We Are Not All Egomaniacs Rebellion Dogs 64 with Beth Aich

Beth Aich has a bridge-building, gateway widening new book. We're Not All Egomaniacs: Adopting the Twelve Steps for Alcoholics with Low Self-Esteem busts the one-size-fits-all AA approach that assumes everyone in AA fits the narcissistic personality. Au contraire ; based on her personal experience an others first, people pleasing, never good enough, codependent just can't relate. Beth doesn't complain about Bill Wilson's view of the power-driving, yearning to to be top-man alcoholic archetype. But Beth she needed a way that worked for her.

"I spent many years trying to fit myself into the personality type of the alcoholic in the Big Book. I didn't know who I was so I went along with what they told me. But those words - selfish, self-centered, egomaniac - triggered me into a massive shame response. My training said selfishness is inexcusable and to always put other' needs ahead of my own. ... I had no sense of entitlement. I did not seek your praise or admiration. I just hoped you would tolerate me as long as I didn't bother you. That's why I'm writing this book - to help others like me build, not destroy their self-esteem. I hope AA won't be as uncomfortable for you after you read this." We're Not All Egomaniacs, pp 31-34

We talk to Beth Aich in Episode 64 of Rebellion Dogs Radio. Also, we talk about Dopamine Fasting. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) reported out October 25th 2021 on their 2020 survey:

“Among the 29.2 million adults in 2020 who perceived that they ever had a substance use problem, 72.5 percent (or 21 million people) considered themselves to be in recovery or to have recovered from their alcohol or other drug use problem.”

We talk about optimistic varieties of recovery experience and how the lived experience of 21 million recovered/recovering addictions in the USA alone are having on recovery oriented communities and policy making. We have music. Beth Aich talks about codependency so we found a new codependent anthem from Toronto's Yukon Blonde, "Your Heart's my Home." It's fun, fast and (in)formative. We get the whole show in, in less than an hour.

See your show notes and links at Rebellion Dogs Radio Episode 64 page. 
 

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