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Comment on Save me from going down a dark path

BluJay320@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

While I largely agree, most (not all, ofc) AA chapters will clarify that a “higher power” doesn’t have to be god. Could be fate, causality, or just the universe in and of itself - the purpose of the step is surrendering and accepting that you alone cannot resolve your addiction.

That being said, religion is pushed on you more often than not and many chapters will end with “the Lord’s Prayer” which always bothered me, along with other issues.

It’s not a perfect system, but it does work for many people and if it has helped you then all power to you (or rather your higher power, I guess)

My main gripe is that it often focuses on the symptoms rather than the root problem. Addiction is often the result of a deeper underlying condition that leads one to seek escape - be that depression, trauma, psychological conditions, etc… Treating only one without the other is frankly a disservice and rarely effective in the long term.

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LogicalDrivel@sopuli.xyz ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Thats true, but then they will turn around and start praying.
“God, grant me the…” It is kind of hard to look past that for some.

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- BluJay320@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  Yeah :\
  
  Personally I just turned that into a mantra, removing the “god” part, because it is a good thing to remember and try to live by, but I get the irritation
  
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prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

AA chapters will clarify that a “higher power” doesn’t have to be god. Could be fate, causality, or just the universe in and of itself

This is such a bullshit cop out

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- HoopyFrood@lemmy.zip ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  To a certain extent you are correct and that is the point. For those leaders not so engrossed in the dogma abstracting away the idea of god acts as a bridge. Someone showing up to AA must believe in something outside of themselves as being more important than themselves otherwise why would you improve yourself? For leaders religious leaders who operate in institutions, the ways of the institutions must be upheld, but it is also obvious that the institutional ways are bullshit and change is slow, so compromise is made to enable those who see through the bullshit to participate without drawing the ire of the “true believers”
  
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  - prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    
    Someone showing up to AA must believe in something outside of themselves as being more important than themselves otherwise why would you improve yourself?
    
    Because I don’t want to be an addict anymore?
    
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    petrol_sniff_king@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    
    It’s like when people need the threat of eternal damnation in order to not be a complete piece of shit.
    
    Outside of the obvious religious propaganda, this is just an external motivation. It could just as easily be somebody’s family: an ailing mother for whom they need to be ready to take care of, or a spouse and children for whom throwing their life away would be tragic.
    
    I could say the reason I’m a humanitarian now is because I have a firm belief in happiness. If I lost that today, I probably wouldn’t change, but if I never had it, I have no idea if I ever would have gotten here.
    
    If someone is in a bad place now and does not have an external motivation, I’m not saying it should be this or that, but it would make sense to give them one.
    
    I mean, I do think AA is being coercive. I would prefer that they helped their… patients(?) find a motivation that was already meaningful to them instead of just imposing Christianity onto them. I have a lot of other problems with religion besides.
    
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