hijacking sobriety

From Psychologist Stanton Peele;
The Hijacking of Sobriety by The Recovery Movement

For recovery absolutists, no one recovers from alcoholism without AA, just as no one can recover without giving up drinking forever. What arrogance! Who gave these self-appointed experts the power to tell everyone how they must achieve recovery?

Just as the recovery movement dictates the language of recovery and sobriety, it also tries to dictate the only true way to achieve recovery. The focus on abstinence is the alpha and omega of the 12 steps. But it requires people in recovery to decide that their lives revolve around an empty space, which is not only undesirable but unsustainable. Abstinence is fine as a recovery plan for either the short or the long term.  But you can't commit to nothingness, only to health, goals, and plans.

Surely someone will retort about the millions helped by AA, but as evidenced by most rooms

around the country, there are as many or more disappointed by the "one size fits all" method

I have witnessed many after 20+ years in the rooms; there are countless addiction switchers,

who turn to food, sex, gambling or shopping, failing to address the root causes for addiction.

Kudos to those who thrive in AA, but don't criticize those who fail as just in denial or not

"working it" hard enough