Monday, July 12, 2021

Notes
Alcoholics Anonymous 4th Edition

- Preface
• First edition 1939
• Millions of copies sold
• Few changes made
• “The Doctor’s Opinion” same as original: Dr. William D. Silkworth
• 4th edition 12 Concepts for World Service
• “The Big Book”
• Personal stories to relate and gain hope
- 1st Ed Foreword
• Show how recovered
• Guide for living
• Ongoing work, alcoholics helping each other
- 2nd Ed Foreword
• 1st AA group in 1935 in Akron
• 800 in recovery by 1939
• Evolving/discovering principles for all groups
• Autonomous groups, low level org., donations, low pro le
• ^^Basis for the AA 12 traditions in 1950
• Unity
• Large numbers of recoveries inspired
• Wide spread and demographic

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- 3rd Ed Foreword
• 1976
• Basic principles hold
• Continued reach
• “The 12 steps”
- 4th Ed Foreword
• 2001
• Translations-43 in 2001
• Modernized and broadened reach
The Doctor’s Opinion

• Followed original case

• Replicated results
• Allowances/excuses externally- internal sickness
• Clear-minded to begin treatment
• Application of morality/psychology
• Community spirit
• Rabbit hole, trouble getting back on track
• More than human power is needed
• Changes in physical and mental capacity
Bill’s Story

• Veteran, investor, coursework completed for law

• Married- concerned wife
• Gained success- parties, friends, jazz
• Increased drinking-decreased friends

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• Market crash
• Moved to Canada- drinking cost him
• Worsened, unemployed, tremors, dif culty following through
• Feeling crazy, hopeless, regretful, no courage
• Hospitalized- illness, critical
• Obstacles, self-pity, overwhelmed
• Friend from New York was sober after committed for alcoholism
• Program of action worked for him
• Went to meeting, skeptical
• Friend was a new person
• Your own conception of God- Power greater than yourself
• Sought treatment
• Faced shortcomings, list of wronged, direction, sel ess prayer
• Victory, peace, serenity
• Doctor saw the change in him
• Felt the need to help others
• Still some struggles, but stuck with it
• Restoration, hope, and overcoming
• Multiplies good
There is a solution

• Worked for many

• Survivors of a shipwreck
• Inform and comfort
• Medical, psychiatric, social, and religious
• Life depends on helping others

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• Dangerously anti-social
• Stock-piling, hiding
• Unsure of what causes the variance in response to alcohol in relation to other
• Fallacy in reasoning- hit on head with hammer to x headache
• Attention to fallacy in reasoning causes dismissal/joke or anger
• Obsessive
• Will power and defense are weakened
• Left with two choices: continue to end or seek spiritual help
• Medical care, knowledge, and treatment alone did not sustain
• Vital spiritual experiences
• Personal relationship, perhaps religious af liations
• Directions for recovery included and personal experience
• See the stories and be inspired
More About Alcoholism

• No one likes to think they have a problem or different

• Fully admit that we are alcoholics
• No one ever really regains control
• Progressive illness
• No way to go back to casual drinking, must be complete sobriety
• Long period of sobriety- still return to use if not working program
• No immunity developed to alcohol
• Stopping for a period of time to test will power
• Whiskey with milk
• Justi cations/hiding
• Jay-walker continued injuries still going

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• Continued use despite reason
• Vicious cycle with defeat, denial, and humiliation
• False con dence
• Physically ne, no stressors, nice drink with meal
• Made no ght, and no thought of consequences
• Acknowledging the hopelessness
• All hope for doing it alone
• Outline the answer and program of action for success of many
• Sensible outline, but seems drastic
• More satisfying life and hopeful life
• No human can provide own defense- must come from higher power
We Agnostics

• Spiritual experience seems dif cult/impossible for atheist/agnostic

• Moral code and life philosophy not enough alone
• Lack of power is the dilemma
• “Power greater than yourself”
• No need for other’s conceptions of God or theology
• Do I or am I willing to believe in a greater power
• Begin on a simple level of understanding
• Outward is not always inward reality
• Faith has given purpose and direction to many
• Different for each individual
• Liberation of thinking and scienti c theory
• “Self-suf ciency should solve our problems”
• We all like logic

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• Reason keeps us from stepping onto shore
• Enjoying the sunset or beauty, love, and other things
• Faith has always been there- just not in a bene cial fashion
• Reason is not entirely dependable
• “Who are you to say there is no God?”
• God restored sanity
• Some sudden, some gradual
How it Works

• Rarely failure with those who have followed the path

• Dif culty being honest with themselves
• Mental disorders can cause recovery struggles
• Be Fearless- no half-doing
12 Steps:

1. Power greater can restore sanity

2. Admit powerless

3. Turn will/lives over to God

4. Take moral inventory

5. Admit our shortcomings/wrongs (self, God, others)

6. Ask God to remove defects

7. Remove shortcomings

8. Make list of those harmed and willing to make amends

9. Make amends to all people

10. Continued inventory- admit wrong as we see it

11. Prayer for knowledge of will and carry out as led

12. Carry message to others and keep practicing principles

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• Do not be discouraged by intimidation
• Guide for progress, not perfection
• Unable to manage own lives
• No human power could have relieved alcoholism
• God can/will if he is sought
• Actor on a stage trying to control all parts of the show
• Sel shness is the root of the problem
• Let God be the director
• Offers peace of mind
• Taking the step with someone’s guidance not best
• Meeting God alone makes more humbling and effective
• Our own causes and conditions rather than the symptoms
• Taking inventory should be ongoing
• Damaged or unusable should be gotten rid of
• Resentment leads to defeat and destruction

• “I’m resentful at… The cause… Affects my…”

• Others are wrong too- can’t stay there
• Resentment only leads to unfruitful life and unhappiness
• Must be free of anger- like poison
• People who wronged are sick too
• God’s help showing tolerance and pity
• Avoid retaliation because they are sick
• Fear is noted
• Feeling that we didn’t deserve it

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• Sex problems - many forms and causes

• Must be used in the right way
• Cannot advise what is or is not good for each individual
• Motives have the most to do with whether or not things are good
• Faith did what we could not do ourselves
Into Action

• After taking inventory- now what?

• Time for action- 5th step
• Never completed housecleaning
• Ego Check
• Outer world sees character- inconsistent
• Fear of being known
• Constant fear of being discovered leads to fear and more drinking
• Must be entirely honest with someone
• No right to save ourselves at the risk of another person!
• Must be someone who will keep con dence and understand the plan
• Step that begins to being freedom and peace
• See if there is anything omitted- work solid? Foundation made?
• Then move to step 6/7
• Turn life away from the bad, over to higher power
• Steps 8/9
• Faith without deeds is dead
• All people harmed and who we can make amends
• Must do all possible to repair damage done in the past

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• No need to make it religious, stick to righting the wrong
• No fault of the other party is brought up, only our wrong
• Manner that is calm, frank, and open with the party
• Don’t shy away from those owed money, be honest
• Ask for strength and direction
• Cannot shy away from the consequences- needed for growth
• Cannot shy away from being open and honest with people
• No matter how remorseful, all the more need for being open
• As much as possible avoid involving others with our reparations
• Tornado of destruction in the path of an alcoholic
• Some wrongs can never be fully made right
• No regrets of the past or shut door on it, accept
• Our experience can bene t others
• Sometimes moves quickly- other times quite slowly
• Step 10
• Continue personal inventory/make things right
• Grow in understanding and effectiveness
• LIFETIME PROCESS
• Watch for dishonesty, resentment, and fear
• Keep helping others
• Sanity should return
• We have become God-consious
• Step 11
• Proper attitude and work properly for prayer
• Review the day

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• Think about the day ahead- God to direct
• Relax and ask God for help with decisions
• Don’t pray for our own sel sh needs
• “Thy will be done”
• Alcoholics are undisciplined - action and more action
Working with Others

• Working with other alcoholics is the best to help stay sober yourself

• Grows fellowship

• Someone who isn’t ready shouldn’t be forced

• Catch someone after a binge when ready to make a change

• Deal one on one for conversation to avoid feeling overwhelmed or attacked

• Tell your story as inspiration

• Don’t say how it happened

• Find ways to relate and engage, acknowledging alcoholism as sickness

• Don’t brand him/her as alcoholic, must do for his/herself

• Stay focused on self and own experiences

• Generates curiosity with how it has worked for you and not them

• Hopelessness generates a need for change

• Refer back to understanding and own experience with program and why needed

• Spending time on someone not ready to recover hurts someone who is ready to
recover

• Don’t avoid responsibilities, but don’t enable

• When and how to give matters

• Family shouldn’t be ignored, but focus on recovery

• Recovery not dependent on others, on God

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• Sometimes the family returns and sometimes they don’t

• Things work out when we put them in God’s hands rather than our own

• Try to avoid seeming critical

• Avoidance is not always the best- learn to trust and be able to handle

• Question own motives, re ect

• Look for places where you can add or be helpful to the situations

• Spirit of encouragement not of ghting or bitterness

To Wives/Companions

• For everyone who drinks others are involved

• No situation is too dif cult or unhappiness to great to overcome
• Homes are often battlegrounds
• Pulled from social circles, avoid public, gets lonely
• Financial security loss, in delity, aggression, lots of issues
• Exhausted and worried
• Under the conditions everyone makes mistakes
• Try to avoid condemning, treat as though sick
• One of 4 categories
• Heavy drinker, potential to become true alcoholic
• Shows lack of control, wants to stop
• Desperation of wanting to stop
• Violent, delirious, dark
• Don’t be angry, leave if needed
• Can’t tell them what to do or not do about drinking
• Try to allow for subject to be brought up by them, not you
• Suggest read book, that have been worried, maybe for no reason

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• If it doesn’t catch interest, drop the subject until it does
• Ask if he’d like to
• Don’t urge, let decide for self
• Only talk about when it’s brought up
• Plant the seed, can’t make it grow
• Those otherwise normal do well with moving toward recovery
• Cases where use can be complicated by other disorders
• Family suffers, but not more than individual
• Be open, not embarrassing, ashamed, or destructive
• Avoid taking sides with the children
• Don’t lie for them
• Know there is hope, even in hard times
• Do the program with them
• Do things out of love, not out of resentment
• Patience tolerance and understanding will be required
• Don’t hold resentment and guilt for being unable to be enough
• Be patient through the bad and more full life will develop
• Relapse can happen, only encourage
• Understanding to make the best outcome
The Family Afterward

• Common ground of love, tolerance, and understanding

• Stopping drinking is only the rst step
• The entire family is ill with the strain of years
• No shortcuts
• Over con dence, rushing, higher hopes than realistic

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• Guilt is there in the alcoholic, long seasons to restore
• May never be exactly as it was before
• Past shouldn’t be buried, but acknowledged and mended as possible
• Value to other families
• There will be growing pains and dif culty moving beyond past hurts
• Bring up past mistakes only as fruitful or purposeful
• Talk of past is tempered by love and acceptance
• Don’t share others stories, only our own
• Allow for constraint and inattention while recovering and refocusing
• Be thankful for being sober and praise progress
• Damage will take time to repair
• Compromise, nding ways to work through discussion, healthy expectations
• Don’t forget that they were beyond human aid
• Let them do what is needed
• Head in the clouds, feet on the ground
• Examine at min same program that member is on
• Shift in family dynamics, may take adjusting
• Balance of activity
• Physical health is another consideration, can’t disregard
• Sweets are helpful for dealing with cravings and fatigue
• Children can be more dif cult to rebuild and restore relationships
• Try to avoid making mountains out of mole hills
• “First things First, Live and let live, easy does it”
To Employers

• People lost because of not understanding

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• Must be able to understand and allow for recovery
• Lack of understanding due to own seeming control of the problem
• Employee is ill, should be treated as an ill person
• Spinal uid ruptured into the brain- irrationality
• Ensuring that they get help
• Be rm, non judgmental, offering resource to help
• Push, hold accountable
• Either he can and will get well or he will not
• Physical treatment may well be needed
• Allow them to feel fully responsible
• Personal matter, not to be discussed without his consent
• Maybe mention the book to the doctor treating them
• Let them know that you understand what he needs and not be upset
• Showing understanding and openness grants undying loyalty
• Some people may try and pull you down
• Defend from needless criticism and talk
• If he is following, still held accountable
• No one should be red solely for their alcohol use, should get chance
• Give them a chance, get them right direction
• Bigger problem than most people realize
• Those employees are grateful and productive
A Vision for You

• Drinking- release from care, boredom, worry

• Heavy drinking brings all of those
• Withdrawn from society and life

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• Cannot picture life without alcohol
• Can’t imagine life with or without alcohol-wish for end
• Life seems boring, pointless, loneliness
• New meaning with life through fellowship and helping others
• Age of miracles - recovery proves
• Holding onto need to keep privacy
• Learned that it was not as private or secret as he may have thought
• People do recover, and can be productive in society
• Happiness found in helping others
• Fellowship for the families as well as the one in recovery
• Book contains all needed to begin
• No stopping until all have recovered
• God will teach and guide more than anything else

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