Arizona Alcoholism Treatment Center - 12 Steps of AA embedded in Bills Story
The basic intent of writing the book Alcoholic Anonymous was primarily to show PRECISELY how Bill W and the first 100 Alcoholics recovered from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body. If you watch each story carefully, the theme would be consistent. Introduction to the character, how and what went through the mind of the main player and gets hooked to Alcohol. And how the key figure loses control of liquor consumption and becomes powerless. Eventually the story would illustrate how they recovered from Alcoholism.
Though all stories follow the same pattern, Bill's Story demonstrates the working of the 12 steps of AA by Bill W (In Towns hospital).
(I do not want to take too much of space here, but want to highlight the key parts of Bills' journey prior to hitting the 'bottom'):
In the midst of the excitement I discovered liquor. I forgot the strong warnings and the prejudices of my people concerning drink......
Drink was taking an important and exhilarating part in my life.....
The remonstrances of my friends terminated in a row and I became a lone wolf...
Gradually things got worse...
Gin would fix that. So two bottles, and Oblivion.
And finally he admits he is powerless:
Step 1:
No words can tell of the loneliness and despair I found in that bitter morass of self-pity. Quicksand stretched around me in all directions. I had met my match. I had been overwhelmed. Alcohol was my master.
Step 2:
My friend suggested what then, seemed a novel idea. He said, "Why don't you choose your own conception of God?"
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.
Step 3:
There I humbly offered myself to God, as I then I understood Him, to do with me as He would. I placed myself unreservedly under His care and direction. I admitted for the first time that of myself I was nothing; that without Him I was lost.
Step 4:
I ruthlessly faced my sins and became willing to have my new-found Friend (God) take them away, root and branch (Step 6 and 7).
Step 5:
My schoolmate visited me, and I fully acquainted him with my problems and deficiencies.
Step 8:
We made a list of people I had hurt or toward whom I felt resentment. I expressed my entire willingness to approach these individuals, admitting my wrong. Never was I to be critical of them. I was to right all such matters to the utmost of my ability. (After leaving the Hospital completes Step 9)
Step 10:
I was to test my thinking by the new God-consciousness within. Common sense would thus become uncommon sense.
Step 11:
I was to sit quietly when in doubt, asking only for direction and strength to meet my problems as He would have me. Never was I to pray for myself, except as my requests bore on my usefulness to others. Then only might I expect to receive. But that would be in great measure.
Step 12:
My friend (Ebby T) promised when these things were done I would enter upon a new relationship with my Creator (Spiritual Awakening).
He also had emphasized the absolute necessity of demonstrating these principles in all my affairs. Particularly was it imperative to work with others as he had worked with me. Faith without works was dead, he said. And how appallingly true for the alcoholic! For if an alcoholic failed to perfect and enlarge his spiritual life through work and self-sacrifice for others, he could not survive the certain trials and low spots ahead. If he did not work, he would surely drink again, and if he drank, he would surely die. Then faith would be dead indeed. With us it is just like that.
(Irony is Ebby was full of resentment (that he was not considered as one of the founders of AA) and never followed through and struggled rest of his life).
By GOD'S grace, i landed upon Joe and Charlie Big Book Study tapes early on in my recovery. They were recorded in 1998 in a Workshop at Laughlin, Nevada. Studying the Big Book with those tapes greatly helped me understand the program. There are several web-sites that carry them. This is the one I visit frequently.
Are you looking for a solution? If you live in Arizona, Crossroads is a fantastic Phoenix Alcoholism Treatment Center. It's a great place to attend Phoenix AA Meetings too. You can get your life back together.
Crossroads, Inc. is a non-profit, drug and alcohol recovery, organization located in beautiful Phoenix, Arizona. Crossroads is a Level Four transitional facility licensed by the State of Arizona. The Crossroads program addresses the physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of alcoholism or drug addiction, by providing food, shelter, 12 step structure and discipline. We can help you find direction to sober living. Pick up the phone and call us: 602-279-2585. Visit our website at: http://sober360.com
Though all stories follow the same pattern, Bill's Story demonstrates the working of the 12 steps of AA by Bill W (In Towns hospital).
(I do not want to take too much of space here, but want to highlight the key parts of Bills' journey prior to hitting the 'bottom'):
In the midst of the excitement I discovered liquor. I forgot the strong warnings and the prejudices of my people concerning drink......
Drink was taking an important and exhilarating part in my life.....
The remonstrances of my friends terminated in a row and I became a lone wolf...
Gradually things got worse...
Gin would fix that. So two bottles, and Oblivion.
And finally he admits he is powerless:
Step 1:
No words can tell of the loneliness and despair I found in that bitter morass of self-pity. Quicksand stretched around me in all directions. I had met my match. I had been overwhelmed. Alcohol was my master.
Step 2:
My friend suggested what then, seemed a novel idea. He said, "Why don't you choose your own conception of God?"
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.
Step 3:
There I humbly offered myself to God, as I then I understood Him, to do with me as He would. I placed myself unreservedly under His care and direction. I admitted for the first time that of myself I was nothing; that without Him I was lost.
Step 4:
I ruthlessly faced my sins and became willing to have my new-found Friend (God) take them away, root and branch (Step 6 and 7).
Step 5:
My schoolmate visited me, and I fully acquainted him with my problems and deficiencies.
Step 8:
We made a list of people I had hurt or toward whom I felt resentment. I expressed my entire willingness to approach these individuals, admitting my wrong. Never was I to be critical of them. I was to right all such matters to the utmost of my ability. (After leaving the Hospital completes Step 9)
Step 10:
I was to test my thinking by the new God-consciousness within. Common sense would thus become uncommon sense.
Step 11:
I was to sit quietly when in doubt, asking only for direction and strength to meet my problems as He would have me. Never was I to pray for myself, except as my requests bore on my usefulness to others. Then only might I expect to receive. But that would be in great measure.
Step 12:
My friend (Ebby T) promised when these things were done I would enter upon a new relationship with my Creator (Spiritual Awakening).
He also had emphasized the absolute necessity of demonstrating these principles in all my affairs. Particularly was it imperative to work with others as he had worked with me. Faith without works was dead, he said. And how appallingly true for the alcoholic! For if an alcoholic failed to perfect and enlarge his spiritual life through work and self-sacrifice for others, he could not survive the certain trials and low spots ahead. If he did not work, he would surely drink again, and if he drank, he would surely die. Then faith would be dead indeed. With us it is just like that.
(Irony is Ebby was full of resentment (that he was not considered as one of the founders of AA) and never followed through and struggled rest of his life).
By GOD'S grace, i landed upon Joe and Charlie Big Book Study tapes early on in my recovery. They were recorded in 1998 in a Workshop at Laughlin, Nevada. Studying the Big Book with those tapes greatly helped me understand the program. There are several web-sites that carry them. This is the one I visit frequently.
Are you looking for a solution? If you live in Arizona, Crossroads is a fantastic Phoenix Alcoholism Treatment Center. It's a great place to attend Phoenix AA Meetings too. You can get your life back together.
Crossroads, Inc. is a non-profit, drug and alcohol recovery, organization located in beautiful Phoenix, Arizona. Crossroads is a Level Four transitional facility licensed by the State of Arizona. The Crossroads program addresses the physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of alcoholism or drug addiction, by providing food, shelter, 12 step structure and discipline. We can help you find direction to sober living. Pick up the phone and call us: 602-279-2585. Visit our website at: http://sober360.com
Labels: Arizona alcoholics anonymous, Arizona alcoholism treatment program
posted by Nari Mohanan at
1:40 PM
2 Comments:
This is an awesome post. I love how you embedded Bill's (my) story in this piece.
Gawd I love this program!!
Thank you for sharing.
Prescilla
Honestly, the credit goes to Joe and Charlie team. This and future blogs of mine, will be based on what I learned from them. You see how Internet has changed the world? I never met them, they never know how many people they influence! And here I am, publishing my blog. This is GODS work.
This is one way of serving THEE!
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