Name: Jordan Peterson on Alcoholics Anonymous
Uploaded: 2021-03-30T19:54:49.000Z
Description: Watch the stand-up comedy video 'Jordan Peterson on Alcoholics Anonymous' from Theo Von Clips on Comedy Buff. Published 2021-03-30. Transcript available.

Watch the stand-up comedy video 'Jordan Peterson on Alcoholics Anonymous' from Theo Von Clips on Comedy Buff. Published 2021-03-30. Transcript available.

I've been in recovery for like five years, I guess, and I've struggled recently
in the past year during the pandemic.
But I'm still a strong believer in recovery and in the 12 steps of recovery.
Why do you feel like the 12 steps of recovery or the 12 steps work well for so
many people?
And do you think that that's the best modality to to obtain sobriety for for
for addicts?
Well, it isn't obvious that there's a good alternative.
So that's the first thing.
If AA doesn't work, it isn't like there's a preferable treatment.
Most people cease alcohol use on their own without medical intervention.
We don't know why, although religious transformation seems to be one.
And of course, the 12 steps capitalizes on that.
I think that it's quite an intelligent program, psychologically speaking.
You know, first of all, you have to make a moral inventory.
You have to figure out what's wrong in your life, which would obviously include
the alcohol misuse.
You have to rectify that, take responsibility for it.
Try to try to chart out a new course.
You're also provided with a social structure, which is really useful when you're
trying to stop drinking, because it's very probable that most of your friends
are going to be drinkers.
And so that leaves, not only do you stop drinking, but you stop associating
with your friends or maybe even with your family members.
That's really hard.
Yeah.
So, you know, an AA doesn't seem to be an exploitative organization.
It's all volunteers.
And speaking strictly clinically, it isn't obvious that there's a better
alternative.
If you were being strictly scientific, you'd say, well, there's never been
controlled trials of AA where you randomly assign people to the AA group and to
the non-AA group or another treatment to see head-to-head which works better.
And there's the problem that many people drop out, and so you can't tell
exactly what the success rate is.
But that's, in some sense, a technical argument.
It also isn't clear to me that AA does people harm.
Right.
Which is also really important because many medical treatments can produce harm.
And so the worst you could say is, well, maybe it won't work.
Yeah, and that's not that big of a risk.
Right, right.
Comparatively speaking, yes.
Yeah, if you're already all sick or something, you know, you've been…
So, what do you think it was that enabled you to stop drinking?
Like, why did you manage it?
What did you use as an alternative?
Well, I noticed when I went, well, my problem was cocaine, but I worried that
if I drank, I would do cocaine.
I never had a problem drinking, but I was worried that one could lead to the
other.
Yes, undoubtedly.
I think, well, one thing, it gave me a place where I realized that other people
were sharing their thoughts and feelings, and I'd never been in that kind of
environment before.
So, that was one of the big things, was the emotional sobriety.
And then it helped me have a relationship with a higher power, which I'd never
really had.
Right, and what difference did that make, do you think?
Oh, man, that made…
It was the first time in my life I felt like something cared about me unconditionally.
And you experienced that?
Oh, and I experienced it at a level that shook me, man, like I got electrocuted.
Like, it was, yeah, that a God just, that some invisible thing cared about me
at a level that I could never even imagine.
And that, no matter if I was good or bad, or if I did something naughty or nice
or cinnamon or spice, man, that this thing loved me.
And that was, I just never felt that before.
So, for there to be a way to get to that feeling, that's what made recovery
feel, like, important to me, I think.
Hmm.
Yeah, well, to have an experience like that is a real gift.
Yeah.
Hope you enjoyed that video, and you can watch another.
And you can watch this one, you can watch this one.
Different options, different choices.
Some guy just brings you one option, not this guy.
Two options.
Watch one.
This one or this one.