The material presented
here is not Al-Anon Conference Approved Literature. It is a method
to exchange
information, ideas, feelings, problems and solutions on a personal
level.
William Moyers was on GMA this morning. He is a higher up at Hazelden. He was speaking about Charlie Sheen going back into rehab. He identified himself as a recovering A of 16 years.
His message was good, on target. But it made me wonder about attraction rather than promotion. From Hazelden, the leading 12 step source in America. It wasn't that they asked Dr. Drew from Celebrity Rehab. I was feeling a bit umcomfortable with this. Especially that he was speaking to a specific case. He was not speaking in generalities of addicted peoples or even just his own story.
The more I think about it the more uncomfortable I am becoming with the whole interview.
Annonimity is more than just not saying "I saw Joe Blow at a meeting" It is keeping the ego in check, it is being annomous in that no one A is better, or more knowldgable than another. The new commer, the old timer, they are exactly the same and the old timer shouldn't promote his sobriety bcause, as we all know, it could be gone tomorrow. Annonimity is about being humble also.
I find it interesting how popular "rehab" is getting. I don't like the message it is sending our youth. It is OK to go down this path of drug and alcohol use, I will end up in rehab and I will be cool.
One show I REALLY like is "The Cleaner", but that is just my personal preference.
I just try to look at it as hopefully the message reached someone who needed it and led them to recovery. I let the rest go. It is what it is and the glamor around celebrities and their addiction problems is something that will always be there as it always has.
tlc
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To be trusted is a greater compliment than being loved.
My personal opinion on celebrities in rehab is pretty jaded, and even moreso with Charlie Sheen.... Seems like some celebrities use rehab almost as a "status symbol" these day, and they go out of their way to "tell the world" how they are getting treatment.... From Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears - to Charlie Sheen & Tiger Woods.... "rehab" seems to be the new fad in their world.....
I don't see that there is all that much connection between anything they say/do and our programs.
Just my two cents
Tom
__________________
"He is either gonna drink, or he won't.... what are YOU gonna do?"
"What you think of me is none of my business"
"If you knew the answer to what you are worrying about, would it REALLY change anything?"
Hazelton has nothing to do with AA - and anonymity is a personal choice ... Like Melony Beatie does not have anything to do with Al-Anon = common denominator they both print daily readers for people in recovery.
Melony Beatie's readers are really good however. She focuses on co-dependency. If someone slapped on an Al-Anon cover on her books they would fit right in. That said I have ODAT and Courage to Change and both are great. I am missing Hope for today
My thinking is a little like CG. I'm a big believer in "Let your business be your business."-------Why feel like you have to tell the world? I saw where a sports writer asked, "If Tiger were not married would he have put himself in rehab for sex addiction"?
With celebrities the opposite of anonymity is----- free exposure----free PR ----and that equals=====More Cash.
RLC
-- Edited by RLC on Wednesday 24th of February 2010 03:34:47 PM
I think it's too bad that people confuse Al-anon 12 step program with any other literature. Hazelden and Beatty are entirely separate entities. If you will look on both sides of the title pages of Alanon books you will see that our literature is published by Alanon Family Group Headquarters Inc.
For me , if I want to read "outside" literature in my recovery, I will keep it to myself vis a vis the Alanon program. I feel it is not helpful to water down or divert our recovery from living with an alcoholic, and especially I believe newcomers can become greatly confused .
You're right wp, this topic is not really alanon. But Hazelden is the publisher of the Big Book of AA and all of the rest of the AA literature. Being that Hazelden is married to AA, it seems sketchy to me that they are definitely promoting...it was the VP of relations who was on GMA talking about a person in rehab. Now, one of AA's traditions is the same as ours when it comes to outting those in the program.
But this is an alanon board and really this is an outside issue. I was just curious as to what other alanons thought about this topic.
And I fully agree that alanon CAL is important for the continuity and solidarity of our program. Speaking of which I see some people posting non CAL stuff and it is ok and others getting asked not to post suggestions for non CAL stuff. What are the rules?
We try and keep this site Al-Anon but as u have pointed out there are some people who post what they want , me thinks it may be who you know !! what gets deleted and what stays is a mystery to me too ,
This is a board where Al-Anoners come to give and get support along with a lot of other folks...this is not an Al-Anon approved esite or meeting. It is a great place to come support and practice your program if you're in it and working it. MIP is a public forum...Thanks John and Rose for MIP.
As for the other folks and rehabs and such...I no longer rent out my head for committee meetings or parties or people, places and things. My head is now used for reviewing helpful supportive thoughts I am responsible for and for my daily meditation.
I always liked Fulton Sheen best. He wrote a book "On Being Human" that I used for one of my later 4th steps. After all he knew more about the subject that I did. LOL (((((hugs MIP)))))
Speaking on anonymity - I thought it was public knowledge that he went into rehab, as it was all over the news - the guy on GMA didnt "out him".
I do agree with canadian guy/tom, it seems like a lot of celebs use rehab as a way to justify or excuse their bad behavior and continue along in their addictions. I know when my step dad embraced the fact that he was an "alcoholic" it gave him license to act worse bc of it. Guess they will use anything they can to justify it to themselves, it becomes just another excuse.
This is a very serious issue and I keep hoping addiction would get real, sober attention - instead it seems like a glamorized muddled no boundary mess. Promotion doesnt work bc if u try to convince someone of something they are in denial of, the harder u try to convince them, the more they will resist the idea. So I do understand, that it is about attraction and that they have to be ready, willing & wanting to change - just like for us. I gues that is the danger of promotion - bc we would all just appear like over zealous nuts, speaking about the program we love - to outsiders. When someone is ready to change, I dont think they would let anything stop them.
Like with everything about alanon/program for me, I remind myself to - take what I like and leave the rest. It gives me an opportunity to practise detachment, once again.
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Light, Love, Peace, Blessings & Healing to Us All. God's Will Be Done. Amen.
Yes, it is public knowledge. But, no matter that he is a public figure, once the program takes over annonimity should be the rule. Again, it is not just not talking about who is rehab or not, it is about ego and humility. The program doesn't work without those two very important factors.
I was very prideful and arrogent when I first started alanon. And ofcourse, when I found my pink cloud I spouted alanon to everyone wether they were listening or not!! LOL!!! Started with the 12 step and worked my way backwards....NOT a good idea!!!
My biggest issue which I can and will bring up to the AA conference committee is that Hazelden was on TV speaking to an individual's sobriety. I think this goes against OUR (and AA's) tradition of Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio and films.
and it wasn't even the person in rehab or in the program that was speaking to the issue of addiction.
Anyway, this has been a good discussion. Thank you all for your points of view. It is just a daily, petty irritation of which I will now let go :)
This is not an "official" Al-Anon site. We have members trying to get us approved by the WSO, but it has not been done yet.
Most of what I have experienced in editing is the deleting of copyrighted Al-Alon literature quotes as Al-Anon does not approve. I have had some of my own posts about literature from Pia Mellody deleted but there were full on discussions about some bullet points in one of her books that I found interesting. It was not Al-Anon, it was about facing intimacy issues. I feel the deletion was appropriate. I do not feel that quick references to material that will help outside of Al-Anon is harmful. There is a LOT of helpful material out there. My favorite is Facing Love Addiction by Pia Mellody and everything written by Melodie Beattie. A lot of these books discuss or incorporate the steps as well, and having worked them and integrated them into my life - they don't wear Al-Anon, AA, or CoDa clothing - they just are a way for me to work on living a joyous and free life.
I must say that as a group we work very hard and are very successful at following the traditions and honoring Al-Anon on this site. But, just as I wouldn't hesitate to recommend something that helped me in a meeting or outside the doors of a meeting - I wouldn't hesitate here. The object here is to improve ourselves and support each other - we are not recommending the 15 quick steps to mess up your life.
A common recommendation here is "Getting them Sober" by Toby Rice Drews. It is not CAL approved literature, but it is so helpful to anyone that is effected by an alcoholic it just makes sense.
Hope that helps.
tlc
__________________
To be trusted is a greater compliment than being loved.
This is not an "official" Al-Anon site. We have members trying to get us approved by the WSO, but it has not been done yet. tlc
I am a member of another Al-Anon site (Yahoo Courage to Change group) that is approved by the WSO. There is an "owner" of the site and were given a license by the WSO. No links, mention of non CAL literature of any kind and discussions other than usual Al-anon topics are allowed. The WSO monitors the group. Even if someone wants to include or quote CAL literature it is to be no more than two paragraphs I believe. It is a great group and I occasionally post and view it daily.
That said, this forum in contrast offers a lot of information especially in the recommendations of other readings and literature that is very helpful I couldn't get there. Also the discussions are more varied and even if slightly off topic very helpful. There is great ESH in both groups. Gerry
This is not an "official" Al-Anon site. We have members trying to get us approved by the WSO, but it has not been done yet."-tlc
OMG I certainly hope that doesnt happen here. Like geraldatwork wrote - we wont be able to write so much of what we do here and will be censored even more than it is already. It would be a nightmare for me personally & I would HATE it.
__________________
Light, Love, Peace, Blessings & Healing to Us All. God's Will Be Done. Amen.
Interesting question. I don't ever watch the rehab shows. To me if I lived it already, why do I want to relive it. I'm not sure how I feel about celebrities talking about rehab. It's really none of my business. I guess in one way when you see repeat participants, it demonstrates the fact that getting sober and staying sober is extremely difficult regardless of their circumstances. If they get help and can help someone by talking about it more power to them. Like any addict I wish them well and hope they can stay sober. How they do that, when & where they do that is none of my business. I have my own recovery to worry about.
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It's your life. Take no prisoners. You will have it your way.
