It's totally a cult. About every meeting you hear that you can be too smart for the program which sounds just textbook cult to me. And why does no one else realize that if you gauge the success of AA based on meetings with people who it worked for then you are only going to hear from people who it worked for? (I'm pretty bitter about 12 step. FYI.)
AA has embedded itself into mainstream America culture. Does it work... somewhat it seems... there are more effective treatments but one on one time with a therapist runs 120-200/hr and you need a lot of appointments (assuming you get a non quack, which is kind of a gamble). Group therapy is also less effective but cheaper to administer
The ubiquity of AA is counterproductive to recovery in America and even addiction research IMO. It's incredibly ineffective for most and the general attitude of members has absolutely led to deaths for a variety of reasons including its reliance on God, amateur medical advice from drunks and the basic belief that one can't get better until after rock bottom. The common wisdom in the US that AA can help your loved ones is naive and dangerous. That most treatment facilities here rely on 12 Step is evidence of AA preventing progress on the subject.
Fuck this was interesting. My mom is a therapist that worked in foster care, rehab, and now marriage& family therapy mostly with young adults and kids. This problem presented itself throughout all those fields.
There's a documentary about the problem called The 13th Step that I would recommend. I go to AA plenty and men who do this are the worst kind of people. It even becomes a joke in the program. I'd be lying if I said I'd never made one of those jokes but I think mine were in good taste and directed at pieces of shit who'd do it. Not that that's a good way to deal with the problem but it's so big there's not really anything to do about it.
Isn't it kind of "really bad" to allow people who are known to prey on people trying to get help through AA, to stay in your group? I don't know how AA works honestly, but I feel like they ought to be removed from the meetings or whatever.. edit: I suppose it's hard to charge someone in engaging in sexual predatator-ness in such an informal setting, even if everyone "knows" the problem-person's behavior.