Monday, July 17, 2006
A.A.: There is a Solution - Common Bond
"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 more unapproachable than do the psychiatrist and the doctor.
But the ex-probelm 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."
Alcoholics Anonymous
There is a Solution
Page 18
I used to be ashamed that I could not maintain control over my drinking. I believed that if I just tried hard enough, I could keep from allowing my drinking to keep getting me into tough situations. And why not -- my intelligence and hard work had served me well in other areas.
But, regardless of how hard I tried, I just couldn't get a handle on my drinking. Instead, it had the opposite result -- my drinking got worse and my problems grew bigger. As I progressed in the disease, I began to isolate from people (especially those that cared about me). I couldn't bear to let them see me and I could bear the looks of reproach, disgust, and pity. So, I was all alone with those same old tapes playing over and over in my mind -- try harder, get control of yourself, you can do better. I had lost self-confidence in most areas of my life. I began to convince myself that maybe I wasn't the person I thought I was. Maybe I was not as good and most people. I was in turmoil.
Relief for me came when a friend took me aside and shared in confidence that he once had a drinking problem. He told me about all the stupid things he did as a result of liquor. And then he told me about how he got better and what his life was like now. I listened and I cried. He could have been talking about my life.
And then the most amazing thing happened -- I began telling him all the secrets that I had bottled up for years. I knew I could trust him and I knew he wouldn't judge me. I told him how I had tried to stop drinking a thousand times, but each time something would happen and I'd be off to the races again. And when I had bared my soul, I felt better than I had in years. I was exhausted, but I craved to know more.
Get the latest edition of:
Alcoholics Anonymous
AA Services
aa addiction alcoholism recovery sponsornet substance abuse
But the ex-probelm 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."
Alcoholics Anonymous
There is a Solution
Page 18
I used to be ashamed that I could not maintain control over my drinking. I believed that if I just tried hard enough, I could keep from allowing my drinking to keep getting me into tough situations. And why not -- my intelligence and hard work had served me well in other areas.
But, regardless of how hard I tried, I just couldn't get a handle on my drinking. Instead, it had the opposite result -- my drinking got worse and my problems grew bigger. As I progressed in the disease, I began to isolate from people (especially those that cared about me). I couldn't bear to let them see me and I could bear the looks of reproach, disgust, and pity. So, I was all alone with those same old tapes playing over and over in my mind -- try harder, get control of yourself, you can do better. I had lost self-confidence in most areas of my life. I began to convince myself that maybe I wasn't the person I thought I was. Maybe I was not as good and most people. I was in turmoil.
Relief for me came when a friend took me aside and shared in confidence that he once had a drinking problem. He told me about all the stupid things he did as a result of liquor. And then he told me about how he got better and what his life was like now. I listened and I cried. He could have been talking about my life.
And then the most amazing thing happened -- I began telling him all the secrets that I had bottled up for years. I knew I could trust him and I knew he wouldn't judge me. I told him how I had tried to stop drinking a thousand times, but each time something would happen and I'd be off to the races again. And when I had bared my soul, I felt better than I had in years. I was exhausted, but I craved to know more.
Get the latest edition of:
Alcoholics Anonymous
AA Services
aa addiction alcoholism recovery sponsornet substance abuse
# posted by Bill B. @ 6:20 PM 
