Phoenix alcoholism treatment program: Stories in Alcoholics Anonymous - Edition 1

Bill W was a great teacher, he always used examples to drive his point across.

To describe power of the fellowship, he used the example of survivors of the ship wreck.

To illustrate the ramification of not embracing the 12 steps of AA, he added stories of JIM and FRED who took step 1, 2 and 3 but don't follow-through and end up drunk (More About Alcoholism).

The stories at the back of the book are included for a reason, to relate to a step in sequence.

The first story

"The Doctors' Nightmare" was included for of course to illustrate that Dr Bob the powerlessness (The problem). Dr Bob was trying to fix himself but didn't know the problem:

"About the time of the beer experiment I was thrown in with a crowd of people who attracted me because of their seeming poise, health, and happiness. They spoke with great freedom from embarrassment, which I could never do, and they seemed very much at ease on all occasions and appeared very healthy. More than these attributes, they seemed to be happy. I was self conscious and ill at ease most of the time, my health was at the breaking point, and I was thoroughly miserable. I sensed they had something I did not have, from which I might readily profit. I learned that it was something of a spiritual nature, which did not appeal to me very much, but I thought it could do no harm. I gave the matter much time and study for the next two and a half years, but still got tight every night nevertheless. I read everything I could find, and talked to everyone who I thought knew anything about it."

(It was after Bill W explained the disease concept, he was able to apply the program of action and get over the malady.)

"The question which might naturally come into your mind would be: "what did the man do or say that was different from what others had done or said?" It must be remembered that I had read a great deal and talked to everyone who knew, or thought they knew, anything about the subject of alcoholism. This man was a man who had experienced many years of frightful drinking, who had had most all the drunkard's experience known to man, but who had been cured by the very means I had been trying to employ, that is to say, the spiritual approach. He gave me information about the subject of alcoholism which was undoubtedly helpful. Of far more importance was the fact that he was the first living human with whom I bad ever talked, who knew what he was talking about in regard to alcoholism from actual experience. In other words, be talked my language. He knew all the answers, and certainly not because he had picked them up in his reading."

Next story the 'UnBeliever' was put to illustrate step 2. Will cover that in my next blog.

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