What are stages of change and how do they apply to addiction

[BlankUberAlles]

In all my 20 some year experience with AA I've never been socially pressured about anything

[prschuster]

The two rehabs I went to were 12-step oriented and they had very little to say about how to go about quitting an addiction other than to "work the steps", which were more about striving toward some ideal of moral perfection than about learning practical tips for quitting. It wasn't until I dealt with my personal issues that I finally found the motivation to quit for good.

[BlankUberAlles]

"personal issues are dealt with in the 4th &5th Steps of the AA program-and as far as striving toward some ideal of moral perfection, that is wrong-they strive for progress-not perfection. We are not saints.

[prschuster]

You can quote the BB all you want but my experience with AA tells me that there is a lot of social pressure to inventory yourself to death. Normal people who never work a 12 step program usually learn from their mistakes and strive to make progress in their personal dealings without doing a 4th & 5th step. I'm not interested in making a lifestyle out of inventorying myself. The thing that helped me most was cutting through the BS and learning how to resist the urge to drink.

[BlankUberAlles]

normal people have to resist the urge to drink.

Recovering alcoholics remove the urge to drink.

[prschuster]

Removing the urge to drink works for me. I agree with you there.