Tuesday, August 08, 2006
A.A.: More About Alcoholism: Confidence
"I frankly did not believe it would be possible for me to drink again."
"I was confident that it would not happen to me after what I had learned. I reasoned I was not so far advanced as most of you fellows, that I had been usually successful in licking my other personal problems, and that I would therefore be successful where you men failed. I felt I had every right to be self-confident, that it would be only a matter of exercising my will power and keeping on guard."
Alcoholics Anonymous
More About Alcoholism
Page 40
Just because I know how devastating and therefore extremely foolish drinking would be for me, I don't try to fool myself into a false sense of security by believing that I could never drink again because of that knowledge. I must always be on guard.
To keep me from minimizing or romanticizing drinking, if I were ever tempted to drink, I can use the tool of thinking it through to see the certain negative consequences of such an act. However, I know I'll always have another drunk in me -- but, I may not have another recovery in me.
Self-confidence is not necessarily the opposite of humility, but self-confidence, and its cousin "terminal uniqueness," have taken down more alcoholics than any other character traits. My confidence that I could find a way to control my drinking kept me drunk for years. My terminal uniqueness that I wasn't an alcoholic (I'm not that bad, I just have a few personal problems that I'm working through...) kept me from seeking help from the very people who ultimately knew how to help.
Today my confidence is placed with God's will and power, not my will power -- it's just working out a whole lot better that way. Give it a chance, you'll be glad you did.
Get the latest edition of:
Alcoholics Anonymous
AA Services
aa addiction alcoholism recovery sponsornet substance abuse
"I was confident that it would not happen to me after what I had learned. I reasoned I was not so far advanced as most of you fellows, that I had been usually successful in licking my other personal problems, and that I would therefore be successful where you men failed. I felt I had every right to be self-confident, that it would be only a matter of exercising my will power and keeping on guard."
Alcoholics Anonymous
More About Alcoholism
Page 40
Just because I know how devastating and therefore extremely foolish drinking would be for me, I don't try to fool myself into a false sense of security by believing that I could never drink again because of that knowledge. I must always be on guard.
To keep me from minimizing or romanticizing drinking, if I were ever tempted to drink, I can use the tool of thinking it through to see the certain negative consequences of such an act. However, I know I'll always have another drunk in me -- but, I may not have another recovery in me.
Self-confidence is not necessarily the opposite of humility, but self-confidence, and its cousin "terminal uniqueness," have taken down more alcoholics than any other character traits. My confidence that I could find a way to control my drinking kept me drunk for years. My terminal uniqueness that I wasn't an alcoholic (I'm not that bad, I just have a few personal problems that I'm working through...) kept me from seeking help from the very people who ultimately knew how to help.
Today my confidence is placed with God's will and power, not my will power -- it's just working out a whole lot better that way. Give it a chance, you'll be glad you did.
Get the latest edition of:
Alcoholics Anonymous
AA Services
aa addiction alcoholism recovery sponsornet substance abuse
# posted by Bill B. @ 11:59 PM 
