Former members of a Washington DC Alcoholic's Anonymous (AA) group accuse its current leadership of using coercive tactics at odds with AA principles & more like manipulative cult-like behavior than responsible addiciton recovery acts.

In a report published in Newsweek, A Struggle Inside AA, reporter Nick Summers interviewed former members of the Midtown AA group. They charged that local attendees who had assumed leadership positions in the non-structured group assigned new members sponsors instead of letting them pick their own, encouraged members to cut themselves off from their family & friends, advised new members to discontinue even prescribed medications, & encouraged dating & sexual relationships among their members, all actions against usual AA policy.

In response, current members told the reporter that they were a thriving group whose ex-members were jealous of their success. AA does not have a national leadership. Each group is autonomous & does not have any designated leadership. Members go only by unchecked first names to preserve their anonymity.

For the full story: Cult-like CD Group Giving AA a Bad Name?.