Powerfully Recovered! A Confirmed 12 Stepper Challenges the Movement (Paperback)

by Anne Wayman (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
I agree that we have recovered, I've been sober in AA since 1971 - Thanks for your book. -- PD/email

Your book struck a cord. I'm American Indian... concepts of endless recovery and perpetual powerless don't go over well with many of my people. -- MT/email

Product Description
In this ground breaking book, Anne Wayman, clean and sober for over 25 years and with multiple works published by Hazelden, explores two myths that grown up in the 12 Step movement: never-ending recovery, and, perpetual powerlessness.

Convinced that the 12 Steps offer the best chance for lasting recovery, she challenges the movement to acknowledge the fear behind the myths, and let them go so that the Program can reach its full potential.

Working from original source material, she explains the nature and development of the myths. She documents the damage they do to individuals and the movement as a whole, including its relative failure in areas of poverty where it is most needed.

With true compassion and understanding she shows exactly what 12 Steppers need to do to let go of the myths, and become Powerfully Recovered, as the original Program intended.

"It's about time!" Bruce K.

"Powerfully Recovered! has helped me articulate something I've been feeling for years." Kathy B.

"This book makes a powerful and positive difference for anyone in any 12 Step Program." Grace S.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Universal Publishers; 2nd edition (February 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1581128762
• ISBN-13: 978-1581128765
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #745,235 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

111 of 116 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best I've read on the subject, September 28, 2001

By A Customer

The title hooked me - a "confirmed 12 stepper challenges the movement". I am a confirmed 12 stepper, too. After 5 years i can tell you that I have taken no more powerful action in my life than entering recovery (AA). And maybe it is just a natural phase of development to start looking a little more critically at the program and how I can continue to progress.
So, I have read just about every book on the subject. SOme books are so anti-AA that it reads like one big resentful self-pitying indulgence. This book had a much more balanced view; more respectful of what AA does accomplish. I felt validated to read some ideas that I agreed with but never felt comfortable saying out loud. The truth is - I DO feel recovered. I understand that I cannot drink alcohol and I understand the importance of nurturing my sobriety and i will continue to do that. Attending AA still nurtures my sobriety so I stll go to meetings. I feel free, though.
In recent months, I admitted to myself that I felt "addicted" to meetings. It had become more of a social club for me than a necessity. I also suspected that I was having needs met through meetings that could be met through interaction with friends and family. In a weird sort of way, AA was helping me to isolate. So, I cut back on meetings. It was hard at first, but I stuck with it. Sure enough, I can report a differnt sort of balance in my life. I seek out others to connect with - a conversation with a co-worker, a call to my mother to see how she is, that sort of thing. Emotional connecting needs can be met more than one way.
And I still enjoy the meetings I do attend.
Like lots of other people, I have job stress, parenting stress and world peace stress.... but I am more stable than I ever dared hope possible. Recovery is a miracle. This book helped to confirm that for me.

38 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars SHE DARES TO SAY WHAT A LOT OF US ARE THINKING!, August 30, 1999

By	Douglas and Judy Waples (Las Cruces, New Mexico) - See all my reviews

The Fellowship and Program of Alcoholics Anynonomous saved my life. I have been clean and sober for over nineteen years. I have, however, noticed a change in the "Fellowship" (meetings) over the past few years, and the author is right on the mark. Her criticicism of the program is constructive and well-though out. It is not "change for change sake" thinking. She goes into great detail to explain why some things need to be changed to reflect the times and attitudes of the membership. I whole-heartedly agree with her philosophy of do the program, recover, and get on with the life you missed out on while in an alcoholic haze. A great read and a real page-turner. I read it in one sitting. Thanks for telling it like it is and how it could be Anne!

77 of 83 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Leaving the herd, April 9, 2001

By	michael nordberg (England) - See all my reviews

About one year into sobriety, gained as a direct result from having gone through the 12 steps EXACTLY how the BB describes it, I discovered that frequent statements were made at meetings to the effect that not only are we powerless over alcohol, but also over people, places and things. I found this confusing, to say the least. In an aa leaflet, that triggered my suspicion about some of the things I heard, it says "At any one time you will find somebody in AA who will agree to everything you have done up till now and by the same token you can find somebody who will disagree." Hence I had to start seeking and learn to trust my inner voice.

When I was totally beaten - the usual loss of house, cars, marriage, friends, credit and money, followed by a total breakdown three years later - I met a man at a meeting who, after having heard my story and told me his, promised me there was a way out. He said, after that I had been sober for a month he would show me what he meant. I learned how to live the program and have had no desire to drink since step 7 (and won't have tomorrow because I am doing what the book tells me to do) and more importantly I feel far from powerless. The only powerlessness mentioned in the BB is the one over alcohol.

I realised after some time that I had recovered, but at the same time I was confused because of all the misleading and contradictory statements made in meetings. And the people insisting to be of the endlessly recovering variety were always in majority. Anyway I started to introduce myself at meetings by saying my name is Michael and I am a recovered alcoholic. And the chilling atmosphere in the room was very real. After the third time at this meeting (using the word recovered) people just mumbled something remotely similar to hello Michael. I persevered and started to go to other meetings. At one of these I heard a man introduce himself in the same fashion as I have described above and I found it utterly attractive and listened very carefully to what he said.

I have also learned that it takes guts to come to aa and admit to your addiction, but in my experience it took more guts to say that I had recovered from it.

I can only say that if I, when first coming to aa, had been presented with the concept of a disease that I would never be able to recover from and that I would remain powerless over my life for as long as I lived, I would not have been alive today.

AA is changing from the inside to a society for non-drinkers in strong contrast to those of us who are real alcoholics and need the original message. I finish with saying that the sub-title of the BB is "How many thousands of men and women have RECOVERED from alcoholism" - this little piece of information seems to have gone lost in all the cafeteria style groups we see today. Anne Wyman has in an excellent way made it very clear to me why this situation has surfaced and she has also emphasised what my first sponsor told me at the first book-study night: The purpose of this is for you to find God, get rid of the need to drink and to be able to manage your own life. This has all come true.

Thank you Anne.

Michael