It was the Fall of 2019, Writing the Big Book: The Creation of AA by William Schaberg was about to be published and Joe C sat down with the author to talk about the soon-to-be-unveiled book born of eleven years of primary documentary research on Rebellion Dogs Radio, Episode 49. Four years later, more has been revealed and new insights gained. So listeners asked, “When are you two going to sit down again for a podcast?” Here it is.   This time around we look at new insights and speculation into early AA history. Bill and Joe share about their own recovery experience and reflect on changing AA culture through the years and what might inform the future of AA groups, members and culture. We talk about The “God” Word: Agnostics and Atheists in AAWe talk about the upcoming ZOOM October 7th/8th ICSAA (International Conference of Secular AA).We talk about the probable influence of the most popular New Thought books of the day and how this cultural phenomena informed our AA 12-Step suggested program of Recovery. Read “Bill W's secret bookshelf.” We talk about the idea that and documentary evidence that supports the idea that Bill W thought he was done writing the Big Book--without the 12 steps or any step-by-step guide.We talk about Episode 49: when we first talked writing Writing the Big Book: The Creation of AA (click to read/listen) Rebellion Dogs Radio always features rebellious music. Episode 74 feature a Toronto band covering a recently lost British icon who died, too young, but sober: Goodnight Sunrise covers David Bowie's Major Tom. Rebellion Dogs thinks this Major Tom cover is amazingly artistic and new sounding - it may send you clamoring back for your original psychedelic era version (and that's okay, too). Visit Goodnight Sunrise, view their campy look at the music industry today in their video WAIT FOR IT. See this band live if you get the chance. SHOW NOTES & LINKS EPISODE 74 of REBELLION DOGS RADIO

Two Davids, facing two Goliaths of stubborn orthodoxy are the focus of Episode 17 of Rebellion Dogs Radio. One rebel is Mark Lewis, who challenges the disease model of addiction. Greta Vosper, atheist minister of the United Church of Canada, who at the time was facing a review of her peers who found her liberalism to be maybe too far to be called even progressive Christianity. Looking back in 2023, these heretical views of not so long ago are today's contemporary views or worldview and/or substance use disorder and wellness. Visit original posting for links REBELLION DOGS #17 August 30 2015Visit Rebellion Dogs Publishing for the latest

Trysh Travis, is Associate Dean at University of Florida. She oversees Women’s Studies, is a cultural and literary historian whose work looks at the gendered history of medicine and popular therapeutic cultures. While working as a high school teacher, she earned an MA from the Bread Loaf School of English, followed by a PhD in American Studies from Yale University. She is the author of The Language of the Heart: Twelve-Step Recovery from Alcoholics Anonymous to Oprah Winfrey (UNC Press, 2009) and co-editor (with Timothy Aubry) of Rethinking Therapeutic Culture (Chicago, 2016). Her work has been supported by the Mellon Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities, and appeared in venues such as PMLA, American Quarterly, Contemporary Drug Problems, and Raritan: A Quarterly Review. With UF colleague Joseph Spillane, she is the co-founder of the translational humanities project Points: The Joint Blog of the Alcohol & Drugs History Society and the American Institute of the History of Pharmacy, where she currently serves as Managing Editor Emerita. Dr Travis presented to AA History Symposium about the history or women in AA and gender politics. Originally, Episode 34, this recording inspires new listeners every month. See original show notes from Episode 34 This talk discusses the democratization of "We are all the same, we are all equal" in AA with "It's more complicated than that; there is gender politics and other marginalizing factors for some of us in and out of the meetings which needs to be addressed in a discussion of addiction and recovery." Our musical guest is English art-rock band Moulettes

Welcome to the JULY 2023 Rebellion Dogs Radio podcast. Our guest, back by popular demand: Marya Hornbacher. The backstory: We have worked together before: New York Times bestseller Marya Hornbacher and Rebellion Dogs Joe C, putting our heads together for some future recovery workshops; what's missing, what would we like to attend? It's an idea in the making and you are invited; where, when, what, all still in the incubator. We are crowdsourcing for ideas; of course you will hear about several of our own, ZOOM, face2face. The plan was to meet and discuss. The opportunity was Marya's Rewriting Your Recovery workshop at the Dan Anderson Renewal Center, Hazelden Betty Ford MN June 9-11. So we talk all about it. A little like being there but not quite. And we continue a conversation we started there. The ideas just keep coming and serious suggestions are very much welcome. NEXT STOP: Kingston SOAAR August 26, 2034  (secular ontario AA roundup) Marya and Joe talk about "identity" it's critical role in the recovery journey.  Info coming soon @ https://soaar.ca/Our musical feature, Toronto songwriter, Julian Taylor and his new songs "Seeds." Perfect idea for today's episode: https://juliantaylormusic.ca/More details, more content and workshop updates @ https://rebelliondogspublishing.comBooks, info, contact Marya Hornbacher

William G. Borchert: September 9, 1933 - October 1, 2022 memorial will be on Zoom coming from Stepping Stones April 2 (first 1000 only) ZOOM 867 0807 3394 Passcode 1962 7—8:15 PM New York time (UTC –4) Who was Bill B? A New York newspaperman who got sober in the 1960s and would write some AA history including early AA + When Love is Not Enough, the story of Lois Wilson. Bill died in October 1922 and he is being honored by friends in recovery, so we are replaying this 2016 recording. My Name is Bill W. (1989), staring James Woods as Bill W. and James Garner as Dr. Bob and When Love Is Not Enough: The Lois Wilson Story (2010) staring Winona Ryder - this is some of William's work.  Having written 1000 Years of Sobriety (Hazelden), the stories of twenty members with fifty or more years of sobriety each, William Borchert's was our Rebellion Dogs guest as he had recently put out his autobiography that I had just read:  How I Became My Father: A Drunk is not only a look at AA history by someone in the room, but a time-capsule of mid-20th century American life. I mention in the show that I talked much longer with William and I would post our discussion about the craft of writing and more about his autobiography. I went on to other demanding things and it did not happen. Maybe soon, I will post it. Also on the show, a regular: Jackie B, playwright and AA historian. Jackie is part of a History: Steps, Traditions, Concepts presentation @ The Wilson House in Vermont, April 15/16 and on Zoom along with William Schaberg (Writing the Big Book: The Creation of AA) and others. More Rebellion Dogs Radio

Bob K's new book is out - The Secret Diaries of Bill W  In 1972  AA was learning to live sans-founder as  Bill Wilson had been dead for a year. In Episode 72 of Rebellion Dogs Radio, The Secret Diaries of Bill W by bob k bring him back for another lap around the track. We spend, well pretty much the whole episode talking about all kinds of things but mostly Bob K and Joe C talk about writing, this, Bob's  new historical fiction, mostly but it's a fun chat that we welcome you to join. We touch briefly on other goings on at Rebellion Dogs Publishing, a new blog about service in recovery and a two-part series with Emotional Sobriety Podcast all about the Traditions and Emotional Sobriety. Details and links: https://rebelliondogspublishing.com/rebellious-radio

Michael is a professor, musician, journalist and author. Having just written a Living Sober-size booklet, Michael is our guest to make a case for AA for people, even if they are skeptical about the higher power stuff. He shares how in he neither looks for a war of worldviews nor bites his tongue. This first contemporary recovery print offering of 2023 is a great for secular AA Zoomers in search of new meeting starters. It's a good read for anyone new to AA, from one who has been there. If his "AA can work" argument, or your personal AA experience aren't convincing, We Sober Agnostics shows us how to find SMART, Women For Sobriety or other peer 2 peer groups that might be a better fit.Our musical guest Your EX and I (YXNI) from Montreal drop a 2023 teaser to their upcoming recording. This synth-pop tune  is "For all the Loves" so, if that's what you're into, get into YXNI HERE  Links:Amazon, We Sober Agnostics: The Survival Guide for Agnostics, Atheists and Non-Believers in 12-Step ProgramseMail WeSoberAgnostics@yahoo.com Check out our liner notes and more RebElliOn dOgs RaDiO

Meet Clinical Psychologist at Greater Manchester West NHS Mental Health Foundation Trust, Mani Mehdikhani, one of AA Great Britain’s non-alcoholic trustees on their General Service Board. Among other duties, Mani and his committee prepared the quinquennial AA membership survey which went out to Alcoholics Anonymous members in Great Britain and English-speaking Central Europe Region groups in 2020. A remarkable thing happened as they prepared to put these questions before members: The COVID-19 pandemic. As members transitioned from primarily face-to-face meetings to online gatherings, here was an opportunity to collect data on how members were adjusting. The GSO Board did just that. Here is what members told us.Less than one-in-five (18%) Great Britain AAs had experience with online meetings, pre-pandemic.   More members in the Central Europe Region were inclined towards online AA. By the time the survey of 2020 was collected, 93% of members/groups were able to transition to online (Zoom, etc.) means of connecting with each other. Early in our adaptation to online AA, members greatest concerns were: (i) helping newcomers, (ii) doing service work, (iii) sponsoring members and (iv) “carrying the message.”Zoom was not a better way of doing things for everyone. And some members were already attending phone or video meetings anyway. A few months into lock-down the key drawbacks among people who were not in love with ‘the new normal’ were: (i) a lack of technical skills, (ii)online meetings not a suitable replacement for face-to-face (f2f) meetings (33-36%), (iii) concerns about privacy, (iv) no access to bandwidth or IT devices, (iv) group was continuing to meet f2f. New questions were asked about higher power (beliefs and spirituality.Last episode we explored survey results based on the written report. What added benefit came from speaking with the survey’s architect directly? Well, personally, I had   extrapolating some of this data from what it says to what it means; Mani’s scientific observations helped me reel-in some of the hypothetical conclusions I was already starting to draw. “That’s human nature,” he kindly suggested to me. But it was also reassuring to hear that the Board also did not have their full appetite satisfied and they would love to ask follow-up questions to try to direct their efforts most effectively. The purpose of these membership surveys (in General Service regions such as Great Britain or USA/Canada) is: (i) inform the public and professionals that interact with alcohol use disorder about the demographics and other characteristics of AA members and meetings and (ii)use the data to inform the Board in terms of where their future efforts would best serve the membership of AA. Mani and the General Service Board say they view with great interest how online AA will both aid the still suffering alcoholic but how virtual spaces will alter the service structure which has—based on geographical locations of members and their meetings before—divided groups/members by geography and how shall the service structure adapt to our more global makeup of meetings and member-interactions?Review the entire 2020 Great Britain AA Membership SurveyAlso discussed in this show: The 5th Biennial International Conference of Secular AA (UTC time schedule) Other time zones (North America) HEREMore of what goes on when "Rebellion Dogs our every step::https://rebelliondogspublishing.com

With or Without God: the latest Alcoholics Anonymous Membership Survey from Great Britain identifies how many members are religious vs. secular.Episode 69 of Rebellion Dogs Radio  looks at our more enlightened understanding of AA members, at least a significant sample size: the findings from the Great Britain 2020 AA Membership Survey + English Speaking Central Europe meetings. We look, not only at this modernism movement that includes measurable assessment of AA members and AA life today, but we look at how progress is happening in AA, within the context of fundamentalism in AA. It is worth viewing both sides, what are the payoffs for those who embrace a strict orthodoxy and why is AA’s progress, too slow for some. Rebellion Dogs Radio is a contemporary look at life in recovery, addiction, mental health and sober culture. Now with less dogma and more bite. A lot of podcasts I like the most, I listen to twice, to help absorb what I might have missed in a once-over.  RebellionDogsPublishing.com is a hub too: stuff that we have written, stuff we love reading, links, resources, time wasters. Visiting Rebellion Dogs online, we post notices ahead of time or at least, links to listen/watch after the fact. Help yourself to a PDF transcript of Episode 69 along with links from our show.Our musical act is the Toronto/NYC trio ON with their 2022 new song "Underdog."https://onmusic.ca/

This blast from the past features two interviews by recovering alcoholics helping to overcome the stigma of addiction (and in some cases, addiction recovery) from the courtroom to the Rock 'n' Roll cabaret. First, we talk with author, lawyer, former Attorney General Michael J Bryant on his second book, Mere Addiction.  Michael offers an insider’s candid commentary about how abstinence bail conditions are a set up for failure and recidivism, leading many addicts/alcoholics to battle the stacked odds of overcoming addiction without support. One senior lawyer at my 12-Step home group calls making drinking a violation of an alcoholic’s bail or parole as the criminal justice system’s means of “manufacturing crime.”  The defendant cannot likely succeed and new charges will follow. What a great system of "corrections."Second, meet Lucy, addiction counselor by day, lead vocalist and bassist by night. I am working on a new podcast (Fall 2022) that will include new music from one of Lucy's music projects; get to know her and her story first, of addiction, recovery and return to front of stage. Visit Rebellion Dogs Publishing for links and notes for books, music and rebellious good fun. Sample or download Mere Addiction nowSee/hear Lucy DiSanto talking addiction/recovery, counseling and rock 'n' roll

Thanks for listening to Rebellion Dogs Radio: A contemporary look at addiction, recovery and mental health, hopefully with less dogma and more bite!Douglas Coupland (author: Generation X) wrote, "The boomer generation is the one that unselfconscientiously uses pronoun 'We' when describing itself. X, Y and [generations] beyond flee the room the moment someone says, 'We.'""It's a WE program" is heard in a Zoom rectangle from one generation; "Do not include ME in your WE." replies the next generation, somewhere else on the screen. Lately I have learned... maybe all over again, that people line up pretty fast on one side or the other of the debate as to "should recovery meetings be inclusive with 'we' language or should we each speak for ourselves only in first person language."  It's been hotly debated on Zoom meetings lately. Anyhow; this is an episode about Generations, Generations Gaps and how we preserve the familiar to not disenfranchise an older recovery generation while speaking a contemporary vernacular to include today's newcomer to clean and sober life?We... I mean I ... put current ages to generations and because this show first aired last decade and pre-pandemic (what did we know back then?) here's 2022 age ranges for generations:Gen Z (1998 - 2012) are 10 to 25 years-oldMillennials (1981 - 1997) are 26 to 41 years-oldGen X (1965 to 1980) are 42 to 56 years of ageBaby Boomers (1946 to 1964) are 58 to 76 years of ageSilent Generation (1928 to 1945) are 77 years-old or older.Two generations that make up our founders are Bill and Bob and Jim B's gen: Lost Generation born between 1883 and 1900, and The Greatest Gen, from 1901 to 1927).Show notes including a PDF transcript: Rebellion Dogs Publishing.com

Rebellion Dog Radio EPISODE 68 features guest, Carl Erik Fisher. A Columbia University Psychiatrist, host of Flourishing After Addiction podcast, author of THE URGE: OUR HISTORY of ADDICTION, Carl Erik Fisher talks about his research, his work and his lived experience. Our musical feature on Episode 68 is Goodnight Sunrise with their song debuting 02 22 2022 "One Pill."Carl Erik Fisher’s search for answers about mental health and addiction hasn’t been satisfied by science and medicine; our trip with Dr. Carl Erik takes us into a journey of history, art and philosophy. Sacred cows and wanting definitions and understandings be damned. The Urge illuminates the extent to which the story of addiction has persistently reflected broader questions surrounding being human and care for (and connection with) one another. Fisher introduces us to the people who have endeavored to address this complex condition through the ages: physicians and politicians, activists and artists, researchers and writers, and of course the legions of people who have struggled with their own addictions. He also examines the treatments and strategies that have produced hope and relief for many people with addiction, himself included. Only by reckoning with our history of addiction, he argues—our successes and our failures—can we light the way forward for those whose lives remain threatened by its hold.The Urge: Our History of Addiction reveals that the idea of disease and disorder is not a 20th century construct..."In 1606 Parliament passed an 'Act for the Repressing of the Odious and Loathsome Sin of Drunkenness.' Religious writers of the seventeenth century had log been describing drunkenness as a problem of 'addiction': in 1609, the influential Puritan John Downame bemoaned the fates of those who 'addict themselves to much drinking' and lamented how 'many of our people of late, are so unmeasurably addicted to this vice.' Addiction was no longer just an action one did but also a condition: people actively 'addicted' themselves to something, but were also 'addicted' by something else acting on them - like, of course, gin.Medical writers during the Gin Craze drew on these developments and began using the word 'addicted' to explain the impaired choice of habitual drunkenness..."Enjoy this interview with someone who I hope will be offering sobering insights into the dialogue of addiction and mental health for some time to come. Goodnight Sunrise, one of the most theatrical and engaging live music acts in Toronto, is missing their time on stage but they're "Not Dead Yet," as their last pandemic song reminded us. We always close with something musical and today it's their 2022 02 22 release "One Pill." Some acts I see in a lot of festivals and clubs I go to, seem to find it difficult to replicate on stage what they created in the studio. Goodnight Sunrise might have the opposite challenge: putting in a mp3 what we experience with their live performance. "One Pill" may have cured that problem for them. The song has some of that live energy. It's a contemporary sounding song that draws on some great influences: An 80's list-song about craving altered states, Huey Lewis, "I Want a New Drug"; or an even further throw-back like the retro-psychedelic movement, these new-agers may still be humming the 1960's Grace Slick and Jefferson Airplane anthem, "Go Ask Alice."Here are the lyrics ...One pill to make you stronger One pill to wear you out One pill to make you wonder One pill to ease your doubts Visit Rebellion Dogs Publishing for links, show notes and more.

This show was first published when secular AA was just growing into the digital new normal of Zoom AA. It was an experimental time and since February 2020, more new varieties of agnostic, atheist, freethinkers, irreligious AA meetings had sprung up and stuck. Many of these new meetings have never had a brick-and-mordar home. They are the trend which is decade three of millennium # 3.Episode 53  covers the basics of AA recovery without subscribing to the idea of a prayer-answering, sobriety-granting higher power. We read Reality Check: Being Nonreligious in America. It's a survey and report about life for atheists and agnostics in the Christian nation of the USA.The survey reports that, people needed to be closeted about their beliefs, even with loved ones.People got asked to go along with religious rituals and asked not to rock-the-boat... awkward.People were belittled, ignored or discriminated against.Does this sound anything like AA stories about nonbelievers getting the fish eye or cold shoulder? Episode 53 looks at this study and some recent AA history and how members are adapting. AA members are creating groups and writing literature to foster the community of AA without god or gods.Recovery is more accessible than ever for a growing non-religious population who prefer a practical approach to faith-based recovery. It's not better, it's not revolutionary but it's legitimate and has a long, long track record.This isn't a new fad; In 1965 Bill W was talking about now AA ought to get more accustomed to both atheists and non-Christian believers who were accounting for much of AA's growth. In San Francisco, years before the Monterey Pop festival that exemplifies the summer of love, Dr. Earle of "Physician Heal Thyself" infamy was writing Steps and opening the door people who weren't interested in Divine intervention and also to newcomers with drug problems other than alcoholism. AA was changing. AA was growing. Today, on zoom, there over a dozen secular AA meetings throughout any given day where people can find recovery without having to accept anyone else's beliefs nor having to deny their own.We get whimsical and musical. It's fun. For links and footnotes, visit Rebellion Dogs Publishing's Podcast page, Episode 53

Writing the Big Book: The Creation of A.A. by William SchabergWe have to go back to 1979, the seminal scholarly account of early history, Not God: The History of Alcoholics Anonymous by Ernie Kurtz. It took 40 years for the next deep dive of this caliber. In 2019, Writing the Big Book: The Creation of A.A. by William Schaberg drew on over a decade of primary documentary research to compare with the stories we've all heard about the early days of AA.This is a replay, originally Episode 49 from Rebellion Dogs Publishing, recorded just weeks before the book’s release. For news notes visit Rebellion Dogs Radio Episode 49.

Alcoholics Anonymous starts the year—January 1, 2022—in self-inflicted public controversy: "The way our ‘worthy’ alcoholics have sometimes tried to judge the ‘less worthy’ is, as we look back on it, rather comical. Imagine, if you can, one alcoholic judging another!" Bill W. In the UK, AA’s General Service Office retaliation against it’s own group has created click-bait for media outlets. The Daily Mail and other news outlets are reporting that an AA “group is under threat after being censured for reciting the Lord’s Prayer,” and members of the group were “told by leaders it had become too Christian-focused and has been removed from the organization’s online directory.” In January 2022’s podcast we look at a history of AA’s promise of love and tolerance and the habitual hiccup of AA bleeding deacons pulling  the fire-alarm and turning on nonconforming or specialty group, a seasonal reoccurring turn from unity to tryanny. Joni Mitchell’s song, “Circle Game,” comes to mind: And the seasons, they go round and roundAnd the painted ponies go up and downWe are captive on the carousel of timeWe can’t return, we can only lookBehind from whence we cameWe go round and round and round in the circle game We do not devote an hour to fault-finding or laying blame. That would be more circle games, we think.  We see a learning opportunity. Taking our own inventory, how does our intention of "love and tolerance of others is our code," blow-up into periodic bouts of dis-unity. Can AA live up to its own principles or is it impossible to transcend a human tendency towards tribal conflict? This is important to talk about it. So let's do that. We offer a historical review of policy and some of the patterns that turn AAs against each other.For show notes links and a transcript visit Rebellion Dogs Radio Episode 67

Jim B was 36 years, two months, four days sober, an atheist, and one of the first few dozen to get sober in Alcoholics Anonymous when he died September 8th, 1974. Jim B outlived both “official” founders, Dr. Bob and Bill W.Listen here for the moving stroll down the lane of AA history. For a twist to the story, visit Rebellion Dogs Radio page. As Jim B was drawing his last breathes in San Diego, across the continent in Montreal, a teenage boy is spared from death from asphyxiation, being found in the wee hours, laying face up in his own vomit in his high school arena. Thanks to the kindness of strangers and medical intervention, the boy is spared an alcoholic death. As an AA pioneer passes on, the same day, a recovery journey begins.  Details of these overlapping AA journeys can be found in the link above. This recording, the memorial service of Jimmy Burwell is a number of  puzzle pieces of AA history.  Rosa Burwell, his widow was there of course. She has the distinction of being the first Southern California female delegate to the General Service Conference of Alcoholics Anonymous. Marge was only the second female California delegate; she was 11 years sober at the memorial and remembers being at Jim’s 25-year celebration, early in her sobriety. Roy recalls Jim bringing AA to Philadelphia, Just months before this memorial, a telegram would be received, informing Rosa and Jim that 1,150 AA members celebrated the anniversary of the group Jim B started in Philly. The telegram boasted that they could have sold 1,000 more tickets if they had room for them all. Eunice knew Jim from AA in Washington, saw him again reading the Steps in a meeting in San Diego. Eunice and Rosa became the best of friends. Sybil C got sober in LA March 21, 1941, the first AA woman West of the Mississippi River. From the lectern, Sybil shared about early AA plays of the day (Jackie B, did you already know this?!? Jackie’s written a play about AA history that features Sybil prominently). As the story is told by Sybil, the LA play featured an unabashed atheist from formative New York AA. During a local performance, Sybil sneaked Jim B into the wings to come on stage, playing himself before an unsuspecting audience. The place went wild with enthusiasm.

“A person’s spirituality, then, is built on three internal processes:  the way we perceive the world about us,  how we feel about that world, and  the choices we make—conscious and unconscious—in response to our perceptions and our sensations. These three processes are intertwined and naturally reinforcing.”  Rev. Ward Ewing, Twelve Steps to Religionless Spirituality: The Power of Spirituality with or without God (2021)Ward Ewing is non-alcoholic (Class-A) AA trustee emeritus. In 2009 he was elected to chair the Alcoholics Anonymous General Service Board , which he did for four years before rotating out of the position. He's been a friend to AA since 1975 when he was looking for answers to alcoholism and it's effect on some of his congregants. Non-alcoholics hold a unique role in AA. They can be the face of AA for media; there is no cloak of anonymity imposed on our non-alcoholic trustees. They offer expertise, experience and advice that our non-professional peer-to-peer fellowship benefits from: sometimes this expertise is in the area of communication, medicine, employee assistance, legal or finance expertise. Ward B Ewing was President and Dean of the General Theological Seminary in New York City when we was asked to consider serving as an AA trustee.  Ward has a new book: I like it, it find addresses some of the struggles 12-step communities and the larger community face; he looks at the growth appetite for spiritual values without religious dogma and in some cases, without gods. Ward Ewing spoke at We Agnostics and Freethinkers International AA Conference in Santa Monica in 2014, what became #ICSAA (International Conference of Secular AA). Rebellion Dogs Radio's Joe C and Ward talk about his history with AA, about his idea of what "spirituality" is and is not, plus, what harm rigidity could bring to AA's future. Our musical guest is Canadian indie band, Hotel Mira. For show notes including a link to Twelve Steps to Relionless Spirituality: The Power of Spirituality with or without God and other audio recordings, visit Rebellion Dogs Radio

Alcoholics Anonymous prepares for the 2021 April General Service Conference. The program—at the time of writing—is now circulated, and Literature has a few items including a modification to Big Book text. There is a video accessible to members of groups (and anyone) who knows a General Service Representative. Our fellowship, right now, is looking at the book’s relatability and literacy as it relates to today’s newcomer. If you want to know the issues, we will share the link/video with you. If you have a connection to the original text, you are being invited to review the concerns shared by fellow members and weigh in. Issues of literacy an accessibility are being researched. Societal changes that might leave the book’s current wording offending or alienating today’s newcomers are being considered. Edition Two of Alcoholics Anonymous came out in 1955, 20 years into AA. In 1976 the Third Edition was released and in 2001, our current, Edition Four came out. That was 20-years-ago. According to custom, it is time to talk about a new edition. The video by the General Service Office outlines concerns today, sometimes borrowing from our founder’s own thought about AA: “Since the audience for the book is likely to be newcomers, anything from the point of view of content or style that might offend or alienate those who are not familiar with the program should be carefully eliminated,” Bill W in consideration of the Second Edition. Gender-bias, hetro-normative, theistic and antiquated language, the book’s current literacy level and religious bias are worldwide concerns right now. For those who find Living Sober more relevant changes are afoot here as well it offers a secular, rational and contemporary approach to AA sobriety. It's available to read online now at AA.org. There's a lot going on and we seek your feedback, too. Have a listen, have your say. Our musical artist is As Waters from the 2016 album of the same name. We feature "Hollywood Ending." Visit our site for links to music, resources and video referred to in Episode 56 https://rebelliondogspublishing.com/rebellious-radio

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 31-34We 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.

Rebellion Dogs Radio # 63 features Dr. Allen Berger. Here is one of many gems from 12 Essential Insights for Emotional Sobriety: Getting Your Recovery Unstuck:   “In our lives, emotional stability is achieved by becoming aware of our toxic beliefs and unenforceable rules, the idea that makes our emotional balance dependent on external conditions. We start to see how these ideas and rules emerge in our relationships with others (‘If you love me, you will do what I want you to do’) as well as in the lies we tell ourselves (‘The right person can rescue me from my troubles’).  Once we become aware of these unenforceable rules, we must surrender them. We need to move towards an attitude of ‘I’m okay even if this or that happens,’ and away from the idea that ‘I am okay only if this happens that happens.’ This is emotional freedom.”  From Chapter 15 “Paddling Our Own Canoe” This is the latest from Dr. Allen Berger, 12 Essential Insights for Emotional Sobriety. Also on Episode 63, Dearly Beloved, Internationally enjoyed alternative rock band, but from Toronto Canada, provides our musical stimulation, going back to their 2016 Admissions album: Admissions is a great word... double meaning, getting honest or the gate keeper to be being let in... spooky.The 12 essentials, in point form only:1. Waking from our sleepwalking, 2. Living life consciously, 3. Discerning our emotional dependency, 4. Knowing that it’s not personal, 5. Realizing that no one is coming, 6. Accepting what is, 7. Living life on life’s terms, 8. Discovering novel solutions, 9. Breaking the bonds of perfection, 10. Healing through forgiveness, 11. Living life with purpose & 12. Holding on to ourself in relationships.This 2021 offering is the next installment in what’s been a series of well-received books of sober second thought that we will discuss in this episode. Emotional Sobriety This one expands on something Bill W of AA wrote about in AA Grapevine, January of 1958, thirty+ years sober. “Perhaps they will be the spearhead for the next major development in AA—the development of much more real maturity and balance...” The essay is called, “The Next Frontier: Emotional Sobriety.” Allan and I got to know each other better as part of a foursome: Marya Hornbacher, John R of the Verde Valley Arizona Freethinker’s Living Sober group + Allen and I did a one-time Zoom Emotional Sobriety workshop, which became a five-part series with the four of us riffing off of each other and some great audience participation. That can still be enjoyed—if that’s what you’re into—@ FreethinkersLivingSober DOT org Teamed up with psychotherapists and best-selling authors Thom Rutledge, Allen and Thom's   podcast is called Emotional Sobriety - a deeper dive into what we discussed here on Rebellion Dogs Radio. Rumors are now circulating that Joe C will join Thom and Adam for an upcoming episode on their show, as their guest. As "Rebellion dogs our every step," once again, we close with song. Music captures emotional range in ways Joe and Allen talk will not.Dearly Beloved, with Rob Higgins on bass and harmonizing with co-vocalist Niva Chow, put out a 2016 album called, Admissions. The song is "I Tried to Leave."Visit Rebellion Dogs Publishing Episode 63 for show notes and links for books, music, podcasts and more.