The problem with AA meetings is that it's constant talk about alcohol. It's like trying to lose weight and going to meetings about great brownie recipes. But if it helps people that's great!!
I regularly go to Secular AA (meeting without gods/deities) and even I get tired of hearing about specific chemicals and bad habits. Sometimes it's nice to bask in the good.
“AA doesn’t sound like a healthy way”. Right, that’s why millions of people (including family members) are benefiting greatly from a way of life that promotes responsibility, honesty, compassion, etc, etc. Best wishes to you.
WOW 2 opposing responses! Some people are looking for a substitute family and if it works, great. Some people like me get pushed into something that is never going to work and I drank after every meeting. I write about contemporary music; Tom Petty who died of an overdose because he would not let down his audience .... can you see him in an AA meeting? And he revered his mum and yes was a spiritual person but self-medicated one way or another his entire life. Creepy father. In his last decade he definitely found peace and happiness. And that is all that matters.
Not certain about the points made but ,if anyone else trying to find out what is the safest way to give up alcohol try Debuncar Alcohol Finish Aid (Have a quick look on google cant remember the place now ) ? Ive heard some unbelievable things about it and my cousin got great success with it.
Thank you so much for this video! I used to be a heroin addict and went to both NA and AA meetings for years and shared the same feelings as both of you as far as the meetings not helping me by talking about my problems and hearing others talking about their problems. I got off of heroin by using kratom, and doses of psychedelic mushrooms (weeks a part) with meditation. I've been off of opiates for 10 years now but I am now struggling with alcoholism. Shortly after I quit using heroin in my early 20's I started drinking every night. I'm now 30 and my drinking has gotten out of hand. I usually drink a minimum of 6 high alcohol content beers a day. I have been trying to cut my drinking in half over the past couple of weeks. I found your channel this morning after not drinking yesterday. I went to bed and started experiencing electrical shock type feelings when I was trying to sleep last night. I have also been feeling "sound pains" the last few days while trying to decrease my alcohol consumption. I didn't realize what it was. After the terrifying symptoms I had last night trying to sleep, I searched for the symptoms on TH-cam and found this channel. Thank you so much for making these videos. I happen to have some valium that I am prescribed for panic attacks (I only take them about once or twice a month). I have decided I am not going to drink again today and I'm going to look up how to safely use my benzos to get off of alcohol until I can visit my doctor about this. I love to hear y'all talk about using CBD, kratom, nutrition and other herbs for combatting the symptoms of alcohol withdraw. Many of the herbs and supplements you talk about, I already have on hand because I take them occasionally for other purposes and I didn't know they were useful for alcohol withdraw. I'll be doing more research today. Thank you again.
Paradoxically, I moved to a new part of my city where there were no AA meetings several yrs ago and in order to stay in touch with my sister, whom I did relinquish and feel sad this Canadian Txgiving, I had to attend some kind of 12 step meeting and the only one was NA - strictly Booze but surrounded by drugs - and found this anarchic group of people with long sobriety; one closed meeting which involved the steps but like no other meeting I;ve ever been to. And because I was alone and knew I could see people once a week I began to build the kind of structure that for me would become healthy; swimming; when I had enough time sober to trust myself, getting a dog - my stuff, can't live without a dog; and a host of other things that slowly fell into place. I no longer eat meat or processed food would never try to convert anyone but I feel healthy and bloodwork is so vastly better. But that experience was a transition. I'm not there anymore; like Tom Petty I'm off to see Melinda :) sorry just like the song; I have stuff to do. Your vr real concerns; if you have valium don't take it until you start the shakes; you may well have some alcohol in your system but benzos mimic what alcohol does to the GABA receptors and you do not want to overdose. Also remember that both are ultimately depressants so if you have a friend who gets it, let them know. I know Covid 19 etc..... If you find you cannot manage it yourself with those meds, just go to Emerg no-one is going to keep you there once you actually get seen so you are likely to get a small script. Make sure you have food in the fridge; prepare for a minimum of 3 days, whether you get sick or not. A lot of doctors don't get it you probably found the best site for this issue.
I joined AA and I think it’s a disaster for women. We’re vulnerable and desperate to get better and the men know this. They take advantage of it. I almost lost my marriage going to AA.
Generally speaking yes; I did find some women groups with older people who were wise but the program in general was devised on the principle that we are sinners and have to deflate our egos and atone for the 7 deadly sins, and Bill Wilson who co-founded the movement didn't get anonymity and wouldn't allow women into the program and continued to sleep around and experiment with LSD. Principles before personalities is one of the program's touch stones but there is a Bill W personality cult, which totally pisses me off. I met some good people but glad it's over.
hey ,if anyone else wants to discover how to stop alcohol drinking try Sovallo Amazing Drink Fixer (do a search on google ) ? Ive heard some great things about it and my friend got cool success with it.
Chris - thank you for this great vid chat. I must add that I shared a couple of times at AA how simply GREAT I felt. I had taken charge of my life, stopped drinking, was exercising regularly and realized how crucial the diet/supplement aspect (you guide people with) is. Well, they kept telling me I was “on a pink cloud” and it won’t last! What?! Imagine telling me repeatedly ‘it won’t last’?! . They wouldn’t shut up and honestly they have turned me right off after 30 + 37 days of abstinence. I don’t know when I can call it sobriety? Anyway, I am a very upbeat person and am definitely leaning away from AA now because I am feeling down when I am naturally very happy. I must get your book 📚....
One of my favorite formats; one on one recovery stories. The AA story so sad, didn't get into Tony Robbins but respect that experience; one of my friends in grad school was alcohol free but suffering from depression and listening to his tapes made a huge difference for her. Just being in awe of the universe and the mandolin rain and the ocean will do it; my shrink (anxiety) is a devout catholic, never tried to convert me; my mum a holocaust survivor understandably didn't believe in anything which may have killed her as she died aged 66 a year after my Dad passed away; these things are intensely personal and should be respected wherever you encounter them. I love this story so much. At the same time I have been inspired by courageous people like Bertrand Russell who wrote Why I'm not a Christian and gave up his title during ww1 and went to jail as a conscientious objector to war; in WW II he would have done otherwise. The point |I'm trying to make, contra Andrew Douglas, also an agnostic is that organized religion may be in your background or something that leads to the light (I"m an ancient hippie) as it did for George Harrison, but what effect is it having on your life and your sense of purpose in this very short life we live; why I loved this conversation so much.
I really enjoyed this interview. I am going through detox at the moment . I've been watching all of your videos the last 24 hours. I was familiar with your program because this isn't my first detox trip but am determined it will be my last . Thinking about joining your online courses. Thanks for all you've done Chris.
I've been diving into all of your videos and information whole heartedly. Thank you so much for sharing your experiences with all of us and more importantly all of the crucial information that one who is giving up alcohol needs to understand. I'm eternally grateful 🙏🏽 and determined to prevail !! Today is a good day. Embracing my sobriety and staying in the light❤️
I've found many stories people tell in AA are basically a version of hitting rock bottom. You cried out to God, you realized something... and had a healthy breakdown... hit the emergency brake on the speeding train and got a jolt. Attributing all subsequent improvement to God? Maybe it's the fact you are no longer acutely chemically dependent. I have heard some call it a "high" transending addiction. I think walking a tightrope of emotional replacement is frought with relapse potential. However if one clings to it and can stay clean and sober, I can't argue with them. Yet the bias against treatment and especially any other scientific/ cognition path is just creepy cultish to me.
thanks for comment! I never would have thought --- none of us would -- that the overriding hurdle in my life would become alcohol dependence. AA works for some people; some people commenting on this video are outraged that other solutions are posited; I bring up my sister so often she's a quasi mythical being but I assure you she found sobriety and self-transformation in AA … but after 10 years was still acting like an asshole. In the last 1/3 of our lives we have arrived at a kind of negotiated peace but she was hooked on sugar, coffee cigarettes, why is that a no-go in AA? Why is it wrong to suggest that healthy eating/exercise/sleep/positive life changes are not relevant? Why are all suffering from addiction more prone than other human beings to the 7 deadly sins? Oy, vey.
If you need treatment in the US you can't get financial subsidies except for 12 step programs so .... I am not a conspiracy anything just the way it is..... my sister had a crazy adolescence got sober at age 28 we are both in our 60s she found a replacement family there, while our Dad who was older had lost his money and his mind to Alzheimers it was too much for her to cope with and she makes tons of money and is very California, no aspersions cast, but we are estranged, because when I crossed the line she called up all my friends and told them I needed to hit rock bottom so consequently I spent 2 yrs on the street homeless and raped thank god for blackouts. Cynical? Bitter me? I love her just can't talk to her.
@@evelynbaron2004 yea ive noticed they’re kind of all One track minded at the meetings. I did two zoom calls for AA during covid. Both times i smashed a bottle after. TH-cam has been my answer and really a true wealth of knowledge that make us realize alcohol is a poison and it should be discarded not worshipped to make us powerless.
Revisiting this vr helpful video; love your channel. Don't have a problem with the 12 steps and I can see a role in early sobriety hooking up with people who hold you accountable and reward you as you go through the post acute withdrawal period which I have found from many other people as well as myself tends to last about 2 years. Addiction is addiction but people forget that alcohol has an impact on ALL your major organs and the GABA pathway can take a really long time to sort itself out. Just wanted to check in for people having trouble in this period which is like going through this current time of Covid 19 (when will it end?) feeling. I personally felt physically better immediately but it took hard work and 2 yrs of it to get sleep regulated and out of a kind of intellectual black hole; my brain was definitely on holiday and I think that is a trigger that people don't often talk about; mood stabilization is great but those short bursts of all neurons firing simply don't happen during that period and it's a hard adjustment so I would encourage people to think of that flat feeling which is not depression but healing as a potential trigger and just be aware that it does go away. Anecdotally, I found swimming a huge help when it was available and I always get an endorphin surge after walking my dog outside and the usual healthy diet etc. which is my criticism of AA which completely ignores these strategies and depending on the group, actively discourages members from discussing those measures. It does promote meditation, and I found that hard, still do but definitely worth it. Sorry for long comment but thought it might be helpful and needed to look at my own sobriety path these days. Tx fantastic job!!!
Speaking from experience, (25+years) it’s not AA that “doesn’t work”, it’s the people who show up expecting to have sobriety handed to them. I’ve been to thousands of meetings and can attest to a vast difference of quality. Change doesn’t occur by talking about “not drinking”, it occurs by living differently. That’s why we have a healthy design for changing our behavior called “Steps”. The people who attend step meetings live in the solution, instead of the problem. By the way, we represent all walks of life from Airline Pilots to Zoologists. Some of us are your neighbors. Good neighbors! : )
If you simply talk about your problems in my group you probably won't want to come back. We have a design for living that works for alcoholics like me and we mainly talk about that. Discussion of the problem is meant to establish identification with people who otherwise consider themselves to be uniquely messed up.
This channel is not an attack on the 12 steps. My sis has been in the program for 35 yrs since her early 20s and was using all kind of substances and for the grace of god is still here and it worked for her. She also travels a lot and if you are trying to make an over-arching argument that this is all thing to all people, sorry. Your assumption that the people who the program doesn't help expect immediate results is not borne out by experience. I'll stop here out of respect for your beliefs.
I personally find that AA is outdated and was a program born I think in the 50s and it was mainly a group of men. So no it did not resonate with me.. yes it works for some ppl and it doesn’t for others. You need to open ur mind and realize that there are other solutions not just AA. It’s not the answer for everyone and if u think so then ur ignorant! And I’m sure AA has slot to do with that mentality
AA doesn't get anyone sober and its a religious cult :) its has a mere 5 to 8 % max efficacy ( by aa's own stats. ) It harms more than it helps since its based on shaming , fear mongering and cannot take responsability for members that are abuser ( 13 steppin ) stay away folks you have better chance trying other forms of recovery like RR , SMART and therapy.
I go to an Organization Called The Phoenix. It was started by a guy named Scott Strode. You have probably crossed paths, but if you haven't, look him up. This is what I call "Fit Recovery", but it is CrossFit and Rock Climbing, and a whole lot more!!
I use to go to not only AA, but other 12 step programs. I had much greater success when I quit going to them. Whether it be a substance abuse addiction or process addiction.
People keep focusing on the alcohol. I went cold turkey (not the most fun). However, I didn't quit alcohol. I quit PEOPLE!!! After dropping the people, I have no interest in alcohol anymore and I have so much more energy for positive activities.... terrariums, aquariums, my flutes--music, etc. I actually get to accomplish something now!
I've been in and out AA for years, I don't want to hear it anymore. Going through alcohol withdrawal justnow 😢hellish. I got nearly two years sobre, I'm in my 40s now, I'm not getting any younger.im bloated and red, I hate it, I eat keto and look after myself in so many ways except drink.
Okay, first thing, admit that you do not want this anymore. Admit that you have to be honest with yourself.. alcohol is not doing you any good. You are not at all powerless. Its not hard to quit when you truly get that you do not need it. You don't want to feel hungover the next morning, you realize your anxiety will go away each time you stop drinking. Day 3 is probably kind of roughly where it gets easier. Give yourself a timeline. I will not drink for 20 days and then if I absolutely MUST, I will drink the day after, but for today, I can take this challenge and I know I will feel great being sober. This helped me, not sure but thought I'd give it a shot at advice.
I did have a rock bottom experience but the basic supplements taken for a few days really cut cravings. On day 5 had a mood swing got a coffee and sat on bench to drink it got up and realize it was in front of the pub which I knew was there all along! Plus next day Caved in got 2 six packs and took them home, had one then started thinfing about left overs in the fridge. Woke next morning and 11 beers still in the bag!! Plus normally if had the day free they would normally be breakfast!!
The Blackpill truth: I can't drink. I can do anything else, but alcohol is not an option. One or two drinks is not enough...heck 8 drinks is not enough. Follow Fit Recovery...there is a whole world of options that are way better than alcohol. There is no reason to drink and drinking is not an option.
I agree..the few times I went to AA it seemed like a circle jerk where everyone was trying to outdo the next person with horror relapse stories..punctuated by the same old tired cliches..... Daily reliving the alcoholic trauma so that The Beast was constantly being resuscitated.
B Belizy I was just thinking tonite ‘I cannot take another one of these meetings’!! The institutional aspect, the schoolroom aspect bothers me as does the coffee and doughnuts...I mentioned, with my naturally positive outlook, that a regimen of exercise and diet/supplements are surely essential in becoming ‘clean’ & ‘sober’. Nobody supported this idea at all. I felt just like the rebel I was as a child butting up against authority figures during my schooldays! So, 37 days sobriety with AA .....but I need to get a new routine going as AA is really starting to get on my nerves, to drain me and preoccupy my mind and time! Thanks. All the best to you. And a big thank you to Chris!
@@AllIn1Studio Oy! there was a young guy who was enthusiastic about sobriety; 2 yrs sober was talking about getting healthy and working out again and yes that old guy at the back of the hall ..... he almost left the program. So many people talked to him I thought at the time it was a good time he stayed but I am sure he outgrew all those nasty encounters and the one thing I would like to say to anyone in AA; it's bulllshit that if you leave the program you are going to relapse. Sheer fear mongering.
I went for my sister and met a 10 yr sober psychopath; not knocking the program but sure I get the 12 steps as interpreted by Mathiew sp Fox but OMG humanity is fucked up and you often find a intense concentration of unhelpful people ... Zoom meetings ... glad for all who find solace but it was impossible for me. I do volunteer work these days before and during Covid 19 because I want to and I get the people living on the street who yes sometimes need an advocate. I love Viktor Frankl who like my mum survived the death camps; not a Freudian myself at all but: the revised list -- love, work ... and purpose now that is something I understand.
@Lorniac _ yes a lot of fucked up people hooking up sexually recipe for disaster. Also predators both women and men ready to pounce on unsuspecting innocents. It is the dark side of AA. It still pisses me off that Bill Wilson continued to experiment with LSD would not let women into the program and fucked around all his life. So much for so-called saints.
There are many components to giving up drinking including eg motivation and help from family. One plan I discovered that successfully combines these is the Sebs Magic Tactic (google it if you're interested) definately the best plan that I've heard of. look at the website SebsMagicTactic.com and great reviews.
here's several ideas for stopping alcohol at home Try to eat food while you are drinking - this cuts down the amount you drink. Take a break from drinking. Make a note of how much you drink, then you know if you are cutting down. Set goals - don't make them too hard at first. Pick 1 or 2 days or each week when you will not drink at all. Next, try to stop drinking for one week per month. (I read these and why they work from Adoette drink plan site )
hey ,if anyone else wants to learn about how to quit drinking alcohol safely try Fezervin Quick Drink Coach (do a search on google ) ? Ive heard some incredible things about it and my cousin got excellent success with it.
"I find that AA is best understood as a remnant of American religious Puritanism." Yes yes YES! Alcoholism is for a "moral weakness", you're a "broken" individual, you are "helpless", you need to be "saved", follow the 1̶0̶ ̶C̶o̶m̶m̶a̶n̶d̶m̶e̶n̶t̶s̶ 10 Steps, God is your savior.
Ann Lopez I felt total animosity when I went to my local meeting.....esp the men ...acting like it was an old boys’ network or a gentleman’s club. Horrible. Been to women’s meetings but still....I feel they have bets on newcomers as to whether they’ll survive or not!! I have to give credit to AA for helping get me to 37 days of sobriety...and me for sticking with it! 🙏
@@AllIn1Studio My favorite story is my sister who sober 10 yrs goes on around the world honeymoon with a guy not addicted but happy for her; got married on a beach in Greece; Scotland worked for her because everyone was singing Amazing Grace then ... drum roll she always wanted to meet a Leprechaun so AA meeting in Dublin and they were too happy so she disowned them all!! True story still cracks me up.
Seemed impossible, but it’s been over 7 months and I don’t crave a drop of alcohol, the KEY difference was that I didn’t suffer withdrawal, not even within the first 30 days after I actually applied what I talked about. No need for AA meetings or meds either, I just luckily go’ogled Steffon Barkload’s latest, man, wish I had done it sooner.
That to my mind is not fair. He's on a mission. I've watched several people putting out how to get sober videos and this guy has a heart and mind and isn't trying to be a guru if that's what you think. I've got major radar for that stuff. Just try another listen or find another channel.
Please be nice. Both he and she care and are trying to help. Hearts that share n earnestly care are such a blessing! I am so thankful for both and all who support such purposes.
The problem with AA meetings is that it's constant talk about alcohol. It's like trying to lose weight and going to meetings about great brownie recipes. But if it helps people that's great!!
Facts and truth 💯
I regularly go to Secular AA (meeting without gods/deities) and even I get tired of hearing about specific chemicals and bad habits. Sometimes it's nice to bask in the good.
AA doesn't sound like a healthy way of keeping people sober, im sober without that. TH-cam has helped me.
“AA doesn’t sound like a healthy way”. Right, that’s why millions of people (including family members) are benefiting greatly from a way of life that promotes responsibility, honesty, compassion, etc, etc. Best wishes to you.
@@markg.4246 aa is cult !
WOW 2 opposing responses! Some people are looking for a substitute family and if it works, great. Some people like me get pushed into something that is never going to work and I drank after every meeting. I write about contemporary music; Tom Petty who died of an overdose because he would not let down his audience .... can you see him in an AA meeting? And he revered his mum and yes was a spiritual person but self-medicated one way or another his entire life. Creepy father. In his last decade he definitely found peace and happiness. And that is all that matters.
Not certain about the points made but ,if anyone else trying to find out what is the safest way to give up alcohol try Debuncar Alcohol Finish Aid (Have a quick look on google cant remember the place now ) ? Ive heard some unbelievable things about it and my cousin got great success with it.
I've been researching into giving up drinking and discovered a fantastic website at Sebs Magic Tactic (google it if you are interested)
Some AA meetings are so heavy, folks using time for their soap box. Thank goodness for zoom. I can turn down the volume or leave with one click.
Thank you so much for this video! I used to be a heroin addict and went to both NA and AA meetings for years and shared the same feelings as both of you as far as the meetings not helping me by talking about my problems and hearing others talking about their problems. I got off of heroin by using kratom, and doses of psychedelic mushrooms (weeks a part) with meditation. I've been off of opiates for 10 years now but I am now struggling with alcoholism. Shortly after I quit using heroin in my early 20's I started drinking every night. I'm now 30 and my drinking has gotten out of hand. I usually drink a minimum of 6 high alcohol content beers a day. I have been trying to cut my drinking in half over the past couple of weeks. I found your channel this morning after not drinking yesterday. I went to bed and started experiencing electrical shock type feelings when I was trying to sleep last night. I have also been feeling "sound pains" the last few days while trying to decrease my alcohol consumption. I didn't realize what it was. After the terrifying symptoms I had last night trying to sleep, I searched for the symptoms on TH-cam and found this channel. Thank you so much for making these videos. I happen to have some valium that I am prescribed for panic attacks (I only take them about once or twice a month). I have decided I am not going to drink again today and I'm going to look up how to safely use my benzos to get off of alcohol until I can visit my doctor about this. I love to hear y'all talk about using CBD, kratom, nutrition and other herbs for combatting the symptoms of alcohol withdraw. Many of the herbs and supplements you talk about, I already have on hand because I take them occasionally for other purposes and I didn't know they were useful for alcohol withdraw. I'll be doing more research today. Thank you again.
Paradoxically, I moved to a new part of my city where there were no AA meetings several yrs ago and in order to stay in touch with my sister, whom I did relinquish and feel sad this Canadian Txgiving, I had to attend some kind of 12 step meeting and the only one was NA - strictly Booze but surrounded by drugs - and found this anarchic group of people with long sobriety; one closed meeting which involved the steps but like no other meeting I;ve ever been to. And because I was alone and knew I could see people once a week I began to build the kind of structure that for me would become healthy; swimming; when I had enough time sober to trust myself, getting a dog - my stuff, can't live without a dog; and a host of other things that slowly fell into place. I no longer eat meat or processed food would never try to convert anyone but I feel healthy and bloodwork is so vastly better. But that experience was a transition. I'm not there anymore; like Tom Petty I'm off to see Melinda :) sorry just like the song; I have stuff to do.
Your vr real concerns; if you have valium don't take it until you start the shakes; you may well have some alcohol in your system but benzos mimic what alcohol does to the GABA receptors and you do not want to overdose. Also remember that both are ultimately depressants so if you have a friend who gets it, let them know. I know Covid 19 etc..... If you find you cannot manage it yourself with those meds, just go to Emerg no-one is going to keep you there once you actually get seen so you are likely to get a small script. Make sure you have food in the fridge; prepare for a minimum of 3 days, whether you get sick or not. A lot of doctors don't get it you probably found the best site for this issue.
AA telling people they're powerless over anything is crazy. Jesus said with God all things are possible.
I joined AA and I think it’s a disaster for women.
We’re vulnerable and desperate to get better and the men know this.
They take advantage of it.
I almost lost my marriage going to AA.
Generally speaking yes; I did find some women groups with older people who were wise but the program in general was devised on the principle that we are sinners and have to deflate our egos and atone for the 7 deadly sins, and Bill Wilson who co-founded the movement didn't get anonymity and wouldn't allow women into the program and continued to sleep around and experiment with LSD. Principles before personalities is one of the program's touch stones but there is a Bill W personality cult, which totally pisses me off. I met some good people but glad it's over.
I agree as a younger man I saw the nasty old men going crazy smh
Yeah I see them getting taken advantage of. Also men just coming in also experience it probably not as much as the women though
Love what you are doing! God is truly going to reward you.
Thank you for the advice. I ran for the first time in years today. Feeling STRANGELY well for the first time in 14 days (since I quit)
How are you doing??
Blessed to have 7 years sober.! Thanks to support like this.!
fantastic podcast!
Bless the faithful and the understanding of those around 'us'. Thank You.
hey ,if anyone else wants to discover how to stop alcohol drinking try Sovallo Amazing Drink Fixer (do a search on google ) ? Ive heard some great things about it and my friend got cool success with it.
Thank you for this video.you both have giving me hope and I'm excited for our program.blessings
Chris - thank you for this great vid chat. I must add that I shared a couple of times at AA how simply GREAT I felt. I had taken charge of my life, stopped drinking, was exercising regularly and realized how crucial the diet/supplement aspect (you guide people with) is. Well, they kept telling me I was “on a pink cloud” and it won’t last! What?! Imagine telling me repeatedly ‘it won’t last’?! . They wouldn’t shut up and honestly they have turned me right off after 30 + 37 days of abstinence. I don’t know when I can call it sobriety? Anyway, I am a very upbeat person and am definitely leaning away from AA now because I am feeling down when I am naturally very happy. I must get your book 📚....
One of my favorite formats; one on one recovery stories. The AA story so sad, didn't get into Tony Robbins but respect that experience; one of my friends in grad school was alcohol free but suffering from depression and listening to his tapes made a huge difference for her. Just being in awe of the universe and the mandolin rain and the ocean will do it; my shrink (anxiety) is a devout catholic, never tried to convert me; my mum a holocaust survivor understandably didn't believe in anything which may have killed her as she died aged 66 a year after my Dad passed away; these things are intensely personal and should be respected wherever you encounter them. I love this story so much. At the same time I have been inspired by courageous people like Bertrand Russell who wrote Why I'm not a Christian and gave up his title during ww1 and went to jail as a conscientious objector to war; in WW II he would have done otherwise. The point |I'm trying to make, contra Andrew Douglas, also an agnostic is that organized religion may be in your background or something that leads to the light (I"m an ancient hippie) as it did for George Harrison, but what effect is it having on your life and your sense of purpose in this very short life we live; why I loved this conversation so much.
I really enjoyed this interview. I am going through detox at the moment . I've been watching all of your videos the last 24 hours. I was familiar with your program because this isn't my first detox trip but am determined it will be my last . Thinking about joining your online courses. Thanks for all you've done Chris.
I've been diving into all of your videos and information whole heartedly.
Thank you so much for sharing your experiences with all of us and more importantly all of the crucial information that one who is giving up alcohol needs to understand.
I'm eternally grateful 🙏🏽 and determined to prevail !!
Today is a good day.
Embracing my sobriety and staying in the light❤️
I've found many stories people tell in AA are basically a version of hitting rock bottom. You cried out to God, you realized something... and had a healthy breakdown... hit the emergency brake on the speeding train and got a jolt. Attributing all subsequent improvement to God? Maybe it's the fact you are no longer acutely chemically dependent. I have heard some call it a "high" transending addiction. I think walking a tightrope of emotional replacement is frought with relapse potential. However if one clings to it and can stay clean and sober, I can't argue with them. Yet the bias against treatment and especially any other scientific/ cognition path is just creepy cultish to me.
thanks for comment! I never would have thought --- none of us would -- that the overriding hurdle in my life would become alcohol dependence. AA works for some people; some people commenting on this video are outraged that other solutions are posited; I bring up my sister so often she's a quasi mythical being but I assure you she found sobriety and self-transformation in AA … but after 10 years was still acting like an asshole. In the last 1/3 of our lives we have arrived at a kind of negotiated peace but she was hooked on sugar, coffee cigarettes, why is that a no-go in AA? Why is it wrong to suggest that healthy eating/exercise/sleep/positive life changes are not relevant? Why are all suffering from addiction more prone than other human beings to the 7 deadly sins? Oy, vey.
If you need treatment in the US you can't get financial subsidies except for 12 step programs so .... I am not a conspiracy anything just the way it is..... my sister had a crazy adolescence got sober at age 28 we are both in our 60s she found a replacement family there, while our Dad who was older had lost his money and his mind to Alzheimers it was too much for her to cope with and she makes tons of money and is very California, no aspersions cast, but we are estranged, because when I crossed the line she called up all my friends and told them I needed to hit rock bottom so consequently I spent 2 yrs on the street homeless and raped thank god for blackouts. Cynical? Bitter me? I love her just can't talk to her.
@@evelynbaron2004 yea ive noticed they’re kind of all One track minded at the meetings. I did two zoom calls for AA during covid. Both times i smashed a bottle after. TH-cam has been my answer and really a true wealth of knowledge that make us realize alcohol is a poison and it should be discarded not worshipped to make us powerless.
Thank you both for validation! So immensely inspiring and renewing.
Revisiting this vr helpful video; love your channel. Don't have a problem with the 12 steps and I can see a role in early sobriety hooking up with people who hold you accountable and reward you as you go through the post acute withdrawal period which I have found from many other people as well as myself tends to last about 2 years. Addiction is addiction but people forget that alcohol has an impact on ALL your major organs and the GABA pathway can take a really long time to sort itself out. Just wanted to check in for people having trouble in this period which is like going through this current time of Covid 19 (when will it end?) feeling. I personally felt physically better immediately but it took hard work and 2 yrs of it to get sleep regulated and out of a kind of intellectual black hole; my brain was definitely on holiday and I think that is a trigger that people don't often talk about; mood stabilization is great but those short bursts of all neurons firing simply don't happen during that period and it's a hard adjustment so I would encourage people to think of that flat feeling which is not depression but healing as a potential trigger and just be aware that it does go away. Anecdotally, I found swimming a huge help when it was available and I always get an endorphin surge after walking my dog outside and the usual healthy diet etc. which is my criticism of AA which completely ignores these strategies and depending on the group, actively discourages members from discussing those measures. It does promote meditation, and I found that hard, still do but definitely worth it. Sorry for long comment but thought it might be helpful and needed to look at my own sobriety path these days. Tx fantastic job!!!
My dear did you need help?
I love your testimonies! Thank you.
Chris. Thank you so much.
Speaking from experience, (25+years) it’s not AA that “doesn’t work”, it’s the people who show up expecting to have sobriety handed to them. I’ve been to thousands of meetings and can attest to a vast difference of quality. Change doesn’t occur by talking about “not drinking”, it occurs by living differently. That’s why we have a healthy design for changing our behavior called “Steps”. The people who attend step meetings live in the solution, instead of the problem. By the way, we represent all walks of life from Airline Pilots to Zoologists. Some of us are your neighbors. Good neighbors! : )
If you simply talk about your problems in my group you probably won't want to come back. We have a design for living that works for alcoholics like me and we mainly talk about that. Discussion of the problem is meant to establish identification with people who otherwise consider themselves to be uniquely messed up.
This channel is not an attack on the 12 steps. My sis has been in the program for 35 yrs since her early 20s and was using all kind of substances and for the grace of god is still here and it worked for her. She also travels a lot and if you are trying to make an over-arching argument that this is all thing to all people, sorry. Your assumption that the people who the program doesn't help expect immediate results is not borne out by experience. I'll stop here out of respect for your beliefs.
@@OriginalLHB
Essentially you're saying "shut up and do what we say".
I'm sure that's having a lot of people come back....
I personally find that AA is outdated and was a program born I think in the 50s and it was mainly a group of men. So no it did not resonate with me.. yes it works for some ppl and it doesn’t for others. You need to open ur mind and realize that there are other solutions not just AA. It’s not the answer for everyone and if u think so then ur ignorant! And I’m sure AA has slot to do with that mentality
AA doesn't get anyone sober and its a religious cult :) its has a mere 5 to 8 % max efficacy ( by aa's own stats. ) It harms more than it helps since its based on shaming , fear mongering and cannot take responsability for members that are abuser ( 13 steppin ) stay away folks you have better chance trying other forms of recovery like RR , SMART and therapy.
I put in 1000 hours in AA. Didn’t work for me.
I go to an Organization Called The Phoenix. It was started by a guy named Scott Strode. You have probably crossed paths, but if you haven't, look him up. This is what I call "Fit Recovery", but it is CrossFit and Rock Climbing, and a whole lot more!!
I use to go to not only AA, but other 12 step programs. I had much greater success when I quit going to them. Whether it be a substance abuse addiction or process addiction.
I was in aa 15 years never worked for me. I never went pass 100 days. What worked was diet and exercise.Living sober is a good book for that.
People keep focusing on the alcohol. I went cold turkey (not the most fun). However, I didn't quit alcohol. I quit PEOPLE!!! After dropping the people, I have no interest in alcohol anymore and I have so much more energy for positive activities.... terrariums, aquariums, my flutes--music, etc. I actually get to accomplish something now!
I wish you both the best. May God bless you.
I've been in and out AA for years, I don't want to hear it anymore. Going through alcohol withdrawal justnow 😢hellish. I got nearly two years sobre, I'm in my 40s now, I'm not getting any younger.im bloated and red, I hate it, I eat keto and look after myself in so many ways except drink.
i am struggling to quit drinking, i need help and i dont know where to start. i need help.
Try online recovery meetings. RD is great. recoverydharma.org/
Try his course. Lots of people in his Facebook group who are in the course. Good support
Okay, first thing, admit that you do not want this anymore. Admit that you have to be honest with yourself.. alcohol is not doing you any good. You are not at all powerless. Its not hard to quit when you truly get that you do not need it. You don't want to feel hungover the next morning, you realize your anxiety will go away each time you stop drinking. Day 3 is probably kind of roughly where it gets easier. Give yourself a timeline. I will not drink for 20 days and then if I absolutely MUST, I will drink the day after, but for today, I can take this challenge and I know I will feel great being sober. This helped me, not sure but thought I'd give it a shot at advice.
Personally I prefer Celebrate Recovery over AA!
I am opposed to AA. They should be publicly exposed and shut down.
I did have a rock bottom experience but the basic supplements taken for a few days really cut cravings. On day 5 had a mood swing got a coffee and sat on bench to drink it got up and realize it was in front of the pub which I knew was there all along! Plus next day Caved in got 2 six packs and took them home, had one then started thinfing about left overs in the fridge. Woke next morning and 11 beers still in the bag!! Plus normally if had the day free they would normally be breakfast!!
The Blackpill truth: I can't drink.
I can do anything else, but alcohol is not an option. One or two drinks is not enough...heck 8 drinks is not enough. Follow Fit Recovery...there is a whole world of options that are way better than alcohol. There is no reason to drink and drinking is not an option.
I agree..the few times I went to AA it seemed like a circle jerk where everyone was trying to outdo the next person with horror relapse stories..punctuated by the same old tired cliches.....
Daily reliving the alcoholic trauma so that The Beast was constantly being resuscitated.
Where is the link?
Would be cool to talk to one of you personally
I got so stressed out after every AA meeting I usually went straight to the liquor store!
B Belizy I was just thinking tonite ‘I cannot take another one of these meetings’!! The institutional aspect, the schoolroom aspect bothers me as does the coffee and doughnuts...I mentioned, with my naturally positive outlook, that a regimen of exercise and diet/supplements are surely essential in becoming ‘clean’ & ‘sober’. Nobody supported this idea at all. I felt just like the rebel I was as a child butting up against authority figures during my schooldays! So, 37 days sobriety with AA .....but I need to get a new routine going as AA is really starting to get on my nerves, to drain me and preoccupy my mind and time! Thanks. All the best to you. And a big thank you to Chris!
@@AllIn1Studio My mum would LOVE YOU!!!!!!!
@@AllIn1Studio Oy! there was a young guy who was enthusiastic about sobriety; 2 yrs sober was talking about getting healthy and working out again and yes that old guy at the back of the hall ..... he almost left the program. So many people talked to him I thought at the time it was a good time he stayed but I am sure he outgrew all those nasty encounters and the one thing I would like to say to anyone in AA; it's bulllshit that if you leave the program you are going to relapse. Sheer fear mongering.
You're not alone!! The worst thing about AA is that they try to convince people they're powerless over alcohol!! What a crock!!
I'm losing every thing
Sleep. I hate AA, it's a meat market.
I went for my sister and met a 10 yr sober psychopath; not knocking the program but sure I get the 12 steps as interpreted by Mathiew sp Fox but OMG humanity is fucked up and you often find a intense concentration of unhelpful people ... Zoom meetings ... glad for all who find solace but it was impossible for me. I do volunteer work these days before and during Covid 19 because I want to and I get the people living on the street who yes sometimes need an advocate. I love Viktor Frankl who like my mum survived the death camps; not a Freudian myself at all but: the revised list -- love, work ... and purpose now that is something I understand.
Tell me about the 13th step.. lsd
@Lorniac _ yes a lot of fucked up people hooking up sexually recipe for disaster. Also predators both women and men ready to pounce on unsuspecting innocents. It is the dark side of AA. It still pisses me off that Bill Wilson continued to experiment with LSD would not let women into the program and fucked around all his life. So much for so-called saints.
What's the name of this book to buy?
Drinking Sucks!
💥JOIN CHRIS SCOTT'S EMAIL LIST!: bit.ly/2L26bkX
I have spent months studying giving up drinking and found a fantastic resource at Sebs Magic Tactic (check it out on google)
There are many components to giving up drinking including eg motivation and help from family.
One plan I discovered that successfully combines these is the Sebs Magic Tactic (google it if you're interested) definately the best plan that I've heard of.
look at the website SebsMagicTactic.com and great reviews.
here's several ideas for stopping alcohol at home
Try to eat food while you are drinking - this cuts down the amount you drink.
Take a break from drinking.
Make a note of how much you drink, then you know if you are cutting down.
Set goals - don't make them too hard at first.
Pick 1 or 2 days or each week when you will not drink at all. Next, try to stop drinking for one week per month.
(I read these and why they work from Adoette drink plan site )
hey ,if anyone else wants to learn about how to quit drinking alcohol safely try Fezervin Quick Drink Coach (do a search on google ) ? Ive heard some incredible things about it and my cousin got excellent success with it.
The link doesn’t work. Cannot save my data it tells me.
"I find that AA is best understood as a remnant of American religious Puritanism." Yes yes YES! Alcoholism is for a "moral weakness", you're a "broken" individual, you are "helpless", you need to be "saved", follow the 1̶0̶ ̶C̶o̶m̶m̶a̶n̶d̶m̶e̶n̶t̶s̶ 10 Steps, God is your savior.
@Heilige I am an agnostic and completely respect your views. J M doesn't sound like he/she has ever read the 12 steps.
My local groups are clicks and very strange to outsiders
Ann Lopez I felt total animosity when I went to my local meeting.....esp the men ...acting like it was an old boys’ network or a gentleman’s club. Horrible. Been to women’s meetings but still....I feel they have bets on newcomers as to whether they’ll survive or not!! I have to give credit to AA for helping get me to 37 days of sobriety...and me for sticking with it! 🙏
@@AllIn1Studio My favorite story is my sister who sober 10 yrs goes on around the world honeymoon with a guy not addicted but happy for her; got married on a beach in Greece; Scotland worked for her because everyone was singing Amazing Grace then ... drum roll she always wanted to meet a Leprechaun so AA meeting in Dublin and they were too happy so she disowned them all!! True story still cracks me up.
Seemed impossible, but it’s been over 7 months and I don’t crave a drop of alcohol, the KEY difference was that I didn’t suffer withdrawal, not even within the first 30 days after I actually applied what I talked about. No need for AA meetings or meds either, I just luckily go’ogled Steffon Barkload’s latest, man, wish I had done it sooner.
why is he even interviewing her if he just likes to hear himself talk all the time...
That to my mind is not fair. He's on a mission. I've watched several people putting out how to get sober videos and this guy has a heart and mind and isn't trying to be a guru if that's what you think. I've got major radar for that stuff. Just try another listen or find another channel.
Please be nice. Both he and she care and are trying to help. Hearts that share n earnestly care are such a blessing! I am so thankful for both and all who support such purposes.
Really sweet lady