https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlYrQgtlrHA

I wouldnt call myself completely "cured but i self harmed a lot (auto cannibalism, castrated myself, broke my own fingers and toes, cut myself and ripped out sinews, tore off toenails, put lidocaine on sensitive areas, starved myself, buried matches under my skin, etc)
And i eventuakly just stopped because i lost the ability to feel pain like a normal person. Nothing really more to it. It just stopped being entertaining.

I tried AA for a few months after getting off booze. This was after being up for 3 days with delirium tremens and an ER visit. AA wasn't for me but I do think it's a good program and has saved countless lives. When people say it's a cult I think it's ridiculous. What do cults do? Break up families so they can work on the individual. AA has kept together families that would've otherwise been torn asunder.

>>42575000
Careful cult members like to lurk in those places where people are most vulnerable they are predators

>>42575016
Without a doubt, you're pretty much describing how Synanon formed. But I still say the regular decentralized AA is a good program overall.

>>42571466
I used to drink pretty heavily, but I stopped cold turkey. I've even been to bars/clubs since, but I just don't drink. I think on some level I must not have ever been an alcoholic, I don't have cravings. When I think that it's sad that I'm not participating in a whole realm of human experience, I just tell myself maybe I'll drink again in the future but the idea of drinking NOW or soon never occurs to me or appeals. Since it doesn't seem like I struggled in the way alcoholics do, I don't call myself sober and if people ask why I don't drink I'll tell them it's because of medicine. People never ask what medicine, either, they just accept it and don't make a problem out of it.