See The Poison
August 13, 2007 by Mark
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
Yes, you read it correctly, I am asking you to See The Poison in the world regarding recovery from alcoholism. In order to be knowledgeable enough to counter the insanity presented by the spewing individual, you’ll want to know it’s there.
I’ve avoided doing this in the past for the simple reason that this man is an extremely intelligent person, much more than I. I’ve watched him engage in “discussions” with others where he has an uncanny ability to develop answers and counterpoints which always point to his own solution while demeaning yours. I’ll expect nothing less if he sees this. The truth is I have no desire to engage him. Yet, his poison damn well needs to be exposed and I’ve decided to do what I can to do that.
What level of insanity? I’ll give you a short, quick idea;
“Alcoholism and addictive disease are inventions, not realities. Alcoholism was invented by Bill Wilson, a common drunk who founded AA as a personal distraction from his own unrelenting desire to get drunk. All of the experts of the time knew there was no treatment for addiction, so they gladly yielded their obnoxious, addicted patients to Mr. Wilson’s fringe group of eccentrics.
Since then, AA has become an enormous fellowship of addiction, spreading its message of dependency through its zealous members in positions of responsibilty and opportunity. Consequently, the disease concept of addiction is widely accepted, a paradigm that makes it appear to you that addiction is a treatable condition, and that treatments do exist. These are faulty assumptions, based upon the false belief that addiction is or is caused by a pre-existing or acquired disease.”
Now, he is entitled to his opinion. So am I! It is my opinion that the statement “Alcoholism was invented by Bill Wilson,” among so many others just in those two paragraphs, totally contradicts my first mention of this man’s intelligence because it is ignorant beyond discussion! Inane on its face…
My opinion is that this man is a danger to everything worthwhile, including life! Unfortunately I have no way of determining how many folks he may have sent to their deaths with his poisonous rants about Alcoholics Anonymous. Of course, he’d no doubt question my intelligence or manhood or something of that nature to diminish anything I say because that is his MO.
More? How about paranoid delusional? Take a look;
“There is, however, a clear link to “Drink too much?” This is to a website associated with State University of New York which is obviously part of the 12-step syndicate, i.e., the addiction treatment industry and its business arm, the recovery group movement.
Independent recovery has been trashed by Wikipedia. The Rational Recovery page is now a portal to the addiction treatment industry. Behold, the 12-step syndicate in action!”
“The 12-step syndicate commandeers mainstream media and maintains its death-grip on America’s substance abusers.”
The 12 Step Syndicate? Wow… the State University of New York is part of the 12 Step Syndicate? Wow again! The Syndicate commandeers MSM? Triple wow!!! This, from a “mental health” professional?
Here is a quick blurb on the person who maintains the SUNY web site;
“The host of this web site is David J. Hanson, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Sociology at the State University of New York at Potsdam.
Professor Hanson has researched the subject of alcohol and drinking for over 30 years, beginning with his Ph.D. dissertation investigation. Shortly thereafter, he began a continuing series of nation wide studies of collegiate drinking over time (since 1981 with Dr. Ruth C. Engs of Indiana University). He has received alcohol research grants from federal and state agencies, published over a dozen chapters in books on alcohol, prepared articles for several encyclopedias, and recently published two books on alcohol. His publications and scholarly papers number over 300 and textbooks in over a dozen fields of study report his research.”
Obviously a member of the 12 Step Syndicate!
Two things I absolutely have to comment on before they slip my mind:
1. “Alcoholism was invented by Bill Wilson” – There are various mental reasons people become addicted and come to rely on the things they do, whether it be alcohol, narcotics, cigarettes, or veggie delite subs at Subway (yes, the latter is me). However, it’s my way of thinking that physical addictions can’t be “invented.” Sure, once discovered we can give them names, but that’s kind of expected if we ever want to, you know, talk about them.
2. “Independent recovery has been trashed by Wikipedia.” Anyone who values correct and well-researched information is not going to care one way or the other how things are presented on Wikipedia. At the very most, people should only use that site as a jumping off point.
Great post, Mark. I hope you continue to uncover and expose this sort of…well, I don’t have a polite word for it. Ignorance? Let’s just go with poison, like you said
Thanks so much for the positive feedback Alicia!
very very good use of the forum here , way to go way to go .
ahhh give me a call
Mr. P. Ow’R'ya??? Ahmawlaight!!!
M R Dux. NO M R Not. O S M R – brief lesson in rebelese…
Prob call Thurs – next day off…
No, I haven’t really been all right even tho’ I’m okay – you understand.
Bill W. was such an incredibly far-sighted individual. Or was it luck that his Grapevine Article in October of 1944, titled “A Date with Destiny” was selected for publication into the book “Language of the Heart”. *shrug*
Bill mentions how the National Committee for Education on Alcoholism (Now the National Council on Alcoholism – 1944) had commented: “Yet we do hope that AA as a whole will never deviate from its sole purpose of helping other alcoholics. As an organization, we should express no opinions save on the recovery of problem drinkers.” This article was written before the Traditions.
I would also like to offer up a link, of a talk Bill made in 1957, entitled “Singleness of Purpose”. His talk addresses narcotics and alcoholics and covers the topic well. Go to the link and scroll down to the “singless of purpose 1957″ video.
http://www.rtunez.com/okfortheday/videos/aa_related_videos.htm
We used to have a lot of “Friends” that did a lot of promoting AA, that knew what we were all about. They knew what we were about because many of our members worked closely with them in some way. I wonder how many Professionals, friends of AA, have actually been educated by members who truly understood the program. I wonder how many probation officers and psychiatrists know anything more about AA than what they’ve been told by the court-appointed, or the people on probation… people with less than a year that may or may not have a real sponsor… (I know there have been a lot of people get sober through means of being appointed, I’m not knocking that in the least. )
I just wonder if the professional people working with alcoholics in those places have anything more than an Idea of what AA really is.
I heard of one group that takes a collection all year, then they put on a banquet for professionals in the community. They send letters to lawyers, doctors, nurses, policemen, counselors – anyone in the professional community that might cross paths with an alcoholic – and feed them all. Then, someone that truly understands AA gets up and talks about what AA is and what it isn’t.
AA Traditions are OURS to protect. More often than not, the folks breaking the Traditions don’t really have a clue they’re doing it. Its our job as members to learn about and understand the traditions and to teach others as well.
Mark, you always get me wound up on your thought provoking topics and I’ll apologize again if I’ve gotten way off track. I appreciate you!
John
I will continue to Live and Let Live.
Considering that what I use to do was just exist and didn’t care whether someone else lived or not, exposing this poison in the world is both living and helping someone else live, imho dAAve…
Thanks many times over John
Well thank God Bill W. “Invented” alcoholism..if he didn’t we would still be sent to sanitariums to die.
Until he came about with this new perspective we were only considered hopelessly insane… There are so many opinons about the validity of any addiction being a disease….where the truth lies is within the voulumes of people who do find successful recovery through 12 step programs…some don’t but no group of people ever respond to any typr of treatment with 100% success 100% of the time.
People will always try to poke holes in things they do not understand…..
Thanks Morgan – appreciate your visit and your input.