Thirsty said:
A fine rant, but I have to disagree with you about Alcoholics Anonymous. Not only is the AA program largely ineffective (only around 5% of people who take the AA route remain sober) but they also give some advice which is downright dangerous.
Whatever some AA fanatic may tell you, stopping drinking abruptly can be fatal; it very nearly killed me, causing a massive seizure and cardiac arrest. Anyone dependent on alcohol needs professional care whilst withdrawing, not a load of religious claptrap.
OK, my experience with AA is limited. A friend of mine - who used to have a
big drinking problem, swears by them, and reckons that they saved his life. He quit completely, and about five years on he hasn't lapsed. I don't know about their dubious advice, but he isn't religious and although the religious angle is there he didn't find that it got in the way of the rest. However, I guess that it all depends what type of personality you are, and on what the attitudes of the local group are.
I shall rephrase my advice. If people have a serious drinking problem then they should seek out some sort of counseling or self-help group. Although giving up overnight might not be a good idea, most alcoholics should aim to quit completely as quickly as possible.