Do you need to be trained to volunteer in alcoholics anonymous?
Question by Caity: Do you need to be trained to volunteer in alcoholics anonymous?
I am writing a paper on AA and it has to be 4 full pages. I have 3 pages, but I need more, so I am asking more questions in order to be able to meet this requirement. If you have any additional information besides my main question, feel free to add it, thanks!
Best answer:
Answer by Rella
The groups are run by Alcoholics them selves. Not a better understanding person then someone who has walked in those shoes.
Its a support group. But yes there are trained counsellor’s. Alcoholism is a disease.
Add your own answer in the comments!
August 26th, 2010 at 5:50 pm
I dunno but you have to be a washed-up drunk to attend their meetings or they get nervous and kick you out
August 26th, 2010 at 6:13 pm
All AA groups across the country have their own rules. Some are good and they have real therapists and counselors working with them. Some are really weird and cult-like with nobody there expect alcoholics who have replaced their alcohol addiction with AA meetings. They are the ones who tell you if you quit EVER coming to meetings you will start drinking again and destroy your life. So you have a bunch of weirdos who end up putting AA meetings before their family, work, friends, church, etc… To be an volunteer… in most cases… you have to have been a very active member of the cult for a long time. Every AA group sets their own standards as to what kind of training, if any is needed.
August 26th, 2010 at 6:49 pm
The only training is being immersed in AA dogma.
AA is a thinly disguised religious program that is about getting right with God, stopping drinking is seen as a byproduct. They don’t not advertise it as such because they wouldn’t get new members.
“To some people we need not, and probably should not emphasize the spiritual feature on our first approach. We might prejudice them….Our real purpose is to fit ourselves to be of maximum service to God and the people around us.”
BB, pgs 76-77
The best AA resource:
http://www.orange-papers.org/
August 26th, 2010 at 7:38 pm
There are no trained professionals or volunteers at Alcoholics Anonymous. None. It is self-run by the members.
AA was created over 70 yrs ago on religious principles. A modern emerging trend is a cognitive self-responsible approach to addiction. An example would be smartrecovery.org