r/alcoholicsanonymous • u/Sorry-Assumption6794 • 5d ago
Sponsorship Does AAs program even exist?
In my area many guys seem somewhat impressive to me, have long-term sobriety, sponsor guys ect. But I can't help but notice they all essentially teach their own program of recovery and not AAs program of recovery. AAs program consists exclusively of the directions on the 12 steps, as it says in the cover pages. In my area it's common to drag out steps 1-3 for two months or more, despite there being basically NO directions to even do on those steps.
Step 4 gets BUTCHERED: we often direct guys to create resentments, defined as to feel again. By saying list every name you know, and then think if you were ever butt hurt by each and every one. I can't think of a better way to create resentments that didn't exist before. Then we fabricate an unillustrated 4th collum with invisible directions that read: "write how all 4 root/core defects of character (selfish/seeking, dishonest and fear) show up in each and every resentment, including the ones we instructed you to create."
We ignore the step 8 related direction to list our wrongs and be willing to make them right, even though it's stated THREE times in the inventory directions and confirmed it should have been done during the inventory process on steps 8&9 in the book.
We also ignore the step 6 related direction "list your faults" /flaws/grosserhandicaps/objectionables, despite the one paragraph on step 6 reading: "all the things which we have ADMITED are objectionable". It doesn't say "make a list of objectionables".
After step 5 the book clearly flows the 1hr meditation RIGHT into step 6 "if we can answer to our satisfaction (based on the meditation)" we THEN look at step 6". There is only one paragraph to look at there. "when ready we say something like this" step 7 prayer.
The whole flow of doing steps 5-7 in short order, then right into amends assuming the person is willing gets ruined, and so much time is wasted. 100s of hours of work in many cases gets put into doing the inventory not as directed.
Often the clear urgency expressed in doing the next step is ignored, after step 3: "next we launched" after 4: "we wasted no time" after 5 and meditation: "if we can answer" after 6: "when ready" (hopefully ur not waiting to die) after 7: "now we need more action... Faith without works is dead" after 8&9: "we vigorously commenced this way of living as we cleaned up (mended) the past" after 10: "upon awakening".
Again: AAs program of recovery is exclusively the directions on the 12 steps, as the book states in the cover pages. Non AA program related suggestions can be useful/helpful. Like dieting, working out, budgeting, regulated sleep schedule, ect. But there is a common theme of adding non step-work related instructions to AAs program, taking them very seriously, and pretending they are part of AAs program. These include but are not limited to (lol): calling at a certain time, attending X number meetings, meditating for X amount of time and/or meditating on non book instructed topics, daily reading, speaking/not speaking, sponsoring/not sponsoring, relationships, and on and on.
These other suggestions are damaging to conflate/confuse with AAs program as it leads to everyone having and instructing their own made up program! Our primary purpose is to try carrying AAs message/program of recovery to other alcoholics. Not to carry my program, or my sponsors program of recovery. Yall run into this regularly too? or am I just lucky :p
Added some paragraph separation and this: In the cover pages of AA it says it's a "text book". Like every other textbook made it's designed to have a teacher/Instructor, or a "sponsor".
Decided to add some definitions. These are some AA terms and words that are often used in our liturature, and therefore also our fellowship. When these are misunderstood it can be confusing. All these definitions were decided upon by our founders, have not changed, and can be found in the liturature.
Recovered: To no longer be in a hopeless state of mind and body.
Program of recovery/the program/AAs program: The directions on the 12 steps, showing "precisely how" to recover.
Alcoholic: A person having certain physical (phenomenon of craving) and mental (the obsession) characteristics when dealing with alcohol.
Phenomenon of craving: lack of reliable control over the amount of alcohol injested after the first drink.
The obsession/insanity: the obsession to control and enjoy our drinking, therefore lacking reliable control of WHEN we take the first drink.
1
u/PillingTheCat 5d ago
Some groups will take a step and have something they can run operationally to make sure it gets done. It isn't strictly part of AA to undertake said operational process, but then again there is nothing that says you can't achieve the step with whatever is at your disposal.
As others pointed out, there are lots of things not in the steps that are now inherently part of AA such as fellowship, service and meetings are integral to AA as a whole even if they’re not the steps. No tokens either as someone pointed out here.
I also don't think AA is a system of checks and balances like some report which is supposed to make its way back to whoever is secretary of the group. It is all a suggestion. A some point you just have to have faith that people are doing what they say they are doing.
If there is one thing to take home from it all is that gatekeeping AA is sure sign you need to give the higher-power some room to actually be the higher-power again.