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Agent_Orange
10-15-2003, 02:24 PM
"JB" <JBCatRB@coldman.com> wrote in message news:<bmfa0h$u7n$1@news6.svr.pol.co.uk>...
> "Agent_Orange" <agent_orange@linuxmail.org> wrote in message
> news:8e728989.0310130937.54f4a564@posting.google.c om...
> > "JB" <JBCatRB@coldman.com> wrote in message news:<bln5fv$pgu$1@news7.svr.pol.co.uk>...
>

> Dear Agent Orange,
>
> If you have recovered from alcoholism, I would be interested to know via this NG how you did it and
> how long ago you did it. I also think that if you post here what you say could be of help to
> someone who is looking for an alternative to AA. I look forward to hearing from you.
>
> Yours
>
> JB

I will have 3 years in 5 more days.

How I did it was basically just quit drinking and smoking,
and stick to it. It is called the "Do It Yourself" program.
And use the motto of the Apollo 13 movie:
"Failure is not an option."

It helped that my doctor told me that I would die
if I didn't quit. And I was sick enought to believe him.
That's a good motivation enhancer.

If you want alternatives to A.A., there are many:

SMART == Self-Management and Recovery Training

SOS == Secular Organizations for Sobriety

WFS == Women For Sobriety

MFS == Men For Sobriety

Detlef Sax regularly lists their web addresses over in the
alt.recovery.from-12-steps groups.

But above all, the most popular program is just "do it yourself".
The Harvard Medical School said that 4 out of 5 of the people
who successfully quit drinking for a year or more do it alone.
See:
http://aorange1.tripod.com/orange-effectiveness.html#Harvard_Mental

* Agent Orange *
* agent_orange@linuxmail.org *
* AA and Recovery Cult Debunking *
* http://aorange1.tripod.com/ *
** Being surrounded by a group of people who keep telling
** you that you are powerless over alcohol, and that your
** will power is useless, is not getting "support". It is
** getting sabotaged.
** With friends like them, you don't need any enemies.

JB
10-15-2003, 03:36 PM
"Agent_Orange" <agent_orange@linuxmail.org> wrote in message
news:8e728989.0310151124.559e2f5@posting.google.co m...
> "JB" <JBCatRB@coldman.com> wrote in message news:<bmfa0h$u7n$1@news6.svr.pol.co.uk>...
> > "Agent_Orange" <agent_orange@linuxmail.org> wrote in message
> > news:8e728989.0310130937.54f4a564@posting.google.c om...
> > > "JB" <JBCatRB@coldman.com> wrote in message news:<bln5fv$pgu$1@news7.svr.pol.co.uk>...
> >
>
> > Dear Agent Orange,
> >
> > If you have recovered from alcoholism, I would be interested to know via this NG how you did it
and
> > how long ago you did it. I also think that if you post here what you say could be of help to
> > someone who is looking for an alternative to AA. I look forward to hearing from you.
> >
> > Yours
> >
> > JB
>
> I will have 3 years in 5 more days.
>
> How I did it was basically just quit drinking and smoking,
> and stick to it. It is called the "Do It Yourself" program.
> And use the motto of the Apollo 13 movie:
> "Failure is not an option."
>
> It helped that my doctor told me that I would die
> if I didn't quit. And I was sick enought to believe him.
> That's a good motivation enhancer.
>
> If you want alternatives to A.A., there are many:

<snip alternatives>

Dear Agent Orange,

Thank you for your reply.

If a "Do it yourself" programme is one where individuals have to rely solely on their willpower to
overcome their addiction(s), then I used such a programme without knowing it in the early 1990's.
As a result, I stopped drinking for nearly 8 years. FWIW, I admire your achievement and hope that
your "DIY" programme will continue working for you for as long as you want it to.

At the present time, I am very happy with AA and its Twelve Step programme and truly believe that I
am greatly benefiting from both. If this ceases to be the case I may have cause to be grateful to
you for giving me details of other programmes..

Best regards

JB