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As of this update, DIRT is still in it's embryonic infant stage and hasn't been
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Drunks In Recovery Today

Mission Statement

DIRT - Drunks In Recovery Today - Alcoholics for Alcoholics. We are not a cure all.
We are a "Single of Purpose" Alcoholics Anonymous meeting for people who at
least suffers from "Liquid Alcohol" abuse and we do not support the popular concept,
a drug is a drug. We will not spy, hack, crack or slander other AA Groups, other
members or do anything else that is illegal or immoral. We will not teach you how to
do it either. Our primary purpose is to caring the message to the ALCOHOLIC who
still suffers. If you are a AA member from another group just snooping around or have
a personal vendetta, please go elsewhere because we are in recovery for the Alcoholic.




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Suffering from liquid alcoholic abuse?


What Does DIRT Stand For?


DIRT stands for Drunks In Recovery Today. DIRT Founder Jim K. has a talent with name titles, he named the Groups WAAGL, ABC and now DIRT. DIRT is a recovery meeting for people who have a problem with liquid alcohol. DIRT was created to address the recovery needs of the real alcoholic who still suffers regardless of the length of sobriety. We are strictly "Singleness of Purpose". If you have problems with liquid alcohol this is the place to get help and we welcome you. If you have any other addictions, we DON'T want to hear about them. Please seek help in the appropriate 12 step program, (NA,CA,GA,SA, etc.), NOT here at DIRT!

Bill Wilson wrote a statement concerning the other addictions, he said, "We gladly lent them our 12 Steps but, I be damn if we lend them our program". However, It's sad to say, but most AA groups today are watered down and have been infiltrated by drug addicts pretending to be alcoholics. There are several reasons for this. First of all, the treatment centers, due to budget restraints have lumped all the addictions together into one. They stress the substance abuse is just the symptom, the courts don't care if a crack head goes to AA to get his paper signed, why should he drive to an undesirable, run down, unsafe neighborhood when he can go to a suburban AA Group? And the general attitude of recovery professionals, there argument is that in today's society, there are multple addictions and recreation drug useage besides liquid alcohol.

We at DIRT are unapologetic in our exclusive "Singleness of Purpose" view and stands for the real Alcoholic in recovery ONLY. To attempt to make an alcoholic out of a drug addict is wrong and can be very deadly. DIRT realizes that there are people with duel addictions and feels that the AA 12 step recovery for alcoholism will also take care of any other ailment known to man without a word spoken about them, including drugs. The name is written on the door, it says "AA" - Get it? "Alcoholics".
-Bobby S, for DIRT


Who Can Join Us?

"Our membership includes all who suffer from alcoholism. Hence we may refuse none who wish
to recover. Nor ought A.A. membership ever depend upon money or conformity. Any two or three
alcoholics gathered together for sobriety may call themselves A.A., provided that, they have no
other affiliations." Whenever a AA group brings up drugs and non-alcohol related issues,
the group is in dirrect violation of Tradition Ten. (outside issues; controversy)
-Tradition Ten (The Long Form)

"Each Alcoholics Anonymous group ought to be a spiritual entity having but one primary
purpose - that of carrying its message to the alcoholic who still suffers." (Not Drug Addicts)
-Tradition Five (The Long Form)

"Unless there is approximate conformity to A.A.'s Twelve Traditions, groups can and
do deteriorate and die." (Know any groups who have?)
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, page 174




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What Real Recovering Alcoholics Preferred

What Real Alcoholics Prefer




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Happy, Joyous and Free!


Real Winners - Real Recovery




Are You Spiritually Bankrupted?


I have came up with a list of things not to do in AA if you want what we have, a clean spiritual life and willing to go to any lengths to get it. To borrow a phrase from John S, It's not the things I don't understand that gives me a problem, it's the things I DO understand and don't want to do them. Please note besides getting Information from AA literature, attending workshops, I am also writing this from my own experience. DIRT is my third, and hopefully last, AA meeting that I helped start. WAAGL, ABC and now DIRT. They all branched off from the Attitude Adjustment Group which came out of the Frayser Group where I got sober. They have been around for over 40 years. All because they are rigid when it comes to the 12 Traditions and DO NOT bend. I was all excited about WAAGL and ABC and gave it 100%. I saw them both grow from just a few dedicated recovering alcoholics to large attendance. Unfortunately along with growth comes the Drug addicts, Treatment center largo and watering down of AA.

1. Don't lend any money - If you do, consider it a gift. And if you ever get it back, consider it another gift. 2. Don't Point Fingers- Remember that three are pointing back to you.
3. Don't be judgmental- If you don't look down at anyone, you won't have to look up at anyone.
4. Don't 13 Step- Check your motives, Are you squeaky clean? If she needs a ride home that's OK but don't forget about him! Sexual predators don't last long in AA and it works both ways, male and female.
5. Don't be Controlling- Remember you only can share your experience, strength and hope. You are not a guidance councilor. Don't act like you are all knowing and an authority on solutions.
6. Don't become a Big Book Thumper- It's OK to learn the pages & make quotes, but don't over do it, new comers don't like it & thinks you are a smart ass, sharing your experience, strength & hope is best.
7. Don't Bash- It's not a good idea to bash one's religion or beliefs. If you're into quoting the Big Book, It says, "see where they may be right."
8. Don't be a Pig- It's all about change. Since it is a spiritual program and cleanness is next to God, don't be crusty in appearance. And if you make a mess, clean it up. How are others seeing you?
9. Don't become a AA Junkie- Don't do like I did and hide out at meetings. It's all about balance. Do I have other commitments or responsibilities?
10. Don't become a Guru- A Guru is a person who does every thing that I just listed not to do. They are all knowing on problems, solutions and the Big Book. They love to talk way over 3 minutes and usually hog the meetings. They love to sponsor as many people as possible (man and woman). And they love telling others how to live. They don't have an outside life. Have you seen anyone like that?

Keep coming back, It works!
-Jim K, for DIRT



My Three Minutes

I have done everything wrong in AA except two things. Got drunk and commit adultery or commit adultery and got drunk. It''s like Bacon and Eggs, you do one and you will do the other.

I would be going down the road, minding my own business and my vehicle would pull into the liquor store. I would just get a half pint to drink after supper or if she was bitching. The bottom line, I got drunk every time. What I came up with is I caught up with myself. I felt that impending dome, the four horseman. If nothing changes, nothing changes.

The first couple of years I was on a dry drunk. In the name of AA, if Suzy needed a ride to from the meeting, I would pick her up and take her home. But if Joe needed a ride, oh well, if he got to that bar OK, he can make it to a meeting. I had to come up with a spiritual program instead of a BS program. Instead of putting my boy on the church bus, I put him in my truck and took him and myself to church. My, my, had church changed? I didn't see no Jezebels or bleeding deacons. Just humble people. I remember one time when the collection basket was going around I accidentally dropped in a $100 bill (I really didn't realize it was a hundred dollar bill but it was too late to correct the mistake). That following week after all my bills were paid, above and beyond all expenses, I unsuspectedly received a check for $1,000.00. I've been tithing ever since. Inch by inch is a cinch, yard by yard is hard. That's been nearly 22 years ago and I haven't found it necessary to go back out yet.
-John S, for DIRT




How To Chair Meetings?

Be Prepared - Have a Topic - Go Exactly by the Format

Although AA has no rules and we ought never be organized, common sense should prevail. That is if the person who is chairing has common sense. Here are a few tips that I have leaned from various workshops and from experience over the years that may help you. First, the Chairman's job is to chair, NOT share. Remember to get self out of the way. A chairman should never share unless there is time left. Never open up the meeting and say, "the floors open" this usually comes from either a 90 day wonder without a sponsor or a drug addict masquerading as an alcoholic and don't want to go by the AA format. People, especially the new comers can be shy, afraid and too timid to talk. The chairman should always call on the person to talk. The person who suites up and shows up on time should be allowed to talk before the ones who come in late and don't even know what the topic is. The chairman should always have a topic picked out. But if someone ask for another topic first, that one should be the one. A chairman should maintain order and always stand up for the traditions and enforce the group consciences because he speaks for the group and it is the will of the group and not the chairman personal preference. I have seen meetings hogged by a few individuals where the majority didn't get the opportunity to talk. Then I have seen meetings whereas many as 30 got to share. And it's all got to do with how one chairs. Personalities and favoritism should never be displayed by a chairman. --Jim K



Why You Don't Close an Open Meeting?

The following is taken from AA Literature and is not personal opinion

An open meeting of A.A. is a group meeting that any member of the community, alcoholic or nonalcoholic, be it chancellors, college students, clergy, etc., may attend. Sobriety birthdays are a good example of an open meeting. The only obligation is that of not disclosing the names of AA members. A typical open meeting will usually have a "Chairman" and other speakers as opposed to discussion. The Chairman opens and closes the meeting and introduces each speaker. With rare exceptions, the speakers at an open meeting are AA members. Each, in turn, may review some individual drinking experiences that led to joining AA. The speaker may also give his or her interpretation of the recovery program and suggest what sobriety has meant personally. All views expressed are purely personal, since all members of AA speak only for themselves. For these reasons, an open meeting should never be closed or have an exclusive "New Comers" meeting. It would break traditions by exposing the group and the new comer to the entire community. Remember that anonymity is the spiritual foundation of AA. If the group membership and attendance is over 20, it is recommended that certain Individuals with quality soberly greet the new comer and explain what is going on or perhaps if space is available, a few can share with the new comer or Invite him back to the next closed meeting. The new comer will lean by observing more than by direction.
Most open meetings conclude with a social period during which "Pot Luck" dinners and/or Birthday Cakes are served.

The purpose of the closed meeting is to give members an opportunity to discuss particular phases of their alcoholic problem that can be understood best only by other alcoholics. These meetings are usually conducted with maximum informality, and all members are encouraged to participate in the discussions. The closed meetings are of particular value to the newcomer, since they provide an opportunity to ask questions that may trouble a beginner, and to get the benefit of "older" members' experience with the recovery program.

*Source (44 Questions, Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.)

What Happened to AA?

(Submitted by Donna S. - Original Author Unknown)

What Happened? That question is being asked by a lot of alcoholics lately. What happened to our high success rate? 30 & 40 years ago, we were keeping 75% or more of the alcoholics who came to us for help. Today, we aren't keeping even 5%. What happened? What happened to that wonderful A.A. Group that was around for 20, 30 or 40 years? There used to be 50, 75, 100 or more at every meeting. It is now a matter of history, gone! More and more groups are folding every day. What happened? We hear a lot of ideas, opinions and excuses as to what happened but things are not improving. They continue to get worse. What is happening?

Bill W. wrote, "In the years ahead A.A. will, of course, make mistakes. Experience has taught us that we need have no fear of doing this, providing that we always remain willing to admit our faults and to correct them promptly. Our growth as individuals has depended upon this healthy process of trial and error. So will our growth as a fellowship. Let us always remember that any society of men and women that cannot freely correct it's own faults must surely fall into decay if not into collapse. Such is the universal penalty for the failure to go on growing.

Just as each A.A. must continue to take his moral inventory and act upon it, so must our whole Society if we are to survive and if we are to serve usefully and well."
A.A. Comes of Age, PG 231

With so very few finding lasting sobriety and the continued demise of AA groups, it is obvious that we have not remained willing to admit our faults and to correct them promptly. Seems to me that the Delegate of the Northeast Ohio Area, Bob B., identified our mistakes and our faults when he talked to a group of AA's in 1976. He said, in essence, we are no longer showing the newcomer that we have a solution for alcoholism. We are not telling them about the Big Book and how very important that Book is to our long-term sobriety. We are not telling them about our Traditions and how very important they are to the individual groups and to Alcoholics Anonymous as a whole. Rather, we are using our meeting time for drunkalogs, drug talk, treatment center talk, discussion of personal problems, and ideas.

Having been around for a few years, and reflecting on what Bob B. had to say, it would appear that we have permitted newcomers to convince the old-timers that they have a better idea. They had just spent 30 or more days in a treatment facility where they had been impressed with the need to talk about their problems in Group Therapy Sessions. They had been told that it didn't make any difference what their real problem was; A.A. had the "best program". They were told that they should go to an A.A. meeting every day for the 1st 90 days out of treatment. They were told that they shouldn't make any major decisions for the 1st year of their sobriety. And what they were told goes on and on, most of which are contrary to the Program of Alcoholics Anonymous!

Apparently, what they were told sounded pretty good to the A.A. members who were here when the Treatment Center clients started showing up at our meetings. And a lot of the A.A. members liked the idea of the treatment centers because the centers provided a place where they could drop off a serious drinker, if he/she had insurance. That eliminated some of the inconveniences we had been plagued with before; having to pour orange juice and honey or a shot of booze down a vibrating alky to help them "detox".

When A.A. was very successful, the folks who did the talking in meetings were recovered alcoholics. The suffering and untreated alcoholics listened, (they did not talk). After hearing what it takes to recover, the newcomer was faced with a decision; "Are you going to take the Steps and recover or are you going to get back out there and finish the job?" If they said they "were willing to go to any length", they were given a sponsor, a Big Book and began the process of recovery by taking the Steps and experiencing the Promises that result from that course of action. This process kept the newcomer involved in working with others and continued the growth of our Fellowship. Our growth rate was approximately 7% and the number of sober members of Alcoholics Anonymous doubled every 10 years.

With the advent of the rapid growth of the Treatment Industry, the acceptance of our success with alcoholics by the judicial system and endorsement of physicians, psychiatrist, psychologist, etc. all kinds of people were pouring into A.A. at a rate greater than we had ever dreamed possible. Almost without realizing what was happening, our meetings began changing from ones that focused on recovery from alcoholism to "discussion or participation" types of meetings that invited everyone to talk about whatever was on their mind. The meetings evolved from a program of spiritual development to the group therapy type of meeting where we heard more and more about "our problems" and less and less about the Program of Recovery by the Big Book and the preservation of our Fellowship by adhering to our Traditions.

What has been the result of all this? Well, never have we had so many coming to us for help. But never have we had such a slow growth rate which has now started to decline. For the first time in our history, Alcoholics Anonymous is losing members faster than they are coming in and our success rate is unbelievably low. (Statistics from the Inter-Group Office of some major cities indicate less than 5% of those expressing a desire to stop drinking is successful for more than 5 years; a far cry from the 75% reported by Bill W. in the Forward to Second Edition).The change in the content of our meetings is proving to be misery-traps for the newcomer and in turn, misery-traps for the groups that depend on the "discussion or participation" type meetings.

Why is this? The answer is very simple. When meetings were opened so that untreated alcoholics & non-alcoholics were given the opportunity to express their ideas, their opinions, air their problems and tell how they were told to do it where they came from, the confused newcomer became more confused with the diversity of information that was being presented. More and more they were encouraged to "just go to meetings and don't drink" or worse yet, "go to 90 meetings in 90 days". The newcomer no longer was told to take the Steps or get back out there and finish the job. In fact, they are often told, "Don't rush into taking the Steps. Take your time."

The alcoholics who participated in the writing of the Big Book didn't wait. They took the Steps in the first few days following their last drink. Thank God, there are those in our Fellowship, like Joe & Charlie, etc., who have recognized the problem and have started doing something about it. They are placing the focus back on the Big Book. There have always been a few groups that would not yield to the group therapy trend. They stayed firm to their commitment to try to carry a single message to the suffering alcoholic. That is to tell the newcomer "we have had a spiritual awakening as the result of these Steps and if you want to recover, we will see that you have a sponsor who has recovered and will lead you along the path the 1st 100 laid down for us".

Recovered alcoholics have begun founding groups that have a single purpose and inform the newcomer that until they have taken the steps and recovered, they will not be permitted to say anything in meetings. They will listen to recovered alcoholics, they will take the Steps, they will recover and then they will try to pass their experience and knowledge on to the ones who are seeking the kind of help we provide in Alcoholics Anonymous. As this movement spreads, as it is beginning to, Alcoholics Anonymous will again be very successful in doing the one thing God intended for us to do and that is to help the suffering alcoholic recover, if he has decided he wants what we have and is willing to go to any length to recover, to take and apply our Twelve Steps to our lives and protect our Fellowship by honoring our Twelve Traditions.

There is a tendency to want to place the blame for our predicament on the treatment industry and professionals. They do what they do and it has nothing to do with what we in Alcoholics Anonymous do. That is their business. That is not where to place the blame and also is in violation of our Tenth Tradition. The real problem is that the members of Alcoholics Anonymous, who were here when the "Treatment Centers" began coming to our Fellowship did not help the "clients" understand that our Program had been firmly established since April 1939, and that the guidelines for the preservation and growth of our Fellowship were adopted in 1950. That they must get rid of their new "old ideas" and start practicing the Twelve Step Program of Alcoholics Anonymous as it was given to us. That until they had taken the Steps and recovered, they ad nothing to say that needed to be heard except by their sponsor. But that didn't happen. To the contrary, the old timers failed in their responsibility to the newcomer to remind them of a vital truth, "Rarely have we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our path. Those who do not recover are people who cannot or will not completely give themselves to this simple program." We have permitted untreated alcoholics and non-alcoholics to sit in our meetings and lay out their problems, ideas and opinions. We have gone from, "Rarely have we seen a person fail" to "Seldom do we see a person recover".

So there we are. We have had 30 years of unbelievable success by following the directions in the Big Book. We have had 30 years of disappointing failure by wanting to hear from everyone. We now have something to compare. We now know what the problem is and we know what the solution is. Unfortunately, we have not been prompt to correct the faults and mistakes, which have been created by what would appear to belarge doses of apathy and complacency. The problem we are trying to live with is needlessly killing alcoholics.

The Solution? The Power, greater than ourselves, that we find through our Twelve Steps promises recovery for those who are willing to follow the clear-cut directions in the Big Book. Do you want to be a part of the problem or a part of the solution? Simple, but not easy, a price has to be paid.
-Submitted by Donna S, for DIRT



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I tried drinking myself to death but I realized
that it would take a life time. -Jim K.

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No Smoking at DIRT

Another nail in your coffin?

Are you putting another nail in your coffin? How many times have you heard
that concerning smoking? We at DIRT are way head of the game. It's only
a matter of time when Tennessee will follow other states and band smoking
in public places. Therefore, out of consideration for others and for your health,
All of DIRT Meetings will be SMOKE FREE. If you can't go an hour without
smoking, you need to check in at Lakeside for further treatment or get locked
up in Jail where there is no smoking at all. Recovery is all about change!
Besides there will be a designated smoking area set up outside.


Suffering from liquid alcoholic abuse?

Coming Soon:

New Meeting Schedules

New Meeting Schedules


Recommended Sobriety WebSite Links

DIRT Recommended Recovery Websites:

Visit these AA related sites

Official AA Website

AA Back to Basics

Real-time AA meetings

Recovery.com Website

Hungover.com Website

Sober Times.com Website

Memphis Area AA Directory

Let's Stay Sober.com Website


If you are a real Alcoholic in recovery and would like to contribute articles to this site
please write us. DIRT is listed in the Memphis Area and National AA recovery sites and
viewed by many people. Only first name and last Initials will be posted. Photo optional

Send all Inquiries, JPEGs, BMPs, Articles, Questions, Answers
Suggestions and Comments to: DIRT@bobbysowell.com

*Contributing Editorials Submitted by Jim K, Donna S, Bobby S. and John S.

**Anonymity is respected, all photos posted by permission of individuals.

What part of Black and White do
Drug Addicts not understand?

What does the sign say? The name is written on
the door, it says "AA" - Get it? For "Alcoholics"!

Each group has but one primary purpose - to carry its message to the alcoholic who still suffers.
The popular Treatment Center statement, "a drug is a drug" is a Lie! Don't believe them!



Because we do care...

If viewing this site didn't ring a bell with you (no pun intended) & you are still confused & feel
you are equally duel addicted, DIRT recommends you visit DA (Dual Recovery Anonymous),
their meetings are open to individuals who are addicted to any two or more substances. If you
have other drug addictions please visit the approiate links to NA (Narcotics Anonymous) or CA
(Cocain Anonymous). *Public service links provided by DIRT because we do care about others.

Dual Recovery Anonymous

Narcotics Anonymous

Cocain Anonymous




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