I’m sure I’ll catch significant flack for writing this; people in recovery can be protective of their pathways and ideologies, sometimes to the point of hostility. As someone who got sober and learned to stay sober in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), I, too can be very protective, even to the point of feeling angry when people rail against the fellowship, accusing AA (and other 12-step programs) of being toxic cults, doing more harm than good. I owe a huge debt of gratitude to AA and the other 12-step fellowships, without which I doubt I would be here or have the amazing life I’ve enjoyed since getting sober. Even after 42 years of continuous sobriety, I still attend AA periodically.
That said, I’ve witnessed people in 12-step programs become what I call, “stuck in recovery”, defined as people who take on the identity of an addict or alcoholic, progressing into ‘a person in recovery’ (usually stated as, “I’m a recovering alcoholic (or addict)”), and eventually morphing into, “I’m a person in long-term recovery”. Fair enough, but then what? Is a person who struggled with an addiction (severe enough to need a recovery pathway) forever bound by that claim or diagnosis? Do they have a permanent and irreversible disease requiring them to forever be ‘in recovery’? Can a person with a severe addiction (again, to the point of needing recovery services) resolve the problem to the point they’re considered ‘recovered’?
CLICK HERE or click the graphic below to read my take on this very challenging topic. As always, I value feedback and discussion.
