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- Moderation Management Sets guidelines for moderating alcohol consumption; organizes support groups.
- Rational Recovery Founded by Jack & Lois Trimpey. A great site jam-packed with good stuff! They also publish the Journal of Rational Recovery newsletter.
- Lifering Secular Recovery, an abstinance program without the Big Guy in the Sky. Try
www.unhooked.com.
- SOS, another abstinance program without the Big Guy in the Sky. Also try www.cfiwest.org/sos.
- S.M.A.R.T. Recovery: SMART (Self Management And Recovery Training)
- Women for Sobriety Abstinence support groups for women. The WFS steps are specifically geared for women, and are uplifting versus ego-deflating in nature.
- Secular and Alternative Recovery links. A good hub for alternatives.
- Oasis Mountain Wellness Center A drug and alcohol rehab that uses a holistic health approach. Yes, there are other options out there besides the 12-step method. While I have not visited or attended this facility, from what is posted on their website, their approach sounds more reasonable than most. Contact the facility itself for more info., and also check out their links page for other non-12 step resources.
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Moving Beyond the 12 Step Approach
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- www.recoveryfree.com Site of Jim DeSena, PhD the author of the new book Overcoming Your Alcohol Drug and Recovery Habits: An Empowering Alternative to AA and 12-Step Treatment. Fresh material to help people pick & choose the right recovery option, exploring the topic of why traditional 12-step treatment is unsuccessful for so many.
- Cultist of AA's personal Anti-AA webpage Short and sweet, here's the page of an anti-stepper who has a few things to say about the beloved program.
- 20 Good Reasons to Stay Sober (even if you don't have a drinking problem) A super site by author David Eugene who abused alcohol as a young adult. His advice is simple common sense and good stuff to think about if you're a "partier" who hears that little voice tell you that you could be doing something better with your life.
- www.mentalhealth.com An award winning site covering mental health issues. Everything from anxiety, to depression, from personality disorders to substance abuse. Includes information of the definition, diagnosis and treatment of these conditions.
- Mental Health Net The award-winning guide to mental health, psychology, & psychiatry online. Covers topics such as abuse, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, personality disorders, suicide help. Best collection of links and resources I've found so far!
- Recovery Anonymous -- The Next Step Recovery Program - an interesting site for those wanting more out of recovery. Insightful writings which help to identify the true causes for our internal discomfort.
- www.allaboutcounseling.com offers a nationwide therapist referral service as well as a wonderful collection of written pieces covering topics typically addressed in therapy. Some of these include: assertiveness, self-esteem, anger, anxiety, codependency, denial, defenses, shame, domestic violence, gay issues, new masculinity, women's issues, sexual abuse, characteristics of true adulthood
- A Humble Collection of Essays - Wow! What a great site that really touches on the core issues for finding inner peace (what AA calls serenity). Some titles include "Guilt and Shame", "The Foundation - Unconditional Self-Acceptance", "Boundaries - A Guide", "Wisdom from the Far East" and so on....
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Non-Organizational Resources
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- The Anti-AA Book That Saved My Butt -- After reading Ken Ragge's "The Real AA -- Behind The Myth of 12 Step Recovery", I simply could not go back to meetings. Here's an on-line version of the text of this fantastic book. -- Apple
- Ken Ragge's collection of Anti-AA writings.
- Alcoholics Anonymous and the Counseling Profession--Philosophies in Conflict -- The 12 Steps to AA are compared to standard counseling goals and found to be in conflict. Well researched article with plenty of references.
- AOL Shuts Down Big Book Web Site -- AA World Services attempts to halt free distribution of the Big Book text in German by shutting down a German AOL Big Book Study Group web site. Does this interfere with AA's alleged "Primary Purpose"?
- The Saddest Day in AA History A member of Alcoholics Anonymous in Germany has been attacked by the very organization espousing spiritual principles. The crime? Free distribution of literature in accordance with the "carry the message" tradition (which happens to conflict with AA's profit potential). The punishment? He was ordered to cease distributing said literature, and ordered to terminate his AA membership!!
- AA Confronts Sex Abuse - Confidential Memo Leaked to Public The London Guardian reports on AA's internal memo regarding sex abuse of vulnerable people seeking help from AA. The abusers? Established AA members who man the phone lines! Could this be what they mean by progress, not perfection!?!
- New Religious Movements Maintained by the University of Virginia. Indexes religions, cults and sects alive in the world today. Profile, history, beliefs, issues and controversies etc. This link takes you directly to their page on Alcoholics Anonymous.
- Cliff Walker's Recovery Watch A smorgasbord of delights for your secular recovering pleasure.
- Stanton Peele's site Stanton is a PhD psychologist and attorney, well-known author, and advocate for addiction treatment based on valid scientific research rather than religious tradition.
- Even the Swedes are challenging AA doctrine. Check out this Swedish site critical of Alcoholics Anonymous. (Site is in Swedish)
- The Germans too are voicing their concerns. Check out this German site critical of Alcoholics Anonymous. (Site is in German)
- Ever wonder why "getting humble" felt kinda funny?
- REST Ministries. (REST = Recovering from the Experiences of Spiritual Tyranny) A fantastic site designed to educate the public about SPIRITUAL ABUSE. Site is still under construction, but WOW, the information which is there is thorough, concise and highly enlightening.
- Ex-Christian Website A collection of personal stories written by folks who used to consider themselves Christians, but no longer do.
- Survivors of Spiritual Abuse Educate yourself on abuse in the name of God, or spirituality. Support and resources are available on this site.
- The guru / disciple relationship (essentially the sponsor / sponsee relationship) can be a source of great inspiration, or can be a recipe for the worst kind of exploitation. Learn more on the topic!
- Anonymity Anonymous Information clearinghouse about coercive rehabs. Let these folks know about abusive practices going on in treatment facilities or reform/boarding schools which use the twelve-step approach, and help stop the nonsense.
- Forced AA in the US Military is Unconstitutional Tommy Perkins's informative site geared specifically for folks in the military who have been coerced into participating in 12 step recovery.
- Steps, Staggers, Lurches, And Lunges a collection of writings by various authors on the topic of addiction, alcoholism and the treatment industry. Site is maintained by Dr. George S. Davidson MB BS FRCPC ASAM, Addiction Medicine, Neuropathology, Behavioural Medicine, inter alia
- Explore the philosophy of Ayn Rand. Rand's philosophy depicted man "as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute." Great intellectual deprogramming material!
- Steven Hassan is a cult exit counsellor. His site, Freedom of Mind, is a great resource for those interested in learning more about mind control and the dangers thereof.
- Rick Ross is a professional cult deprogrammer who seems to know an awful lot about MIND CONTROL AND CULTS, as you will see from his site. Let Rick know that AA should be added to his site. Heck, if Rick challenges Amway, why not AA?
- See Sharp Press - Publishing house of Chaz Bufe, author of "Alcoholics Anonymous: Cult or Cure?" He has many other related titles.
- AFF is a clearinghouse providing Information about Cults and Psychological Manipulation
AFFs studies psychological manipulation, cult groups, sects, and new religious movements. Publishers of the Cultic Studies Journal which can be ordered from their site.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, a Gallery of Visual Aids for the Sane A hilarious AA art gallery. Check out these hilarious images which also make great desktop patterns.
- On the Psychology of Spiritual Movements -- The author writes: For fifty years I have been in contact with spiritual movements or read up on them. I have been interested particularly in their influence on its members, who I have followed now for a considerable number of years all over the world. I have been struck by the fact that developments within such groups always seem to follow a similar pattern. When people unite for a special purpose a field of tension seems to arise based on unleashed subconscious drives.
- Recovery from the Recovery Movement -- An interesting piece from a Christian perspective.
- Concerned about your drinking? Get answers NOW! -- Self tests and helpful information for evaluating the options. Information on controlled drinking versus abstinence.
- Uh Oh Spaghetti-O! We found some things that Bill Wilson forgot to include in his moral inventory...
- Religion and Rehabilitation: The Requisition of God by the State -- AA is examined for religiosity. Reprint of article from the Duke University School of Law Journals. An excellent resource for those concerned with the legal aspects of court-ordered AA attendance.
- Another inmate challenges religion-based recovery program as condition for parole
- Dependent personality disorder -- can aggravate the desire to drink, nevertheless AA fosters dependency (on a group, sponsor & it's dogma). Maybe one-size does not fit all...
- "Twelve-stepping" by: Patricia D. McClendon, MSSW candidate. Brief article on resolving trauma issues in addicts/alcoholics.
- If you absolutely insist on steps, how about some steps that are empowering? Check out Sixteen Steps to Personal Empowerment.
- Classic writings on thought reform by three recognized experts in the field.
- Dr. Robert J. Lifton's Criteria for Thought Reform -
Thought Reform: The Psychology of Totalism
- Conditions for Mind Control by Dr. Margaret Singer
- Steven Hassan, M.Ed, LMHC on Freedom of Mind
- If your internal BS detector is impaired due to a desperate condition caused by too much drug and alcohol use, let Carl Sagan's Baloney Detector give you a hand.
- Home page of Jeffrey A. Schaler, Ph. D. author of the book - Addiction is a Choice. Site has pieces on why addiction is not a disease, as well as other related titles.
- A fascinating page explaining why it's pointless to argue with a Jehova's witness. Mentally replace witness with Big Book thumper.
- The Art of Recovery - The Art of Recovery is an e-mail discussion list for those in recovery who found AA's approach to maintaining sobreity lacking and/or those who found various secular organizations lacking.
- 12-step-free an excellent discussion group for those who have left or are considering leaving their 12 step program. Anyone who has been traumatized in 12 step treatment will find solace and support here. Many have called this list a "life saver"
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