; as Glinda says in "The Wizard of Oz," we've had the power all along. AA meetings focus on God or a higher power, with no medical or clinical leadership. Anyone, even questionable individuals, can become leaders, and many attendees are court-ordered, some with cases involving criminal activities, not just DUIs. The only supposed requirement is sobriety, but some lie. The unregulated nature of AA, combined with potentially harmful experiences, raises doubts about its value in addressing mental health.