May 28, 2014
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The Recovery Topic is The Orange Papers. We will study the words of the author and talk about what he has to say and what we can learn.
In the Introduction page of the website, the author writes “The Orange Papers is “an attempt to clarify my own thinking about A.A., and to explain to others why I felt that there was something wrong with people trying to shove Alcoholics Anonymous on patients”.
You thoughts on this purpose statement, specifically the word “shove”
What can we learn from this purpose statement?
The author was required to attend treatment. In the author’s words, “Most of the "course of treatment" consisted of compulsory attendance of Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous 12-step meetings, and "group therapy" sessions where xeroxed copies of A.A. and N.A. literature was handed out and discussed by a 12-step true-believer group leader, someone who just assumed that of course everyone who recovers will do it at 12-step meetings.”
What can we learn from this?..
The author states, “I started out with a very positive view of Alcoholics Anonymous. Like most people, I had only heard good things about A.A., and thought that it was just a wonderful self-help group where alcoholics got together to give each other moral support and advice in quitting drinking.”
Your thoughts and what can we learn?
The author writes, “I mentioned the fact that a dozen years earlier, I had quit drinking, all on my own, and stayed quit for over three years. The counselor declared that I had not had a period of "recovery,"”
Thoughts and what can we learn?
The author continues, “They (AA members) will always declare that you are not "in recovery" if you are not attending their Twelve-Step meetings and doing their Twelve Steps. You are "only abstaining" from drinking alcohol, or "only dry", but not "sober".
Thoughts and what can we learn?
p.164 vision for you
The author writes, “I came to the conclusion that Alcoholics Anonymous is really just a cult religion, one that passes off its proselytizing under the guise of alcoholism treatment, in just the same way as the Church of Scientology sells its cultish psycho-babble and techno-babble nonsense as self-improving psychotherapy.
Thoughts, what can we learn?
cult
kəlt/Submit
noun
a system of religious veneration and devotion directed toward a particular figure or object.
"the cult of St. Olaf"
a relatively small group of people having religious beliefs or practices regarded by others as strange or sinister.
"a network of Satan-worshiping cults"
synonyms:sect, denomination, group, movement, church, persuasion, body, faction More
a misplaced or excessive admiration for a particular person or thing.
"a cult of personality surrounding the leaders"
synonyms:obsession with, fixation on, mania for, passion for, idolization of, devotion to, worship of, veneration of More
The author writes, “Bill Wilson talks at length about the need to be freed from ego, the need to be freed from "the bondage of self." But Mr. Wilson's methods are ineffective and harmful to people. He makes students wallow in guilt and shame, and grinds their faces in the mud.
Thoughts, what can we learn?
The author writes, “Wilson repeatedly declared that all alcoholics must be rid of selfishness: "Selfishness, self-centeredness! That, we think, is the root of our troubles." But you will find out that what Wilson really means by that is that you must spend all of your time recruiting and indoctrinating new members for Alcoholics Anonymous.
Thoughts, what can we learn?
"Spiritual, not religious," but it is really "Superstitious, not religious."
Thoughts, what can we learn?
The author writes, “A.A. assures the students that they will get good results from working the program, if they are willing to go to any length to get sobriety, and if they really try, but the truth is that they almost invariably will not get the promised results. A.A. has a failure rate that ranges from 95% to 100%. “
Thoughts, what can we learn?
The author writes, “One young was having a problem with "giving herself completely" to the 12-step program, one of the resident true believers announced that the answer to all such problems is "Do The Twelve Steps, Get A Sponsor, and Read The Big Book." Well, it didn't work. She relapsed repeatedly, and they kicked her out of the program.
Thoughts, what can we learn?
The author writes, “I just can't help but think that there must be some better way to handle such problems than a method that is obviously not working, the currently-used 12-step program. I can't help but think that a lot of people might be better off if they got some other treatment or therapy besides cult religion and voodoo medicine.”
Thoughts, what can we learn?