Not completely on board with this but I think it deserves to be discussed.
Is AA a cult?
My one "backslide" after I stopped drinking was when I went directly from an AA meeting to a riteaid & bought a fifth of vodka after getting frustrated with the negativity I was hearing there. I haven't had a drink since that day. I do feel like meetings gave me a boost at the beginning but I think that people who center their lives around not drinking are still letting alcohol control their lives, and that the language used in meetings (like "stinkin' thinkin'") only serves to keep you vulnerable to addiction.
AA might work for some personalities. It will not work for Keith. In my humble opinion.