I understand where you are coming from, that would have really upset me. Honestly, I haven't gone to a meeting since my 3rd week or so being sober. Meetings were so amazing for me at first, and really helped me a lot the first couple of weeks. I lost my connection to them and started to feel the same way you explained them - "cultish", agenda-pushing (beyond abstinence), and ultimately judgmental. This is also why I haven't posted here in a long time, when I did I always seemed to get into some level of battle about whatever my point of view was. It actually forced me to pull away and focus on a lot of personal, introspective reflection on why I may have issues with AA and with people in general. Stopping myself, and pulling away to allow for some personal reflection, putting forth more work towards finishing my MBA, and completing a Style of Influence workshop for my career has really helped me to understand how I best cope with things - I prefer to quietly deal with difficult issues with very few people (one or two very close friends and my wife) while not being secretive, just being private. I openly discuss my sobriety and alcoholism with anyone at anytime that is appropriate, if I know them a little or a lot. I have found, though, that "anonymous" large forums of people, whether online or in-person, does not work for me right now. That doesn't mean it won't work for me again, like it did the first couple of weeks, I just know that I don't need it right now. That is OK! Even though I know that is OK and am 100% at peace with my direction and decision, there is a very good chance (like a few times before) that someone may reply to me that is not OK with my decision, very much how the folks at the meeting were not OK with your choices. I support you Moufassah, and I hope you know that it is OK to choose your own path to sobriety! Who knows, at some point during our recovery path maybe one of us will find AA again and decide to actively participate, the nice thing is that their doors will always be open for us. Congrats on the good week and have a wonderful day!