There were some things. You sat in a circle, (in some meetings) and told war stories about how fucked up you used to get on drugs and alcohol, and you had obnoxious, no-boundaries hugs. A lot of the people there were still fucked up on drugs, and could barely read the 12 principles during the meeting. It was hilarious. Going to NA was like entertainment, just watching all of the idiots there and listening to their bullshit.
The raps were nothing like 12 step meetings, though. No confrontation, not even any feedback. People just stood up, shared, then finished and everyone clapped for them. Even if it was the most inane, stupid bullshit someone could say, they would clap for them afterwards. I remember one time some punk-assed bitch dickweed in a doo-rag stood up, and shared that that morning, he had beaten the shit out of his girlfriend, but that it's ok, because he feels bad about it, and he went to a meeting. People clapped after he shared. I said to myself "What the fuck??? Okay, that's it. Screw you guys, I'm never coming back." and I never did.
The main thing that I found to be cult like was the whole "Keep coming back!" attitude, and if you weren't going to meetings, but staying sober, you were considered a "dry drunk". And of course, the 12th step, which was about trying to spread the word of 12 step to the people who were "still suffering". Lots of shame-based crap. Lots of bullshit about how 12 step was the only way to stay sober. Yet their attrition rate, by their own numbers, is 95%.
Oh yeah, and the whole "turning your life over to god" thing. What a joke. As if god (if he/she exists) has time to keep you sober. God doesn't do people's laundry.
I've found that 12 step meetings were pretty much good for two things: getting laid and scoring drugs.
I never went to synanon, but I can say that 12 step is NOTHING like CEDU. CEDU is full-blown crazy, 12 step is just idiotic bullshit.
If 12 step is a cult, they are a really CRAPPY cult, because they can't even hang onto their own members.
I had to quit some substances, and I used rational recovery. Worked just fine for me. No groups, no meetings, no stupid-assed sobriety chip, just read a book.
