# Finally! A critical article of AA in a mainstream publication!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-a-critical-article-of-aa-in-a-mainstream-publication/715964>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [March 25, 2015, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-a-critical-article-of-aa-in-a-mainstream-publication/715964 "2015-03-25T19:47:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 10

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**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2015, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-a-critical-article-of-aa-in-a-mainstream-publication/715964/181 "2015-03-28T21:38:45Z")

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> [@Ambivalid](#):
>
> Until now. You could say the exact same thing no matter what the “Higher Power” is. If that “Higher Power” is in fact a God, then that God has also been powerless against the alcoholics drinking behaviors. Until now.

> [@jtgain](#):
>
> Yes, because before you were telling all of those people to piss off because you wanted to drink/could control your drinking. Now, you are accepting their help.

Exactly. So I’m more powerful than they are. I’m more powerful than God is, if there is a God. There is literally nothing on earth or heaven that is more powerful than me when it comes to drinking, or I wouldn’t still be drinking.

This is why it makes no sense.

(This is all hypothetical me, by the way. I’m not much of a drinker. But I have had similar conversations about “higher powers” with deists before, and they’re why I remain a pantheist.)

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**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2015, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-a-critical-article-of-aa-in-a-mainstream-publication/715964/182 "2015-03-28T22:07:01Z")

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> [@WhyNot](#):
>
> Exactly. So I’m more powerful than they are. I’m more powerful than God is, if there is a God. There is literally nothing on earth or heaven that is more powerful than me when it comes to drinking, or I wouldn’t still be drinking.
> 
> This is why it makes no sense.
> 
> (This is all hypothetical me, by the way. I’m not much of a drinker. But I have had similar conversations about “higher powers” with deists before, and they’re why I remain a pantheist.)

The Higher Power can’t force you to stop drinking. You have to want it. You have to accept it. When an alcoholic is drinking, they aren’t accepting the help, wisdom and strength of their “Higher Power”.

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**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2015, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-a-critical-article-of-aa-in-a-mainstream-publication/715964/183 "2015-03-28T22:20:53Z")

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So it does seem that AA helps some people but I gotta tell ya I am very happy I don’t have a drinking problem … because that higher power shit would make _me_ throw up more than drinking a bottle of Everclear. And I’m not even quite an atheist.

What’s the disagreement here?

AA is a good fit for some people and helps those people. AA is a lousy fit for others. AA should not be the single go-to approach for those with alcohol use problems and no one here is saying it should be. AA is good for others and its efficacy for them is nothing to besmirch.

Naltrexone will work well for some and not for others too.

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