This is the most well thought-out, articulate and authentic response I have received on any of the platforms where I write. Thank you, Marsh, for sharing your opinion so eloquently.

As someone who avoided AA because of the very pervasive stigma that still exists today about Alcoholics Anonymous, while I totally agree with your point that the idea of permanent sobriety is beyond the grasp of most in early sobriety, and I agree that for some, one day at a time is a lifesaver, it is also a reason to drink for others. I know many (not just a few) people who met people on their first visit to an AA meeting with 30+ years of sobriety who still attended meetings regularly and sang the praises of not drinking one day at a time. The reaction most shared with me is one of paralyzing fright at the notion of not beating the disease and moving on with life, but rather attending meetings for the rest of their lives.

You and I both know that if people find value in meetings 30 years in, that is actually a beautiful thing and a blessing to so many others. But, to some newbies, the idea can be enough to send them back to the bottle.

It doesn’t have to be Matt’s way or the AA way. But maybe both can exist in friendly opposition because different people interpret the same well intentioned messages in very different ways. I hope that makes sense, and I thank you again, Marsh, for the conversation.