Fred Gets Schooled (P.40 - More About Alcoholism)

Page: 40

Step we are on: Step One

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

Fred gets it.  He is blown away by the knowledge the boys bring him about alcoholism and is sufficiently brought up to speed by the classic, Big Book (AA) mental and physical (Two Fold) description of alcoholism. 

Is it time for Fred to "Just Don't Drink" his way to sobriety? 

• Was Fred convinced that he should stop drinking?

The story he told is most instructive, for here was a chap absolutely convinced he had to stop drinking, who had no excuse for drinking, who exhibited splendid judgment and determination in all his other concerns, yet was flat on his back nevertheless.

• With what was he impressed?

Let him tell you about it: "I was much impressed with what you fellows said about alcoholism,

• What did he not believe?

and I frankly did not believe it would be possible for me to drink again.

• What ideas impressed him the most?

I rather appreciated your ideas about the subtle insanity which precedes the first drink,

Comment: Remember, the A.A.’s only told him about alcoholism and bore down on the subtle insanity that precedes the first drink; the alcoholic mind. They had made no mention of the Solution they had found. Not yet.

• Of what was he confident?

but I was confident it could not happen to me after what I had learned.

• What was his reasoning?

I reasoned I was not so far advanced as most of you fellows, that I had been usually successful in licking my other personal problems, and that I would therefore be successful where you men failed. 

It sounds like Fred has been pretty well 'educated' by his twelve stepping friends on the "description of the alcoholic."  He knows "where it takes him" and that he had better do something about it. 

Let's see how far his impressive knowledge and "Just Don't Drink" idea got him . . . . .

Peace & Love,

Danny S – RLRA

Real Live Recovered Alcoholic

http://recoveredalcoholic.blogspot.com

Where's Fred? - More About Alcoholism

Page: 40

Step we are on: Step One

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

Good morning. We are on page 40 now, still looking at Fred The Accountant.

• With the humiliation,he had experienced and the knowledge the A.A.’s had given him, what was he certain he could do?

He was positive that this humiliating experience, plus the knowledge he had acquired, would keep him sober the rest of his life.

• What did Fred believe would fix him?

Self-knowledge would fix it.

• A year later, what were the A.A.’s told? Two sentences

We heard no more of Fred for a while. One day we were told that he was back in the hospital.

• In what condition was he?

This time he was quite shaky.

shaky - unsteady condition, ready to fall to pieces; unsound.

The Winston Simplified Dictionary – 1938

Notice that in the 30s "shaky" means something very specific. It is not the same as "a case of the Jitters" which Fred suffered from the first time they saw him a year prior. "The Jitters" is a description of a nervous physical condition - while "shaky" is an adjective describing his overall state.

• Who was it he indicated he wanted to see?

He soon indicated he was anxious to see us.

Comment: Would this indicate he had paid the price of admission; that he had developed a desire to stop drinking?

Tomorrow:

• What was Fred' excuse for drinking?
• With what was he impressed?
• What did he not believe?
• What ideas impressed him the most?
• I rather appreciated your ideas about the subtle insanity which precedes the first drink,
• Of what was he confident?

Peace & Love,

Danny S – RLRA

Real Live Recovered Alcoholic

http://recoveredalcoholic.blogspot.com

Whose Will?

Page: 39

Step we are on: Step One

Chapter: More About Alcoholism 

Subject: Fred the Accountant

• What was it Fred would not do?

Fred would not believe himself an alcoholic,

• What would Fred not accept?

much less accept a spiritual remedy for his problem.

• What did the A.A.’s tell him?

We told him what we knew about alcoholism.

This is how the co-authors ran a 12 step 'call' - they presented the "Our description" in this book. It is what they knew about alcoholism. What society at large thought they knew about it was irrelevant. Hopefully when we 12 step today we know THAT description too. COLD! Because its the one that works.

Dr Drew's, Dr Phi's, The Interventionist's description of the alcoholic -none of these have ANY PLACE in an AA based 12 step call to a prospect for recovery by this means.

Please turn to page 40

• Did he express any interest?

He was interested

• To what did he concede?

and conceded that he had some of the symptoms,

Remember these guys are explaining (i) mental obsession AND (ii) physical craving (a possible allergy) to him. They KNEW how to do a 12 step call. They knew what were talking about when explaining alcoholism to Fred.

He had NO problem agreeing to THOSE.
Concede - to yield as a point in debate, admit to be true. The Winston Simplified Dictionary – 1938

• But he was that concession enough?

but he was a long way from admitting that he could do nothing about it himself.

He didn’t 'buy' the idea that that only God could help him. He thought he might still be able to 'manage' controlling it himself. It was still Fred's will and not Gods will that was governing Fred's thoughts and actions.

It doesn't do him well, as we shall see.

Peace & Love,

Danny S – RLRA
Real Live Recovered Alcoholic
http://recoveredalcoholic.blogspot.com