BACK TO BASICS FOR ADDICTS

The Muckers say A.A. has lost its course.

“Up there,” says James, a slim, muscular ordinators of treatment center meetings because Bay Street executive in his early 40s, as he they had been espousing the Muckers’ points to a gleaming office tower in Toronto’s philosophy. Representatives of A.A. are financial district. “That’s where I work. Up on the reluctant to comment on the Muckers or to 50th floor.” On a noon-hour stroll through a discuss the relative merits of their approaches. downtown park, James admits that he is lucky to “The Big Book hasn’t changed,” said Ron, a still hold a job anywhere. For years, he confides high-ranking official for eastern and central quietly, he was addicted to cocaine, a problem Ontario. “lts worked for almost sixty years.” he kept concealed from his blue chip employer. Some treatment centers have also At the height of his addiction, he confesses, he rejected the Muckers. Alpha House lnc., a routinely blew $1,000 a weekend on the potent rehabilitation facility treating various addictions, white powder. By Monday morning, he was has instructed staff and residents to avoid the exhausted, often unable to work. But a year ago, Muckers. “The bottom line is that Muckers seem after numerous attempts to quit, James turned to to be obsessed with their way being the only a small but growing self-help organization called woy,” stated a memo to employees. On the The Muckers Anonymous lnc. “My cravings went other hand, the Donwood lnstitute, a well away and never returned,” he says. “lt was like established, Toronto recovery facility, has someone with terminal cancer waking up one allowed the Muckers to hold weekly meetings, day to discover the disease was gone. lt was which Donwood clients can attend. “Some of remarkable.” them found it quite helpful,” says Dennis James, There is, however, nothing remarkable vice-president of the Donwood health recovery about the Muckers’ technique. According to a 52 program. year old recovered alcoholic named Jim who The Muckers contend that they are helped start the Toronto-based group in early maintaining the original traditions of A.A. They 1995, the Muckers rely on intense study of the charge that A.A. has drifted away from the Big 57-year -old book Alcoholics Anonymous, known Book and the 12-step approach that its to A.A. adherents as the Big Book, and the founders, Bill Wilson, a New York City Twelve Step approach outlined in the first 103 stockbroker, and Bob Smith, a physician from pages. Nevertheless, the group has become Ohio, developed in the mid-1930s to cope with embroiled in a dispute with A.A. and several their own alcoholism. According to the Muckers, other self-help groups that resembles a battle many A.A. groups pay lip service to the sanctity between fundamentalists and mainstream of the Big Book but no longer insist that a Christians. Among other things, those groups recovering alcoholic must use it. “A.A.’s say that the Muckers, so named because they message has become broader and diluted,” frequently muck up the Big Book by underlining says John, a 3S-year- old alcoholic, drug addict key passages and phrases, have a zealous and staunch Mucker. “We stick to the original approach to recovery from addiction that text.” excludes anything but the twelve step method. The cornerstone of the Mucker approach “There’s a huge backlash from the established is called “booking,” in which a member of the groups,” says James. group works one-on-one with a recovering Last fall, A.A. representatives in Toronto alcoholic or addict. They spend up to three removed the Muckers from their list of approved hours a day, usually over a twotothree-week groups after discovering that their meetings period, studying the Big Book, line by line and covered various kinds of addictions, rather than phrase by phrase. Among other things, the just alcoholism. ln May, A.A. ousted two recovering addict must admit personal failings members from elected positions as co- and weaknesses and make amends to people

he has harmed through his addiction. Some almost all in the Toronto area. Some recently Muckers who belonged to A.A. say they became recovered addicts say they have experienced disenchanted by that organization’s move away moments of profound spiritual contentment while from its original policy of one-on-one therapy in being booked. “l had this sense of absolute favour of personal or group study. And some peace,” recalls Tory, a film-maker in his mid-30s longtime A.A. members confirm the trend. “You who was battling alcoholism and heroin just don’t see a lot of people going through the addiction. “l couldn’t see anything or hear book one-on-one anymore,” said Gord, who has anything. It was almost like the first few seconds belonged to A.A. for 35 years. of a drug overdose.” Since then, Tory says, he The Muckers have been booking about has not been tormented by his old cravings. And 100 people a month, according to Jim, and the for that, he is both relieved and grateful. fellowship now has about 2,000 members,

D’Arcy Jenish

Source: Maclean’s, October 21, 1996.