As part of our continuing ed requirement one year, my supervisor and I took a class called “Cults in America” and we chose to attend/audit several AA and MA meetings, since it was one of the orgs on the list of those cult or cult like.
All I could think of was a quote I heard once on a Garner Ted Armstrong radio show-”when the blind lead the blind, they both fall in the ditch”-it did not appear to me that anyone there was doing anything positive for recovery from anything, just people standing up and telling things better said in private to a therapist while listeners were getting off on the details, and it was cringeworthy to watch.
A couple of male “sponsors” were hitting on younger women-when my boss asked one of them about that, he smiled and said those were his “pigeons”-seriously. I later was told that is called “13th stepping”. There did not appear to be any professional standards of behavior or confidentiality observed whatsoever.
I’m sorry to say my professional and personal opinion of AA as a preferred therapy for addiction/substance abuse has not changed over the years since.
Addiction and cults do seem somewhat related. The first thing that comes to mind is Narconon and $cientology.
MY goodness, I have attended many and I mean MANY meetings and have never experienced anything remotely like what you have described.
I suppose like anything that involves people invariably there will be some bad apples.
Fortunately for me the meetings have been universally helpful, genuinely sympathetic, supportive, totally non-judgemental,and absolutely anonymous.
There are no “leaders” in the program but occasionally you’ll get someone who tries to assert themselves into some sort of dictatorial position. That is quickly shot down by the group.
I really don’t quite understand what’s in the minds of the employers or thew families of people going to AA meetings. It’s nothing more than a support group to help people get and stay sober. There are no expectations promises, or guarantees. AA simply provides the tools to an alcoholic or addict to utilize that they might long live a satisfying sober existence.
The members are not thrapists, counselers or MDs and in no way attempt to play one on TV. We are simply a group of people that discuss our problems, our successes, our life experiences before and after alcohol. We learn from others indirectly....take what we hear from others that makes sense for us and discard the rest.
The alcoholic is responsible for his/her OWN recovery. AA simply offers direction toward positive behavior alternatives to make the chance of success a bit more likely.