Step One – the most often misquoted Step of the 12 Steps!

[Dallas]

Hey Sammie! Great to see you back! Wow! If you're drinking -- well, heck... have one for me... because I can't have one! You see, I know what happens to me if I tried to "just have one or two"... I can't even fathom "one drink" or "a drink". It's all or nothing baby!

One is too many and a thousand is not enough! That's why I have to keep busy doing what I have to do -- that will keep me away from the NEXT "one".

I just wrote about this in another post. Sorry. I don't remember where it was at, I think it was in the "Help for alcoholics" (first forum).

Anyhoot, if you want to read it, or if you think it might answer your question, you might check it out.

For me, it was the discovery of: Instead of trying to "not drink" I turned it around to "what do I have to do right now to stay sober?" It seems as though the obvious answer would be: "not drink." But, I have no power that will work to "not drink". But, I do have some power... "to do"... to "take the necessary actions to stay sober."

I hope that helps. It helped me. And, once I started on taking the actions to -- stay sober -- it wasn't long that I wasn't thinking about drinking at all!

I didn't know that would ever happen! I thought I'd have to "fight to not drink" for the rest of my life.... and I already knew, from fighting that fight many many many times... that's a fight I'll always lose.

Sobriety comes as a result of taking "sober actions"... not as a result of "taking not-drinking actions." You see, there is "no action" necessary to "not do something." The action to not do something is to do nothing... and because we're doing nothing... we end up fighting it.

So, we turn it around... and start taking actions "to do something"... taking actions -- to seek, achieve, and maintain sobriety".

I think you're on the right path! I relate. I used to sit up late all night... reading and studying the Big Book... while I was drinking! That went on for days and for weeks for me! Drinking and reading Alcoholics Anonymous -- trying to figure out what Bill did... to stay sober. I related to him in -- how I had no power to "not drink". He had no power to "not drink". But, he discovered a power to keep him sober... by taking actions that would keep him sober. Once I figured out "what actions he was doing"... I started doing the same actions... while drinking.

I reached a place of "what's the use? It isn't going to work for me." And, guess what? Next thing I knew... I was sober! Imagine what a shocker that was for me!

Dallas

[ROBERT]

Dallas, thanks for your post, the not drinking, non action, thing rang my bell, that is good stuff. With your permission I will use that in my meetings-

[buddy]

I would pick up the phone and talk to another SOBER human being. I believe I've heard where two or three are gathered together for the same purpose, (staying sober, He will be there).

[Ranman99]

I guess I knew I was an alkie for oh about 24 years before I could finally stop. It was my last two cracks at AA that I realised I needed to immediatley get a sponsor and work the steps. Otherwise it was really just biding time till I went out again.

This last time I worked the steps the best I could and I did not put anything else between me and sobriety. Next Tuesday will be the one year aniversary of the beginning of my last drunk My anniversary is Dec. 20th so it was a good one. One of the best Or worse

I think I'll celebrate with an AA meeting in the morning by taking my kid out for ice cream that night:P

I was told whatever you put between you and your sobriety your gonna loose I've proven that on more than one occasion

[rkdian34]

Has anyone ever read this part of the basic text?

"WE, OF Alcoholics Anonymous, are more than one
hundred men and women who have recovered from
a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body.
To show other alcoholics precisely how we have recovered is the
main purpose of this book."

Charles I. "Recovered Alcoholic "

[Dallas]

I've read it numerous times and I believe many others here have read it as least as many times or more than I have.

[Tim]

Has anyone ever read this part of the basic text?

"WE, OF Alcoholics Anonymous, are more than one
hundred men and women who have recovered from
a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body.
To show other alcoholics precisely how we have recovered is the
main purpose of this book."

Charles I. "Recovered Alcoholic "

So long as we understand that recovered doesn't mean cured. I've recovered from cancer (cured) and have recovered from alcoholism (not cured).

Many of those more than one hundred men and women mentioned in the Foreward went back to drinking. This is a sobering lesson to remind ourselves that there are no guarantees.

We are not cured of alcoholism. What we really have is a daily reprieve contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual condition

[Dallas]

Great post, Tim. Thanks.

[FORTMILL]

Back to the ORIGINAL post by Dallas with this topic ... and the DASH..

This might help for some

Example1

He robbed a bank and killed two people -- (dash) Santa Clause won't be visiting him this year.

Eample2

She broke her ankle kickboxing yesterday --(dash) She won't be running the marathon today.

Example3

We admitted we were powerless over alcohol --(dash) that our lives had become unmanageable.


Bill W. clarifies this in the 12&12 Step 1, page 23.

"Since Step One requires an admission that our lives have become unmanageable, how could people such as these take this Step?"

The next couple sentences answer this. He does not talk about anxiety,depression, fears, resentments, etc...

"By going back in our own drinking histories, we could show that years before we realized ut we were OUT OF CONTROL, that our drinking even then was no mere habit, that it was indeed the beginning of a fatal progression."

See, I cannot manage the decision that a non-alcoholic can manage with ease... the decision not to take that first drink, left to my own self-reliance without God. (PAGE 34 BIG BOOK).. no matter how great the necessity or wish..... My ALCOHOLIC Life seems the only normal one... My "solution" to life is killing me, but I continue to use my "solution"... The Spiritual Malady is actually kicking my butt.

Bill W. talks about the unmanagebility of SELF in the 12&12 in STEP 3. Page 39..

In the BIG BOOK, the 2nd Step can be taken on page 47. After the 2nd step , going into the 3rd step, leaving aside the DRINK question, they tell why living was so unsatisfactory (51),... now we are getting into the unmanagebility of SELF and the bedevilments (52), ... there is a requirement for Step 3... the first requirement is that we be convinced that any life run on self will can hardly be a success....

The unmanagebility in STEP 3, is what most DISCUSSION meetings say is the unmanagebility in STEP 1. This does not line up with AA literature...

why is this important... for someone that has had a Spiritual Awakening as the direct result of these steps... not much... to the newcomer... LOTS. When I came to AA, job, house, car... I just could NOT manage that decision not to drink... No matter what happened to me... I always ended up drinking again at some point in time... the MIND OF a chronic alcoholic....

Well, I cannot work Step 1, because I am managing my affairs ok, even though alcohol was killing me..... THANK GOD FOR A SPONSOR.

IF THIS CAUSES CONTEMPT PRIOR TO INVESTIGATION, PLEASE EXAMINE YOUR BELIEF SYSTEM, I JUST MAYBE IT IS TIED TO YOUR EGO. As I continue to that little rat bastard within me also, that tells me how things are... but what is the "TRUTH".

With love and gratitude,
Frank C

[GeoffS]

Has anyone ever read this part of the basic text?
recovered from
a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body. [color=darkred]

Recovered from that state yes, I am not in it at all any more. Recovered from alcoholism, you must be jokin right? If I was recovered I could drink again in safety. I know if I drink again I won't be safe, and neither will anyone else!!! I'll be back in the hopeless state. Recovered from alcoholism, per se. It can't happen.