Page 36 - 37 - More About Alcoholism

Page: 36

Step we are on: Step One

Subject: Mental Condition, Jim the Salesman, Insanity, Two Fold illness, Pre-lapse, Relapse, Normal vs. Abnormal

Good morning. I hope everyone had a great weekend. Today the co-authors of this book are going to tell us what they know about INSANITY, and they are going to come as close to defining it in terms relative to alcoholism as they ever will in this entire book. Please set aside what you THINK alcoholic insanity is what you have been told by counselors, sponsors or ANYONE not actually referring to the insanity described in this book.

• What was placed at risk by taking those three drinks?

Here was the threat of commitment, the loss of family and position,

• What else was he to experience as the result of this spree?

to say nothing of that intense mental and physical suffering which drinking always caused him.

• Did he know he was an alcoholic?

He had much knowledge about himself as an alcoholic.

• What happened to all the reasons he had for not taking the first drink?

Yet all reasons for not drinking were easily pushed aside in favor of the foolish idea that he could take whiskey if only he mixed it with milk!

Please turn to page 37

• Are they offering us the precise definition of "insanity"? What would we or anyone else call Jim's actions?

Whatever the precise definition of the word may be, we call this plain insanity.

Again, we see the true insanity of chronic alcoholism which makes it impossible for the real alcoholic to manage their most fervent desire to never take another drink; the UNMANAGEABILITY of chronic alcoholism.

Alcoholics drink. NO MATTER WHAT! There is no “sick and tired of feeling sick and tired” –Real alcoholics drink even if they are sick and tired or being sick and tired. --- Despite all fear, hopes or desire. 

There is no human force strong enough to break an alcoholic permanently away from obsession. 

There’s no HOPE . . . no STRENGTH for an alcoholic trying to live without having a spiritual experience of awakening.

• What other descriptives to they use to characterize "insanity" as it applies to the alcoholics and alcoholism?

How can such a lack of proportion, of the ability to think straight, be called anything else?

Again no definition. But definitely insane characteristics held by all alcoholics:

1. lack of proportion,
2. inability to think straight

Please note that nowhere in this book to the co-authors tell us that insanity is "doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result." That may be one particular characteristic of some insane people, but it falls very short of actually defining insanity of ANY KIND let alone the kind of alcoholic insanity fitting "our description of the alcoholic" presented in this book. Very short!

To wit: Alcoholics drink again and again and again expecting and getting the exact same result; the anesthetization of their troubled, pained God separated, conscience. Alcohol works.

Alcohol is a solution. There may be plenty of folks who do NOT fit the alcoholic description in this book who fail to get the result that the alcoholic gets - that is because they are not really alcoholic for them alcohol does not work; a fact that eventually can convince them to stop on their own.Secular definitions of terms that contradict the AA “description of the alcoholic” can confuse newcomers and old-timers alike. They sound great when embedded into alternative 'therapies" on A&E or Dr. Drew's TV show -- there they may be appropriate. But confusing the secular definitions of words like "insanity or even obvious words like "alcoholism" is tricky,  dangerous business when trying to adhere to the suggested and particular spiritual program of recovery presented in this book.

Secular slogan-isms has no place being called "AA" - if it isn't in this book. Even if it sounds smart and cool. We might even utilize some of them when appropriate and when they align with the principles in this book --- but please let's not call them AA if they do not.

• TOMORROW:
• Is this kind of thing farfetched to us? (2 sentences)
• Have some of us given more thought to the consequences than Jim did
• What is curious about the alcoholic’s thinking?
• What overrode our sound reasoning?
• Will sound reasoning keep us from taking the first drink?
• What always wins out?
• What do we then earnestly and sincerely ask ourselves?

Peace & Love,
Danny S – RLRA
Real Live Recovered Alcoholic
http://recoveredalcoholic.blogspot.com