The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous (Including Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions)

by Alcoholics Anonymous World Service Inc.

description of alcoholism and its hopelessness,

hang together or die separately.

These allergic types can never safely use alcohol in any form at all; and once having formed the habit and found they cannot break it, once having lost their self-confidence, their reliance upon things human, their problems pile up on them and become astonishingly difficult to solve.

Allergy Concept

nearly all cases, their ideals must be grounded in a power greater than themselves, if they are to re-create their lives.

Higher Power

these men than the altruistic movement now growing up among them.

Altruistic

restless, irritable and discontented, unless they can again experience the

These men were not drinking to escape; they were drinking to overcome a craving beyond their mental control.

Craving

cannot start drinking without developing the phenomenon of craving.

may be the manifestation of an allergy which differentiates these people, and sets them apart as a distinct entity. It

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 point. Upon a foundation of complete willingness I might build what I saw in my friend. Would I have it? Of course I would!

Willingness to believe in HP

But

the ex-problem drinker who has found this solution, who is properly armed with facts about himself, can generally win the entire confidence of another alcoholic in a few hours. Until such an understanding is reached, little or nothing can be accomplished. That the man who is making the approach has had the same

It is the purpose of this book to answer such questions specifically. We shall tell you what we have done. Before going into

a detailed discussion, it may be well to summarize some points as we see them.

water wagon?

never took the first drink, thereby setting the terrible cycle in motion. Therefore,

But in their hearts they really do not know why they do

Once this malady has a real hold, they are a baffled lot. There is the obsession that somehow, someday, they will beat the game. But they often suspect they are down for the count.

The

fact is that most alcoholics, for reasons yet obscure, have lost the power of choice in drink. Our so-called will power becomes practically nonexistent. We are unable, at certain times, to bring into our consciousness with sufficient force the memory of the suffering and humiliation of even a week or a month ago. We are without defense against the first drink.

“Yes, I am one of them too; I must have this thing.”

The idea that somehow, someday he will control and enjoy his drinking is the great obsession of every abnormal drinker.

We learned that we had to fully concede to our innermost selves that we were alcoholics.

Most of us have believed that if we remained sober for a long stretch, we could thereafter drink normally.

He had much knowledge about himself as an alcoholic. 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!

The practical individual of today is a stickler for facts and results.

alcohol–cunning, baffling, powerful!

We admitted we were powerless over alcohol–that our lives had become unmanageable.

1- I can’t 2- He can 3- Let Him

Came

to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. Made a decision to turn our will...

as we underst...

(a) That we were alcoholic and could not manage our own lives. (b) That probably no human power could have relieved our alcoholism. (c) That God could and would if He were sought. Being convinced,

Selfishness–self-centeredness! That, we think, is the root of our troubles. Driven by a hundred forms of fear, self-delusion, self-seeking, and self-pity, we step on the toes of our fellows and they retaliate. Sometimes they hurt us, seemingly without provocation, but we invariably find that at some time in the past we have made decisions based on self which later placed us in a position to be hurt.

Selfishness is the root

Above everything, we alcoholics must be rid of this selfishness. We must, or it kills us!

Selfishness will kill us

Third step prayer

“God, I offer myself to Thee–to build with me and to do with me as Thou wilt. Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I may better do Thy will. Take away my difficulties, that victory over them may bear witness to those I would help of Thy Power, Thy Love, and Thy Way of life. May I do Thy will always!” We thought well before taking this step making sure we were ready; that we could at last abandon ourselves

3rd Step Prayer

utterly to Him.

Resentment is the “number one” offender. It destroys more alcoholics than anything else. From it stem all forms of spiritual disease, for we have been not only mentally and physically ill, we have been spiritually sick. When the spiritual malady is overcome, we straighten out mentally and physically. In dealing with resentments, we set them on paper. We listed people, institutions or principles with whom we were angry. We asked ourselves why we were angry. In most cases it was found that our self-esteem, our pocketbooks, our ambitions, our personal relationships (including sex) were hurt or threatened. So we were sore. We were “burned up.”

Continue to watch for selfishness, dishonesty, resentment, and fear. When these

And we have ceased fighting anything or anyone–even alcohol.

We will seldom be interested in liquor. If tempted, we recoil from it as from a hot flame.

We have not even sworn off. Instead, the problem has been removed. It

We are not cured of alcoholism. What we really have is a daily reprieve contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual condition.

best serve Thee–Thy will (not mine) be done.”

“No, you have a disease, and it doesn’t make any difference how long you do without it, after a drink or two you’ll end up just like you are now.”

Bill bought me a drink or two on the way,

Bill W bought drinks

group