"What we are like now" - Fred's Perspective

Page: 43

Step we are on: Step One

Chapter: More About Alcoholism

Subject: Mental Condition, Fred the Accountant, Insanity, Two Fold illness, Nervous, Pre-lapse, Relapse, Normal vs. Abnormal

Good morning.  Please go to page 43. Fred the Accountant has discovered what many of us discover when we do this deal in earnest, in full; that not only does the spiritual solution being presented solve the drinking problem but it will solve ALL problems.

("Quite as important was the discovery that spiritual principles would solve all my problems.)

Here are some other problems, (troubles & frustrations) mentioned in the Big Book:

Depression, Anxiety, Suicidal Ideation, PTSD, fatal illness, poor health, business failures, non-working/dead personal relationships.

So let's see what things are like for Fred now.

• What kind of life did his decision bring him into?

I have since been brought into a way of living infinitely more satisfying and, I hope, more useful than the life I lived before.

• What was his old life like?

My old manner of life was by no means a bad one,

Once again we see that "bottoms" are not measured by ones' status in society. If that were true, Hollywood and sports celebrities could never hit bottom and recover until they lost all, could they? 

• What would he not trade for?

but I would not exchange its best moments for the worst I have now.

This is not a mind bender. He’s making the simple point that life is better now than it used to be. That’s all.

• Would he have liked to return to his old way of living?

I would not go back to it even if I could."

Is this a strong endorsement for the life produced by living our life according to the directions the 1st 100 prepared for us? Why would anyone refuse to put it to the test?  It cannot happen by just going to meetings.  It can only be experienced if we do what they did and the Big Book gives us clear-cut directions which will not fail.

• What does Fred’s story do?

Fred's story speaks for itself.

Please notice how Fred is not centering his support of this spiritual program on alcohol and drinking problems.  His endorsement focuses on all of his life. One might say "all our affairs".

Real-life and real-time stories give us authority and credence. We ought to be able to use our own lifestyle, relationships, health as our credentials when presenting this spiritual solution to those who are lacking in all these areas. 

Alcoholics have many, many problems and troubles. Drinking is only one of many symptoms. Eradicating one symptom, like EtOH (by "just not drinking" & "going to meetings") by trading it for another obsession, like food, sex, drugs (nicotine, caffeine, etc)  - will fail to convince anyone to get on the spiritual path proposed by these co-authors.

"What we are like now" is just as important in building confidence and maximizing usefulness as "What we were like". 

Tomorrow:

• What were their hopes?
• Had Fred severely suffered from alcoholism?
• He had felt only the first nip of the wringer.
• Do most alcoholics get off so easy?
• Most alcoholics have to be pretty badly mangled before they really commence to solve their problems.
• How do many doctors and psychiatrists feel about our conclusions?
• Many doctors and psychiatrists agree with our conclusions.
• What did one such professional say?  (the rest of the  paragraph)

Peace and  Love,

Danny S – RLRA

Real Live Recovered Alcoholic

http://recoveredalcoholic.blogspot.com