Rolf Ankermann

When Rolf Ankermann wrote his non-fiction book, The Freedom to Recover, his intent was to expose AA’s lack of efficacy in terms of helping people address and overcome their alcohol dependencies. The organization’s premise that one must declare themselves as being powerless over alcohol and that in order to get well that they must surrender both their will and their lives to some higher power of their own choosing, is both ineffective and downright damaging. At best, the 12 Step methodology offers a placebo effect for those that buy in and believe that either God, the AA group itself or some other declared higher power, will miraculously cure them if they worship and pray to it as told to do in the program’s dogmatic Steps.

The truth of the matter is that these disempowering mandates go counter to the logical and common sense conclusion that positive cognitive behavioral changes can only occur when one believes in his or her ability to effect such changes in their own lives.

Rolf’s opinion which is shared by many is that alcoholism is not a disease but rather, it’s a response to other underlying issues. The physical addiction that develops over years of heavy use is very real, however, once one makes the DECISION to go through the withdrawal process, what’s left to figure out and subsequently overcome, is why one resorted to self-medicating away their pain in the first place.

Mr. Ankermann’s novel, 12 Steps to Dead, takes on and exposes many of the attributes of the AA fellowship that has left many who have been exposed to its teachings, with feelings of guilt, failure and depression. This program with no oversight, can lead vulnerable people into a state of hopelessness and sometimes, sadly, much worse. AA meetings are a virtual feeding ground for predatory beings looking to take advantage of people.

Being told that you are diseased for life, that you are full of character defects (sins) and that you must continually relive your sordid past looking for your “part” in it all, can lead to some unpleasant results. Finally, being told that you will die if you leave the “fellowship” can very easily lead one to believe they are trapped and to just give up.

AA is a “recovery program” with no exit plan that espouses the idea that the best that one can hope to achieve is to live out their life as a “recovering alcoholic” “one day at a time” for eternity. The day that Rolf rejected this horribly disempowering and damaging lie, was the day that he realized that he had, “The Freedom to Recover.”