Tagged: AA Big Book

There is a solution. Almost none of us liked the self-searching, the leveling of pride, the confession of shortcomings which the process requires for its successful consummation. The great fact is just this, and...

Some men have been so impaired by alcohol that they cannot stop. Sometimes there are cases where alcoholism is complicated by other disorders. A good doctor or psychiatrist can tell you whether these complications...

At a certain point in the drinking of every alcoholic, he passes into a state where the most powerful desire to stop drinking is of absolutely no avail. This tragic situation has already arrived...

(Continued) Suppose that your husband fits the description of number two – he is remorseful after drinking bouts and wants to stop. The same principles which apply to number one should be practiced. But...

These observations would be academic and pointless if our friend never took the first drink, thereby setting the terrible cycle in motion. Therefore, the main problem of the alcoholic centers in his mind, rather...

The first principle of success is that you should never be angry. Even though your husband becomes unbearable and you have to leave him temporarily, you should, if you can, go without rancor. Patience...

We know that while the alcoholic keeps away from drink, as he may do for months or years, he reacts much like other men. We are equally positive that once he takes any alcohol...

The problem with which you (wife of an alcoholic) struggle usually falls within one of four categories: One: Your husband may be only a heavy drinker. Perhaps he spends too much money for liquor....

But what about the real alcoholic? He may start off as a moderate drinker; he may or may not become a continuous hard drinker; but at some stage of his drinking career he begins...

How could men who loved their wives and children be so unthinking, so callous, so cruel? And just as we are being convinced of their heartlessness, they surprise us with fresh resolves and new...

Our very lives, as ex-problem drinkers, depend upon our constant thought of others and how we may help meet their needs. If you are an alcoholic who wants to get over it, you may...

Outline the program of action, explaining how how you straightened out your past and why you are now endeavoring to be helpful to him. He should realize that your attempt to pass this on...

Highly competent psychiatrists who have dealt with us have found it sometimes impossible to persuade an alcoholic to discuss his situation without reserve. Strangely enough, wives, parents and intimate friends usually find us even...

(Continued) Continue to speak of alcoholism as an illness, a fatal malady. Talk about the conditions of body and mind which accompany it. Keep his attention focused mainly on your personal experience. Explain that...

The tremendous fact for every one of us is that we have discovered a common solution. We have a way out on which we can absolutely agree, and upon which we can join in...

My friend had emphasized the absolute necessity of demonstrating these principals in all my affairs. Particularly was it imperative to work with others as he had worked with me. Faith without works was dead,...

It was only a matter of being willing to believe in a Power greater than myself. Nothing more was required of me to make my beginning. I saw that growth could start from that...

When possible, you (recovering alcoholic) should avoid meeting a man (alcoholic) through his family. Approach through a doctor or an institution is a better bet. If your man needs hospitalization, he should have it,...

Practical experience shows that nothing will ensure immunity from drinking as intensive work with other alcoholics. It works when other activities fail. This is our twelfth suggestion: Carry this message to other alcoholics! You...

On awakening, let us think about the twenty-four hours ahead. We consider our plans for the day. Before we begin, we ask God to direct our thinking, especially asking that it be divorced from...