Yeah. The reason that I’m convinced it’s genetic is because I know a fair amount about speech pathology and I know that “pathologies” (huge scare quotes there) are increasingly understood to be genetic. I was in speech therapy for a long time as a child, and so were other members of my family who I didn’t grow up…

How did you find this? I know this is real but I can’t quite believe it. ETA: I am absolutely convinced that there is a genetic factor to “gay voice.” I know, because I’m multilingual, that gay men sound different in different languages. But the idea that “gay voice” is a product of socialization, who the person…

Firstly, I’m not an anti-AAer. As I said in my OP, I know people for whom AA has worked. But even they selectively ignore certain parts of the dogma. I know that there are some people who have to practice complete abstinence. In fact, even Sinclair says that there are some alcoholics (maybe 10% is his estimate) that…

You seem to just be a poor reader who ignored the point of my original post, which was that the US is behind the times and should get with it. And by the way, the medication that they prescribe in Finland is available for prescription in the US if you ask for it, and is covered by insurance. You obviously didn’t read…

I don’t understand what you’re referring to. What costs $5,000? The drug? It doesn’t. Finland’s treatment programs? They cost around $2,500. Which is nothing, compared to what treatment costs in the US.

You’re right that AA doesn’t officially advocate that someone who could die from withdrawal stop drinking suddenly. But AA is absolutely riddled with “salvation narratives” about the drunk who hit rick bottom, had an epiphany and never drank another drop of alcohol again. And its no wonder: This is from their historic…

A drug called naltrexone:

That’s just not true. There are science based treatments for alcoholism that have been proven effective. We don’t use them in the US because here treatment has been monopolized by for profit or privatized treatment centers, and AA (which only persists because it doesn’t cost money):

Anyone thinking of attending an AA meeting, or currently in AA should read this article:

ETA: I’m looking at publicity about this person on line and I’m really starting to wonder what their education has been like. These statements just do not read like they were written by someone of her gender, of her generation. This looks like the effects of extreme class segregation to me. Anyways... its just so hard…

I didn’t know that. It’s very interesting to me how parents of violent sexual criminals react. On the one hand, you have this man’s parents, or Adam Lanza’s dad, who gave this fantastic interview: http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/… and said that he regrets his son’s existence. I think I would be like them. I…