The underground railroad that is Alcoholics Anonymous — with more than 500 meetings a week in the Greater Toronto area — thrives on the promise of many things, not the least of which is anonymity.
What this means, literally, is that individuals must keep quiet not about their sobriety, but about their membership in AA. For more than seven decades, anonymity has been key, ensuring a safe haven for sharing and recovery.
In 1935, when AA was founded in Akron, Ohio, anonymity made sense. But in the era of Facebook and Twitter, there are those who argue that anonymity is a dated concept. Is it time for AA to drop the second “a”? Some say yes — most famously author Susan Cheever. She has written not only about her own drinking and that of her father, writer John Cheever, but also a biography of Bill Wilson, one of the co-founders of AA. Last spring, she wrote a controversial column in the new online New York-based magazine The Fix: “We are in the midst of a public health crisis when it comes to understanding and treating addiction. AA’s principle of anonymity may only be contributing to general confusion and prejudice. When it comes to alcoholism and AA, the problem is very public, but the solution is still veiled in secrecy.” > > > > Read More
