Is Alcoholics Anonymous a Cult? 🤐

Before you get involved with Alcoholics Anonymous, watch this video! Is AA just a cult that tries to brainwash you? What about Narcotics Anonymous, Cocaine Anonymous, etc...?

0:00 Is Alcoholics Anonymous a Cult?
1:05 Commitment to a leader
2:07 Questioning is discouraged
3:00 Mind-altering activities
3:47 Dictating Leader
5:50 Polarizing Beliefs
6:28 Peer Pressure
7:20 Cutting Ties
7:45 Monetary offerings
8:51 Block outside influences
9:32 The Takeaway

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

📑Access our FREE Family Recovery Resources:

👪FREE Family Recovery Support Group on Facebook:

💌Access counseling anytime/anywhere through Better Help: (Use this link to get 10% off!)
(**Better Help is a sponsor of Put The Shovel Down. Using Better Help counseling services helps support our channel!**)


📚Recommended Books:

SUPPORT THIS CHANNEL: 🔊📣This channel is sponsored by Hope For Families Recovery Center. We believe RECOVERY IS CONTAGIOUS, and it's our mission to spread recovery faster than addiction is spreading.

If you find our videos helpful there are several WAYS YOU CAN HELP SUPPORT OUR MISSION:

1. LIKES AND COMMENTS let google know that people find value in our videos, which triggers Google to show our videos to more people. This helps tremendously!

2. SHARING our videos is one of the fastest ways to help us spread the message of family recovery. We're always getting comments from people saying they wished they'd found us sooner. Help us get our message to the people who need it by sharing the videos you find most helpful!

3. There is a little button underneath every video that says "Thanks". This button will allow you to give a small donation and to show your appreciation for any video you find particularly helpful.

*100% of all donations go to help cover the cost of producing videos and adding to our library of FREE online recovery resources that are available to anyone/everyone who may need the information.

[stefanhoimes]

Leaving was the best thing I ever did for my mental health.

[GregS-rmdu]

There’s is a lot of pressure trying to leave. I tried so much. But they pull me back in. I swear I’m done this time!

[WillowIsHere]

The most important cult-like feature of AA is literally the opposite of what you said doesn’t make it one: The biggest doctrine is that addicts are born constitutionally incapable of controlling themselves without the help of AA, and that the only way they can not fail in life is by NEVER LEAVING. No one graduates from AA—and anyone who questions that dogma is immediately accused of simply refusing to be honest with themselves.

[jcf]

I attended AA meetings for more than 100 days, 3-5 times a week. When the "higher ups" withheld my 90 day coin, because they wanted some specific person to give it to me. Some of the "politics" of the group became clear. What I took away from my brief time there was that I never wanted to be like those people in the group, they had replaced alcohol with meetings, cigarettes and coffee. They will call you a "dry Drunk" if you don't attend meetings. WTF does that mean? (it's a guilt trip) And to "make amends" ??? in my 50 years no one has ever shown up to make amends with me for their alcoholism. almost 14 years later I have not had a single drop, no do I have any pangs of wanting any. I didn't lose my Wife, or job, or anything like that. I replaced alcohol with activities, hobbies, quality time with family and friends. remembering how awful I would feel after drinking was a strong deterrent as well. AA works for some people, and in 100 days it worked for me, but to continue to attend all these years would have taken significant time away from enjoying life.

[kwAnthony]

"Yes we are brain washing you. But your brain needed to be washed." Is one that I heard the other day. I swear they have lines for everything lol

[DAClub-ufbr]

Many People in AA treat Bill Wilson like a HERO. They go to see his childhood home. They do have a ridged mind set they don't like suggestions on how to better things they just want to do everything like it was still 1935.

[GODemon]

If you've been to more than a few meetings you should recognize it as very culty, unless you're drinking the koolaid.

[brittanylight]

Personal experience:
AA was there for me in very dark times. However, after being sober for a couple months... it was clear to me how toxic the groups can be. And it started making me want to drink. So I stepped back from the program. I'll still go to meetings if I'm in a bad spot...but I only use it as triage, not long term recovery.

[toribern]

I personally hate the anonymous groups. The ppl I’ve met and known from those groups are all completely crazy. They’re all backstabbers, think they’re better than everyone else and if you don’t do it their way then your doing it wrong. Not a fan. 😑

[MichaelAlbrecht-dz]

Yes AA is a cult or very very close to being one.Make no mistake about this!.

[matthewkelly]

It doesnt matter if youre happy or not, if youre not doing it "their" way, its wrong. Cult, plain and simple

[zyxwut]

If you stick around the "rooms" for a while what you'll start to notice is that MOST people don't stick around except for the core of "old-timers". The old-timers will often claim that those who come and go are either going to other meetings or "out there", meaning either completely relapsed or living as a "dry drunk", completely miserable in all ways except drinking. Twelve-step is the classic case of, "when the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem becomes a nail." All matter of life problems are viewed through the prism of "addiction", a permanent condition only "honestly" dealt with through working the "steps" and experiencing a "spiritual awakening" (all problems are ultimately seen as "spiritual" in nature and caused by "selfishness" or "self-will run riot"). They have little interest in incorporating other forms of treatment, other methodologies, other perspectives. Addiction becomes less a condition and more an identity and everything in the program revolves around that.

[ylckobt]

It’s very repetitive. So you go from being a prisoner of your addiction to being a prisoner of having to be a part of a group to not participate in your addiction. So basically you spend half your life addicted then the other half running from your addiction accepting that you are powerless and need something besides yourself to quit. So your major accomplishment in life becomes being able to not do one thing. Pretty meaningless existence if you ask me. Just walk away from the thing ruining your life and find something else to do. Don’t waste the rest of your life going to meetings to talk about something that’s over.

[stevegoodson]

my best friend, who was the most intelligent person I've ever known, became an alcoholic in his 40's, and after a period in rehab got sucked into the AA/NA cult. After a few months he was fully brainwashed, and spoke mainly in AA cliches. His personality deteriorated over a period of months. He only socialised with other cult members, and the whole experience made no difference at all to his alcoholism. It's absolutely a religious cult, you're forced to at least pay lip service to theism. If you're not prepared to declare yourself utterly subservient to an imaginary 'higher power' AA won't give you the dubious benefits of their 'program'. My friend had brief periods of sobriety until he died in his early 50's, his relapses seemed to me to be provoked by spending all his time around alcoholics and addicts.

[jasonwillett]

There are THOUSANDS of people who left 12 steps and have FANTASTIC LIVES. I moderate a few FB groups of people who left and are THRIVING.

[Wendy-Williams-NC]

Yep, I have 13 years of being free of addiction....I do NOT use AA lingo, like sobriety or in recovery...I felt like it was AA's way or no way to get free...that's just not true. It works fantastic for some people but the ones it doesnt, it makes them feel there's no way out. Even healthcare professionals heavily promote AA over a lot of other ways to find freedom from addiction.

[gwillis]

I can imagine a situation where someone feels trapped in an overly long workshop session and is desperate for a change in pace. "If I agree with you, then can I go to sleep?''

[phillippaaron]

Are you a current member? Because you’re going really easy on them. They will tell you that without them you will die. Don’t even get me started on all the emotional, financial, and sexual abuse that goes on and is swept under the rug.

[cupwave]

It really depends what group you’re in to be honest. The vibe of different groups/meetings can be really different.

[garypedigogaeu]

I think it sometimes helps a person who is bewildered and new and in trouble. When a person’s mind clears up and they get their feet on the ground solidly it’s time to leave. If you stay too long you enter into a phase of trying to make a name for yourself in an anonymous organization. Ego and jealousy run wild and you think you’re qualified to guide other peoples lives with no qualifications other than there is something you no longer do. One size fits all and you have all the answers. In other words it is a powerful asshole generating machine. It’s astounding actually.