New Book's Authors Address Need of Replacement for Alcoholics Anonymous


Two former alcoholics say there is a need for a brand new worldwide
organisation to replace Alcoholics Anonymous, a fellowship which is now
outdated and stuck in a rut that it is unwilling or unable to get out
of in order to address its own self-confessed abysmal failure rate.

Lilian and Murdoch MacDonald are a married couple from Ayrshire in
Scotland, whose recently published book "Phoenix in a Bottle"
describes how they recovered from alcoholism without and in spite of
AA, and how they are now able to drink responsibly again, if and when
they so wish.

According to both an independent US government survey and AA's own
secret membership surveys as revealed on the American Showtime
Channel's Penn & Teller television programme, AA-style treatment
works for only 5% of its participants.

Leading American addiction expert Dr Marc Kern commented: "These two
surveys clearly show that, after 12 months of attendance, 95% of the
original participants have left the programme and either resumed their
destructive behaviour or hopefully - but less likely - sought help
elsewhere.

"These people have not failed," insists Dr Kern.

"The 12-Step approach has failed them."

Lilian and Murdoch MacDonald attribute the failure of the 12-Step
programme to the fact that Alcoholics Anonymous stubbornly insists upon
treating alcoholism as a progressive and incurable illness or disease,
from which only remission is possible by sticking to a strict regime of
abstinence from alcohol.

AA is wrong, argue Lilian and Murdoch. In fact, alcoholism is not an
illness or a disease at all, but a self-harming behaviour problem with
its roots in childhood.

Everybody is capable of changing their behaviour. If alcoholics are
willing to identify and to address their issues from the past, then
they can get truly well and be able drink responsibly once again if and
when they so wish.

Advocating lifelong abstinence from alcohol on the other hand is merely
treating the symptom rather than the underlying problem, and is just a
damage-limitation exercise.

Perpetuation of the disease concept of alcoholism is aided and abetted
by private rehab clinics that have piggybacked AA and hijacked its
12-Step programme for their own profit.

Alcoholics Anonymous has the solution to its problems in its own hands,
continue Lilian and Murdoch.

Any normal organisation would be open to new ideas, and would welcome
discussion and change as new discoveries and progress were made in the
field of alcoholism.

Unfortunately AA has adopted a cult-like attitude, and regards its
so-called programme of recovery as set in stone forever. No changes
have been made or even allowed in the 70 years of its existence, and no
questioning or discussion is tolerated.

So Lilian and Murdoch conclude that a completely new organisation is
the only solution.

An organisation that does not seek to perpetuate the disease model of
alcoholism long after its sell-by date.

One that does not advocate lifelong sobriety as a prerequisite for
recovery, but instead empowers alcoholics to alter their behaviour in
the way that they choose for themselves.

One that does not insist upon dragging pseudo-religion into a situation
in which it has neither use nor relevance.

And finally one that welcomes change and progress in the understanding
of alcoholism, and is willing to accept diverse ways of treating it,
instead of dogmatically promulgating and perpetuating a
one-size-fits-all approach that is stuck in the past forever.

"PHOENIX IN A BOTTLE"

Lilian and Murdoch MacDonald's book "Phoenix in a Bottle" has just
been published by Melrose Books.

Reviewing the book, American addiction expert Dr Stanton Peele PhD
commented:

"Phoenix in a Bottle is a modern version of The Days of Wine and Roses,
and tells the true story of how two people who entered a period of
desperate drinking stayed with one another in a close loving
relationship, and emerged from their alcoholism able to drink
responsibly again.

"Both a wonderful love story and a challenge to conventional wisdom
about how people can recover from drinking problems, Phoenix in a
Bottle gives people hope, and helps them to confront their own demons -
alcohol or otherwise."

An anonymous reader from London wrote the following review of "Phoenix
in a Bottle" to Amazon UK.
"An excellent insight into the life of an alcoholic and what it is like
to be dependant on alcohol to get you through the day.

"I have no interest in drinking and am actually teetotal.

"I came across this book through a friend by chance and I definitely
recommend it to anyone.

"Not only does it cover the turmoil that both Lilian and Murdoch
suffered due to their addiction, but it also gave an incredibly account
of Lilian's past and why she struggled.

"The details on her eating disorder really struck a chord, as it is
something I have suffered from too, and made me consider my own life
and past events that might have made me become obsessive about
controlling food.

"I can not recommend this book enough. It proves that these things can
be beaten with some determination, love and without having to turn to a
life of self-denial.

"Well done!"


"Phoenix in a Bottle" by Lilian and Murdoch MacDonald is published by
Melrose Books price £16.99. It is available through good bookshops or
online direct from the publishers by logging on to
http://www.melrosebooks.com

ISBN: 1905226144

It is also available at http://www.amazon.co.uk

Lilian and Murdoch's website:
http://www.alcoholicscandrinksafelyagain.com

Issued by Fame Publicity Services
Website: http://www.famepublicity.co.uk


Web links:

http://www.emediawire.com/releases/2005/7/emw262711.htm

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/7/prweb262711.htm

http://i-newswire.com/pr36980.html

http://www.theopenpress.com/index.php?a=press&id=2623

http://www.clickpress.com/releases/D...679005cp.shtml

http://www.alcoholicscandrinksafelyagain.blogspot.com

This would probably be better posted on alt recovery from 12 steps, but
never mind.

Just a quick comment, (because I don't belong in an AA
newsgroup)........the substance of this book is spot on.

It's the "what ain't broke don't need fixing" mentality of AA that is
going to see the fellowship slip into obscurity. There's a LOT broken
in AA. It's failure to change in 70 years in accordance with medical,
psychiatric, social, etc changes is just plain dumb, and it's a real
shame. The fellowship / self help aspect of AA is great, but the dogma
is rediculous in 2005.

On 9 Nov 2005 10:11:44 -0800, Andrew_Barnes@health.qld.gov.au wrote:

:|This would probably be better posted on alt recovery from 12 steps, but
:|never mind.
:|
:|Just a quick comment, (because I don't belong in an AA
:|newsgroup)........the substance of this book is spot on.
:|
:|It's the "what ain't broke don't need fixing" mentality of AA that is
:|going to see the fellowship slip into obscurity. There's a LOT broken
:|in AA. It's failure to change in 70 years in accordance with medical,
:|psychiatric, social, etc changes is just plain dumb, and it's a real
:|shame. The fellowship / self help aspect of AA is great, but the dogma
:|is rediculous in 2005.

Whole heartedly agreed. Another thing sending AA into "obscurity" is all the
coercion in AA by our American court system. Not to mention the fellowship
nowadays being overrun by drug addicts. It's a combination of things that's
going to eventually be the undoing of the program.


Have a nice day;

Bryce L. Martin