In my opinion, we have tried this since Freud and Jung and it hasn't worked. We need to jettison the mental health system and return to a moral system. AA has largely marginalized a group of people who have the responsibility to lead a productive life and are allowed to "get by" for the entirety of their working lives because they are diseased. What a horrific future we offer these people, and most of them live out horrific lives--they go where we lead them. And the journey we lead them on always ends in the same place--somewhere, back in their past, they were victims. When I was drinking too much, I was faced with two options--I could be either an alcoholic or a drunk. I chose to be a drunk. Then, I stopped getting drunk. I didn't stop drinking, I stopped getting drunk. I, actually wanted to stop drinking completely but my wife said no--she demanded that I have control over alcohol. It was one of the wisest things she has done for me.
The second thought that comes to mind is that of purpose. A moral system demands fealty to a god; a mental health system does not. To that extent, what we say is recovery is really just stasis: all dressed up with no place to go--and so, they don't go anywhere. There is a vibrant, vital life to be lived in relation to the Creator of the cosmos. I have never seen anything but dissipation and boredom outside of this. I wouldn't wish it on my enemy.
In my opinion, we have tried this since Freud and Jung and it hasn't worked. We need to jettison the mental health system and return to a moral system. AA has largely marginalized a group of people who have the responsibility to lead a productive life and are allowed to "get by" for the entirety of their working lives because they are diseased. What a horrific future we offer these people, and most of them live out horrific lives--they go where we lead them. And the journey we lead them on always ends in the same place--somewhere, back in their past, they were victims. When I was drinking too much, I was faced with two options--I could be either an alcoholic or a drunk. I chose to be a drunk. Then, I stopped getting drunk. I didn't stop drinking, I stopped getting drunk. I, actually wanted to stop drinking completely but my wife said no--she demanded that I have control over alcohol. It was one of the wisest things she has done for me.
The second thought that comes to mind is that of purpose. A moral system demands fealty to a god; a mental health system does not. To that extent, what we say is recovery is really just stasis: all dressed up with no place to go--and so, they don't go anywhere. There is a vibrant, vital life to be lived in relation to the Creator of the cosmos. I have never seen anything but dissipation and boredom outside of this. I wouldn't wish it on my enemy.