The Alcoholic Mind

Page: 41

Chapter: More About Alcoholism  

Step we are on: Step One

Subject:  Fred the Accountant, Struck Drunk,Two Fold illness,  Relapse

Good morning. Fred is telling 'the boys' about how he has come to some amazing conclusions regarding what has been ailing him.

One might say he has 'conceded' to his 'innermost self' that he is indeed alcoholic.

• How was he drinking?

I had commenced to drink as carelessly as though the cocktails were ginger ale.

• What did he remember his A.A. friends had prophesied?

I now remembered what my alcoholic friends had told me, how they prophesied that if I had an alcoholic mind, the time and place would come - I would drink again.

QUESTION:  Were they correct in their prophecy?

When we are given the opportunity to make a Twelve Step Call on a prospect, having talked only about alcoholism and our experiences while drinking; and the prospect does not indicate he has identified with the "description of the alcoholic" presented to him; the reality of their problem - perhaps leave them with this one thought.  “Maybe you really don’t have a serious problem with drinking.  Maybe you can handle this on your own now that you have a pretty good picture of what alcoholism really is but if you have an ALCOHOLIC MIND, you will drink again.  Here is my telephone number in case you would ever like to call me in the future.”

Please Turn to Page 42

• What did they say would happen in spite of his determination to not drink? 

 They had said that though I did raise a defense, it would one day give way before some trivial reason for having a drink.

• How well did his self-knowledge serve him?

Well, just that did happen and more, for what I had learned of alcoholism did not occur to me at all.

If you think there is no such a thing as being Struck Drunk, then boy do you not know much about us real alcoholics.
If we alkies are to "Think the drink through" we either forget to do it - or if we remember and actually attempt to do so, we all come to the same conclusion that

"IT WASN'T SO BAD LAST TIME - THIS TIME, IT WILL BE DIFFERENT"

From this experience, what did he come to know?
I knew from that moment that I had an alcoholic mind.
He remembered their prophecy and now knew he had a problem with which he needed help.

 This is only the first use of the term "Alcoholic Mind" in this book. It's a reference to the mental obsession part of the two-fold description of alcoholism.

An Alcoholic Mind? Is the mind of an alcoholic different from the mind of a non-alcoholic? From a drug addict? From a sex addict?

Yes, it sure is!

While all of these 'solutions' are symptomatic of spiritual illness and obsessive, unmanageable behaviors, drinking EtOH is the obsessive choice of the alcoholic. His brain is inexorably linked to what has worked for him in the past––what numbed his conscience from the agony of guilt for having played God, IE. Resented.

Alcohol has been his solution.

We learn and realize (If it applies to us) that alcoholism "Centers in the mind". (23:2)  We will NEVER be led to believe by the co-authors of this Book that alcoholism centers in a lack of meetings, or at the disco, or the wedding reception or in the smell of sawdust or with the slip under the skirt. None of these will even be remotely implied.

We will, however, be told that an un-recovered alcoholic STILL has an "alcoholic mind" - a very specific term they use to refer to one thing: Obsession. Or "Insanity" if you prefer.

Agree or disagree - like it or not - that’s the way they describe it. And boy are they consistent with it in this book.

TOMORROW

·         What did he learn about self-knowledge and willpower?

·         What else did he come to understand?

·         How did the newly acquired knowledge affect him? (Two sentences)

·         Who came to see him?

·         What was the first thing they did?

·         What did Fred think of what they did?

Peace and Love,

Danny S – RLRA

Real Live Recovered Alcoholic

http://recoveredalcoholic.blogspot.com