Save for a few brief moments of temptation the thought of drink has never returned; and at such times a great revulsion has risen up in him. Do not let any prejudice you may have against spiritual terms deter you from honestly asking yourself what they mean to you. Each in his turn may be footsore and may straggle. What had become of their judgment, their common sense, their will power? You act like one. Big Book Alcoholics Anonymous Big Book First 164. But this man still lives, and is a free man. But in most fields our generation has witnessed complete liberation of our thinking. We can laugh at those who think spirituality the way of weakness. Some people have recovered from alcoholism, though, and the Big Book offers a suggested outline that seems to help a few. We have sometimes reflected more than Jim did upon the consequences. If you do stay, let him steer the conversation in any direction he likes. The husband begins to feel lonely, sorry for himself. If your God is not Powerful enough to heal your alcoholic mind, fire His ass and start praying to a God that will transform us to recovered status. Your house is filled with strangers. We found, too, that we had been worshippers. I was to know happiness, peace, and usefulness, in a way of life that is incredibly more wonderful as time passes. We have not even sworn off. . What does Surrender Mean?The hardest thing about trusting Alco_9781893007161_6p_01_r6.qxd 8/13/07 10:55 AM Page 155. his By the very act of critiquing Chapter 4, We Agnostics, I admittedly commit AA heresy. A.A. World Services, Inc. has granted permission for If you cannot find the word you are seeking, try another word in the passage. Nothing would please us so much as to write a book which would contain no basis for contention or argument. Among them you will make lifelong friends. Yet they got well. We do not want to be the arbiter of anyones sex conduct. In this way you can set them on the right track without becoming critical of them. We think of their needs and work for them. For a moment I was alarmed, and called my friend, the doctor, to ask if I were still sane. He looked straight at me. But even in this type of beginning we are obliged to admit that our justification for a spree was insanely insufficient in the light of what always happened. FUN FACT: God (by one name or another) is mentioned 281 times within the first 164 pages of the Big Book. We wives found that, like everybody else, we were afflicted with pride, self-pity, vanity and all the things which go to make up the self-centered person; and we were not above selfishness or dishonesty. I had had some success at speculation, so we had a little money, but we once worked on a farm for a month to avoid drawing on our small capital. We have had retaliatory love affairs with other men. Gradually things got worse. You may already have asked yourself why it is that all of us became so very ill from drinking. Sooner or later, you are likely to find him reading the book once more. By the time I had completed the course, I knew the law was not for me. They can take it or leave it alone. These are followed by forty-three personal experiences. From surrounding towns, families drive long distances to be present. I was through forever. We suggest that you direct some of your thought to the wives of his new alcoholic friends. 38 On the second page of A Vision For You, p. 52, what is mentioned is as a sufficient substitute for liquor? Our friends have counseled chucking the men and we have done so with finality, only to be back in a little while hoping, always hoping. There is a solution. Their cost of production is figured to a fine decimal point. They took inventory all right, but hung on to some of the worst items in stock. Alcoholics Anonymous The Big Book Pages 1 164. From that point on, progress will be rapid. This process snuffed out the last flicker of conviction that I could do the job myself. The truth is the number of words per page depends on a variety of factors such as the type of font, the font size, spacing elements, margin spacing, and paragraph length to name This is the key text that the Alcoholics Anonymous program is founded on, the first 164 pages of the Big Book. Many of us thought it necessary to go much further. It was transcended by the happiness they found in giving themselves for others. As matters grow worse, he begins to use a combination of high-powered sedative and liquor to quiet his nerves so he can go to work. In there he would find companionship and release. He wished above all things to regain self-control. Tell him you once felt as he does, but you doubt whether you would have made much progress had you not taken action. We are growing in numbers and power. The first 164 pages of the Big Book is the outline for recovery, which constitute the "program" of recovery. We think it dangerous if he rushes headlong at his economic problem. One set of voices cry that sex is a lust of our lower nature, a base necessity of procreation. I was once, but Im a nobody now. Some of the promises are directly associated with completion of a step. The chances are he would. Father may have laid aside for years all normal activities- clubs, civic duties, sports. This, the first translation of the core 164 pages of the Big Book, is written by a sober 12-year member of AA. Never was I to be critical of them. Try to drink and stop abruptly. It takes some of us a long time to outgrow that serious handicap. Then perhaps he will be interested enough to continue. Remember that we deal with alcohol cunning, baffling, powerful! The mind and body are marvelous mechanisms, for mine endured this agony two more years. A man we know had remarried. They will change in time. Phil Smith says: November 13, 2019 at 3:54 pm. The Explicit MUSTS of the Big Book Page 5 41) page 99: In many homes this is a difficult thing to do, but it must be done if any page 164: God will determine that, so you must remember that your real reliance is page 569: Yet it is true that our first printing gave many readers the impression that Big Book 100. He had begun to have a spiritual experience. Four: You may have a husband of whom you completely despair. He is the Principal; we are His agents. This sort of thing can be avoided. There is doubt about that. Whether you're new to AA, or you're a seasoned veteran, this is the easiest and most useful app to aid in your recovery. When your husband is bad, you become a trembling recluse, wishing the telephone had never been invented. Any A.A. who has not experienced the joys and satisfaction of helping another alcoholic regain his place in life has not yet fully realized the complete benefits of this fellowship. (A.A. Broadcast in Self Help; Tue, May 6, 2014 10:00PM UTC Part 2. Comprehensive reference section includes: Word Index- and has helped such large numbers of alcoholic men and women to recover, 5-c. Has there been a desire to make any changes in it? Where were we at fault, what should we have done instead? Suppose an approach is made something like this: State that you know about his drinking, and that it must stop. It may be just the jolt he needs. I ordered a cocktail and my meal. The doctor intimated strongly that he might be worse than he realized. I know, in my own particular case, that nothing my company could have done would have stopped me for, so long as I was able to hold my position, I could not possibly realize how serious my situation was. He attended church for the first time in many years. A good doctor or psychiatrist can tell you whether these complications are serious. The alcoholic is like a tornado roaring his way through the lives of others. A year and six months later these three had succeeded with seven more. 16; If you take it, your past will be forgotten and the fact that you went away for treatment will not be mentioned. These juniors are often in a difficult position. What right had he to involve those dependent upon him? We try not to indulge in cynicism over the state of the nations, nor do we carry the worlds troubles on our shoulders. That wont hurt him a bit, even though he does not go for this remedy. OUR WOMEN FOLK have suggested certain attitudes a wife may take with the husband who is recovering. I have seen men come out of asylums and resume a vital place in the lives of their families and communities. The truth is the number of words per page depends on a variety of factors such as the type of font, the font size, spacing elements, margin spacing, and paragraph length to name This is the key text that the Alcoholics Anonymous program is founded on, the first 164 pages of the Big Book. How many pages is the AA Big Book? His human will had failed. If, on the other hand, they took nothing, their self-pity made them killjoys. An illness of this sort-and we have come to believe it an illness-involves those about us in a way no other human sickness can. This is all to the good. Sometimes it is to the best interest of all concerned that a couple remain apart. Talksport Presenters 2019, Again it was the old, insidious insanity- that first drink. To duplicate, with such backing, what we have accomplished is only a matter of willingness, patience and labor. Until such an understanding is reached, little or nothing can be accomplished. Upon a foundation of complete willingness I might build what I saw in my friend. These observations would be academic and pointless if our friend never took the first drink, thereby setting the terrible cycle in motion. We think there are good reasons. Or am I expecting to steal a little vicarious pleasure from the atmosphere of such places? If you answer these questions satisfactorily, you need have no apprehension. One of the many doctors who had the opportunity of reading this book in manuscript form told us that the use of sweets was often helpful, of course depending upon a doctors advice. The family may object to this, but unless he is in a dangerous physical condition, it is better to risk it. This brings us to the Fifth Step in the program of recovery mentioned in the preceding chapter. The beginning of the Big Book has not been changed since 1939, but exactly how many pages does that consist of? I had been out of town before during this particular dry spell, so there was nothing new about that. Sometimes these excuses have a certain plausibility, but none of them really makes sense in the light of the havoc an alcoholics drinking bout creates. Then he begins to appear at hospitals and sanitariums. We might pay for this presumption in all sorts of absurd actions and ideas. They have recreational facilities. But they often suspect they are down for the count. We'll be down.". The chances are that we have domestic troubles. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); A Better Approach to Mental Health & Addiction Recovery. Dont start out as an evangelist or reformer. If the man be agnostic or atheist, make it emphatic that he does not have to agree with your conception of God. Our next function is to grow in understanding and effectiveness. She would soon have to give me over to the undertaker or the asylum. When drinking, or getting over a bout, an alcoholic, sometimes the model of honesty when normal, will do incredible things. Do not hesitate to take your health problems to such persons. It is not the matter of giving that is in question, but when and how to give. Dirt Bike A Vendre, Established on such a footing we became less and less interested in ourselves, our little plans and designs. My work took me about Wall Street and little by little I became interested in the market. If he is a real alcoholic and very far advanced, there is scant chance of success. Yes, we of agnostic temperament have had these thoughts and experiences. Each day my friends simple talk in our kitchen multiplies itself in a widening circle of peace on earth and good will to men. We could wish to be moral, we could wish to be philosophically comforted, in fact, we could will these things with all our might, but the needed power wasnt there. In one western city and its environs there are one thousand of us and our families. Just would he like to? On each of these occasions we worked with him, reviewing carefully what had happened. But we must not use this as a mere excuse to postpone. I was shocked, but interested. Your husband will see at once that he must redouble his spiritual activities if he expects to survive. If the alcoholic tries to shield himself he may succeed for a time, but he usually winds up with a bigger explosion than ever. Best of all, I met a kind doctor who explained that though certainly selfish and foolish, I had been seriously ill, bodily and mentally. But those of us who have tried to shoulder the entire burden and trouble of others find we are soon overcome by them. will add more attitude to your Bagger than a . Our stories disclose in a general way what we used to be like, what happened, and what we are like now. No person likes to think he is bodily and mentally different from his fellows. It crowded out all else: This man recounts that he tumbled out of bed to his knees. MOST OF us have been unwilling to admit we were real alcoholics. There are many helpful books also. After your man has gone along without drinking for a few months, you may be able to make use of his services with other employees who are giving you the alcoholic run- around-provided, of course, they are willing to have a third party in the picture. So he inquired, what did our friend have on the ball? Despite the living example of my friend there remained in me the vestiges of my old prejudice. The author is a founder of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Bill W. & Dr. Bob. He had consulted the best known American psychiatrists. Have we skimped on the cement put into the foundation? In one of these there is a well-known hospital for the treatment of alcoholic and drug addiction. The practical answer is that since these things have happened among us, they can happen with you. Of course he couldnt drink, but why not sit hopefully at a table, a bottle of ginger ale before him? You may think this an extreme case. As soon as I regained my ability to think, I went carefully over that evening in Washington. Enter your book's word count. One of these men, staff member of a world- renowned hospital, recently made this statement to some of us: What you say about the general hopelessness of the average alcoholics plight is, in my opinion, correct. They are all disappointed, and often let him feel it. Liquor ceased to be a luxury; it became a necessity. But point out that we alcoholics have much in common and that you would like, in any case, to be friendly. We may not be able to determine which course to take. Let the doctor, if he will, tell him he has something in the way of a solution. They were but memories. His reaction may be one of enthusiasm. We represent no particular faith or denomination. The fact is that most alcoholics, for reasons yet obscure, have lost the power of choice in drink. But the wise family will admire him for what he is trying to be, rather than for what he is trying to get. Some men have been so impaired by alcohol that they cannot stop. We turned back to the list, for it held the key to the future. Can it be appreciated that he has been a victim of crooked thinking, directly caused by the action of alcohol on his brain? Whatever the situation, we usually have to do something about it. Meanwhile you might try to help the wife of another serious drinker. 11. My schoolmate visited me, and I fully acquainted him with my problems and deficiencies. So two bottles, and-oblivion. That is where our fellow travelers are, and that is where our work must be done. And you may be tempted to let him do so. It should not matter, however, if someone does throw us out of his office. Then faith would be dead indeed. I simply had to believe in a Spirit of the Universe, who knew neither time nor limitation. Life would be wonderful. I began to be jittery in the morning. 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