Anyone who has been involved with Alcoholics Anonymous or Alanon will know that one of their basic principles is that we are powerless over alcohol. Despite this wide acceptance Bottled Up promotes Empowerment. So how do we reconcile this apparent contradiction?
In this video Lou interviews John about Alcoholics Anonymous and powerlessness to tease out the differences and similarities between Bottled Up and Alcoholics Anonymous. John talks about his own experience with the Alcoholics Anonymous program and how it saved his life, despite the fact that he did not want to be there. He points out that he had power over alcohol until he picked up a drink. Since alcohol is a psychoactive drug it affects reasoning and impairs the ability to resist.
Lou and John then discuss the concept of powerlessness and change and how Bottled Up can help the family to change the situation surrounding drinking and how, if they change that, often the drinker starts to change.
If you feel that your drinking is causing you problems and you would like some help and guidance you can join Bottled Up for Drinkers for free
If a loved one;s drinking is causing you problems and you would like some help and guidance you can join Bottled Up for Families for free
If you have experience of Alcoholics Anonymous or Bottled Up then please leave a comment about how you view powerlessness.
Excellent video, I have a friend that is wanting me to join al-anon, and I can now pose some questions I have had which have been difficult for me to articulate. I can now ask these questions knowing that someone else is asking the same questions that I was having about al-anon.
Hi Sue
Glad to help. Alanon can be very helpful. Some people love it, others don’t. It depends what you are looking for. Also, Alanon is no longer the only option available. Hope you get the answers you need to make an informed decision.
John