AA is bullshit and if you realy look at it everything is backwards. None of it makes sense. They beat down this incurable diease and your powerless but your god will save you. Except for a few meds and maybe some good therapy there realy is no real effective form of treatment for drug addiction. Most rehabs are so irresponsible and go about treatment in such a wrong way.
Noticed that most of the people that stick to AA do not have any real interest. That they are usually uninteresting and uninterested. Having nothing really in their lives to grasp them AA fits the dullards rather well.
I mean have you ever been to an AA dance the music, dance, and food leave much to desire. I have been going intermitently for years and still I have only met one thru five fun people.
I first saw Peele's video ridiculing the classification of alcoholism as a disease and thought, this is refreshing. So I watched some more. He then venomously attacks AA, citing 12 steps / christian / protestant / fundamentalism / revivalism as the reason. I don't advocate organised religion, but am able to see beyond these anachronisms and see the good in AA. I am personally acquainted with many people helped by AA members, for no personal gain. Can Stanton Peele say the same for himself?
To know you've changed a lot of lives. I met a guy today who told me your work helped him quit getting drunk and get his life back -- and he's not the first; far from it. He had no idea I know you or even know who you are. Nice to have one's time on the planet really mean something to humanity, especially when what you do is help a lot of people help themselves out of agony.
Unfortunately short clips like these present you as anti-AA. I have spent a lot of time on your website today. There is better balance there. You acknowledge that AA is not entirely bad and appropriate for some people. I salute your scientific approach. Personally I am predisposed to believe there is also a spriritual dimension to recovery. However that doesn't mean I advocate slavish adherance a 12-step program! I pefer to approach the matter with an open mind and enjoy reading your insights
if i want to quit drinking do i go to someone whos never had a drop if i want to quit womanizing do i go to a vergin priest its not all physical its mental too
Stanton is a pioneer long over due in this area!! Finally someone with courage to speak out against a dangerous cult that manipulates people into thinking there powerless over alcohol!If they ever drink again there doomed and the end is near!!AA tells these poor kids (all teens)bussed in from some local huge cash flow treament center that there diseased for life and will no longer be able to make responsible choices regaurding alcohol or drugs!! Thats what I call a very dangerous cult! Hello!!!
There is nothing "pioneering" about what he is saying, in fact quite the contrary. The dominant culture has rejected the notion of alcoholism for hundreds of years, preaching "moderation" as the solution. This has been proven to be ineffective and completely false. Stanton is a pop psychologist who is popular only because its trendy to criticize AA now because their program is being forced on people by the courts in many places which is unconstitutional and downright wrong.
I find your opinions highly irresponsible you are just saying what addicts and alcoholics want to hear.
Does it take an alcoholic to treat an alcoholic? I would say, unless there is money changing hands, then yes. You are trying to make a living off of criticizing AA, its sad. You don't understand the suffering of an addict one bit.
You are a pseudo-scientist trying to rewrite the book on addiction without ever having done any scientific work or having been an alcoholic yourself.
Thanks Stanton. Personally, I would say that aa (lower case intentional) has become something more bizarre than the temperance movement, in that it has morphed into a strange occultic cult governed by magical thinking. The old temperance movement was honestly and avowedly religious (Christian) and people who got involved in it knew what they were getting into, but aa introduces people to a superstitious pseudo-religion by stealth in the guise of "treatment".
Yes AA's pseudo-secular pretensions has made it even more insidious and certainly more powerful than any of the temperance groups...
At least the temperance groups' open and honest exposition of their religiosity facilitated a clear delineation between Church and State.
AA however, has its sticky little fingers in every pie - from it's absolute dominance over the "treatment" industry to its permeation of the criminal justice system...
AA is bullshit and if you realy look at it everything is backwards. None of it makes sense. They beat down this incurable diease and your powerless but your god will save you. Except for a few meds and maybe some good therapy there realy is no real effective form of treatment for drug addiction. Most rehabs are so irresponsible and go about treatment in such a wrong way.
sakdiesel86 1 year ago
Noticed that most of the people that stick to AA do not have any real interest. That they are usually uninteresting and uninterested. Having nothing really in their lives to grasp them AA fits the dullards rather well.
I mean have you ever been to an AA dance the music, dance, and food leave much to desire. I have been going intermitently for years and still I have only met one thru five fun people.
chrisgellroy 2 years ago
I first saw Peele's video ridiculing the classification of alcoholism as a disease and thought, this is refreshing. So I watched some more. He then venomously attacks AA, citing 12 steps / christian / protestant / fundamentalism / revivalism as the reason. I don't advocate organised religion, but am able to see beyond these anachronisms and see the good in AA. I am personally acquainted with many people helped by AA members, for no personal gain. Can Stanton Peele say the same for himself?
mikemckech 2 years ago
To: Stanton Peele
From: Amy Alkon - Syndicated columnist
Sent: Nov 22, 2009
Subject: It must be quite the thrill
To know you've changed a lot of lives. I met a guy today who told me your work helped him quit getting drunk and get his life back -- and he's not the first; far from it. He had no idea I know you or even know who you are. Nice to have one's time on the planet really mean something to humanity, especially when what you do is help a lot of people help themselves out of agony.
stantonpeele 2 years ago
Unfortunately short clips like these present you as anti-AA. I have spent a lot of time on your website today. There is better balance there. You acknowledge that AA is not entirely bad and appropriate for some people. I salute your scientific approach. Personally I am predisposed to believe there is also a spriritual dimension to recovery. However that doesn't mean I advocate slavish adherance a 12-step program! I pefer to approach the matter with an open mind and enjoy reading your insights
mikemckech 2 years ago
Smug.
FENDIN10 2 years ago
Stanton helped lift the veil from eyes after twenty-five years of cult-indoctrination which nearly crippled me.
bigrobtheactor 2 years ago 12
if i want to quit drinking do i go to someone whos never had a drop if i want to quit womanizing do i go to a vergin priest its not all physical its mental too
DuncanFez 2 years ago
Stanton is a pioneer long over due in this area!! Finally someone with courage to speak out against a dangerous cult that manipulates people into thinking there powerless over alcohol!If they ever drink again there doomed and the end is near!!AA tells these poor kids (all teens)bussed in from some local huge cash flow treament center that there diseased for life and will no longer be able to make responsible choices regaurding alcohol or drugs!! Thats what I call a very dangerous cult! Hello!!!
baneberry7 3 years ago 3
There is nothing "pioneering" about what he is saying, in fact quite the contrary. The dominant culture has rejected the notion of alcoholism for hundreds of years, preaching "moderation" as the solution. This has been proven to be ineffective and completely false. Stanton is a pop psychologist who is popular only because its trendy to criticize AA now because their program is being forced on people by the courts in many places which is unconstitutional and downright wrong.
raytownloc 3 years ago
This has been proven to be ineffective and completely false. WRONG
bigrobtheactor 2 years ago
amen!
bigrobtheactor 2 years ago
I find your opinions highly irresponsible you are just saying what addicts and alcoholics want to hear.
Does it take an alcoholic to treat an alcoholic? I would say, unless there is money changing hands, then yes. You are trying to make a living off of criticizing AA, its sad. You don't understand the suffering of an addict one bit.
You are a pseudo-scientist trying to rewrite the book on addiction without ever having done any scientific work or having been an alcoholic yourself.
raytownloc 3 years ago
"unless there is money changing hands, then yes."
You may have a point...
Hammersley1967 3 years ago
Is it true he's never been an alcoholic?
FENDIN10 3 years ago
That's his entire point in this video...
Hammersley1967 2 years ago
Thanks Stanton. Personally, I would say that aa (lower case intentional) has become something more bizarre than the temperance movement, in that it has morphed into a strange occultic cult governed by magical thinking. The old temperance movement was honestly and avowedly religious (Christian) and people who got involved in it knew what they were getting into, but aa introduces people to a superstitious pseudo-religion by stealth in the guise of "treatment".
Best wishes
Andy Martin
gonnamakit 3 years ago 4
Yes AA's pseudo-secular pretensions has made it even more insidious and certainly more powerful than any of the temperance groups...
At least the temperance groups' open and honest exposition of their religiosity facilitated a clear delineation between Church and State.
AA however, has its sticky little fingers in every pie - from it's absolute dominance over the "treatment" industry to its permeation of the criminal justice system...
Hammersley1967 2 years ago 6
Makes them nothing but liars on both fronts. If they lie about this rather simple thing, why should we think they tell the truth about anything?
AA = Liars Club
isegoria1 2 years ago 6