The Root Of The Problem

It is through all our experience with our character defects that we've realized and recognized, set boundaries and applied cognitive therapy and behavioral modification but all to no avail - using these methods is like applying a band aid to a festering sore. What we really must do is get to the root of the problem. Our character defects exist in our human nature, not in the will of God. Therefore, if we are willing to perform the work necessary for the Spirit to be awakened within us by living in the back half of The Eleventh Step, "Praying only for knowledge of God's will for us and the power to carry that out" (Alcoholics Anonymous) , our character defects will not and cannot possibly manifest in our behaviors. The power to carry out such knowledge must come from God, as our human nature will only try to sustain our selfish desires. Once we have taken this step we have pulled the root of the problem from it's poisonous soils.

          Some of us have learned through our experiences that we must do this - turn from our human nature and live in the will of God - if our character defects are not to exist in our behavior. Many of us have not.  In Alcoholics Anonymous it is often said, "Let go and let God."  The "let go" part is in the letting go of our thought process propelled by our human instincts. The "let God" part is thereafter, in which we surrender to the idea that God will propel our thought process through His inspiration.  Inspiration is defined as "the thoughts of God implanted in the mind and soul of man."  When this transformation of thought has occurred, the root of the problem has truly been healed.         

 Written by Armand

The Resentment Prayer

While assembling my 4th step resentment list I found that the best way to cope with the resentments was to first pray for and forgive those that were on my list.  In the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous in the chapter "How It Works" it states, "...we realize that the people who had wronged us were perhaps spiritually sick.  Though we did not like their symptoms and the way they disturbed us they, like ourselves, were sick too.  We ask God to help us grant  them the same tolerance, pity and patience we would grant a sick friend.  When a person offended we said to ourselves, 'Perhaps this is a sick person, how can I be helpful to them? God save me from being angry, Thy will be done.' God will show us how to take a kind and tolerant view of each and everyone."  As I drew closer to God this began to happen naturally, as it can as well for you.

         As an alcoholic I do find that resentment is the number one malfeasance to a serene and peaceful life. If we are to have a clear state of consciousness that is free of conflict; if we are to lead an addiction-free life - a life in which resentment doesn't cause such conflict in our mind then manifest in our behavior - then we must let go of all of our human resentments.  There is often no way possible to do this without the aid of the Highest Power.  "That One is God may you find Him now."

Written by Armand

The Genesis

    In 1930, there was an alcoholic named Roland Hazard, an Oxford group member, who visited on more than one occasion the noted psychiatrist, Dr. Carl Jung.   After Roland had some drinking failures Dr. Jung gave him the solution  for Alcoholism, which is a vital spiritual experience.  Spiritual is defined as of or pertaining to God.  Vital is defined : life giving.  We had to give life to our experience with God by surrendering our will to the will of God.
    During this historic visit Dr. Jung said to Roland Hazard, "you have the mind of a chronic alcoholic, and I have never seen one single case recover where the state of mind existed to the extent that it does in you."  Roland thought the gates of hell had closed on him. He asked, "is there no exception," "Yes," replied the  Doctor , "there is.  Exceptions to cases such as yours have been occurring since early times.  Here and there, once in awhile alcoholics have had what are called VITAL SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES."   I recant these passages which are part of the chapter THERE IS A SOLUTION in the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous so that we clearly know that the solution to our Alcoholism is A Vital Spiritual Experience and The Genesis  of that experience is God.  In the chapter, How It Works, in the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous it says "may you find Him now."
     If you are alcoholic and wish to recover from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body, then  subordinate and surrender your will to the will of God and you will live  in the solution to your alcoholism.

Written By Armand

A Kernel

       There was a day, such a long time ago, I stood in a parking lot drunk and the fortunate event that occurred as I bumped into the only person I knew who was in A.A., the kindness he showed me by speaking with me and by taking me to my first Alcoholics Anonymous meeting that night was God given.  There I raised my hand and said "my name is Armand and I am an alcoholic."  Some seven years passed from that first night until I would admit complete defeat.  The intervening years produced some difficulty in my life as a direct result of alcohol, but fortunately I did survive and those seven years produced a bottom I could push up from.
       Since that time I have been blessed with a passion for Alcoholics Anonymous which has given me a life, a real life, and I know that in order to keep it I must give it away.  In the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous it says "the entire load must be given away."  It also states  "our very lives as ex problem drinkers depends upon our constant thoughts of others."  In the rooms, when I see someone who is new or if it is someone's first time at our home group, I will walk up to them, shake there hand and introduce myself.  When anyone in A.A. asks for help of any kind I give it.  Generally the help they ask for is to be taken through the program of Alcoholics Anonymous by reading the Big Book and working the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous together.  I always say yes as perhaps this is the day they will receive their Kernel of faith as I once did when I was blessed by the kindness of a member of Alcoholics Anonymous.  With a Kernel of faith, perhaps, just maybe, they will be on their way to recovering from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body.

Written By Armand 

Unique Disease

Alcoholism is a Unique Disease in that it is two-fold.We have a physical allergy which ensures that each and every time we put alcohol into our system we will get sick, we will get drunk, we will get into all kinds of trouble.  But, even more important than the physical allergy, we have a mental obsession which ensures that even though we don't want to drink, sooner or later our minds will tell us it's ok-we will put the alcohol into our system, we'll trigger the physical allergy, and we'll get drunk again.  As Dr. Silkworth, the great medical benefactor of AA suggests, the thought processes of the mind have to be transformed.  The thought processes of the mind must undergo a psychic change and this change is essential and must be complete  As Dr Silkworth states "on the other hand, and strange as this may seem- once a psychic change has occurred the very same person who seemed doomed, who has so many problems they despaired of ever solving them, is easily able to control their desire for alcohol, the only effort necessary is to follow a few simple rules."
    The transformation of thought that is necessary to recover from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body occurs through the grace of God received by integrating the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous into our life in such a way that they become our life.  Having admitted complete defeat, having admitted to our innermost self that we are Alcoholic, understanding that no human power could overcome our alcoholism, having begun to trust in God as a solution to our problems we were now at Step Three-as we decided to turn our will, which is our thoughts, and our life, which is our behavior over to the care of God. We knelt down on our knees and prayed THE THIRD STEP PRAYER, "God I offer myself to Thee, to build with me and to do with me as Thou wilt, relieve me of the bondage of self that I may better do Thy will.  Take away from me my difficulties that victory over them will bear witness to those I would help of Thy power, Thy love and Thy way of life , may I do Thy will always."
Perhaps you have never taken a Third Step, if not knell and take it now and  YOU will have a simple solution to  a UNIQUE DISEASE.

Written by Armand 

How Will I Know Gods Will For Me

 I am often asked,  "HOW will I know what God's will for me is???." The "Big Book" of Alcoholics Anonymous says, "...that it is not probable that we are going to be inspired at all times. We might pay for this presumption in all sorts of absurd actions and ideas.  Nevertheless, we find that as time passes our thinking will be more and more on the plane of inspiration  We come to rely on it."  Inspiration is defined as, "the thoughts of God implanted in the mind and soul of man."  Once the thoughts of God hit our souls we do not need to run it by our intellect to know it is indeed the Truth.

          Although we are not yet capable of turning our will and our life over to the care of God in Step Three,  we are capable of making a decision - a final choice - to do so.  Deciding from this day forward we are willing to overturn our thought processes that are propelled by our human instincts in order that they may be ruled only by the will of God - which is received through inspiration. 

          If you have already made that decision, may God bless you and may He keep you. If you have not, perhaps now (this moment, right now) would be the time for you to make it... to turn your thoughts and your behaviors over to the care of God and begin to live a life of peace and a life of pure, unimpeachable joy.

Written By  Armand

Humility As A Recovery Tool

The basis of all 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous is humility, the spirit of which is necessary in keeping our egos deflated. Admitting to our innermost self that we are alcoholic, learning to trust in God, and making a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God are all steps on the road to humility.  In the Fourth Step, identifying who we are and acceptance of what that means is both ego-deflating and humbling.  As for myself, the most paramount of steps in which I accepted humility was the 5th Step, during which I shared my 4th Step - the deepest, darkest side of myself - with myself, God and another human being.

          In the 7th Step we offer all of ourselves, the good and the bad, to God - to do with us as He would do so that our human character defects do not manifest themselves in our behavior.  Another step in which humility occurs is the 9th Step,as we go out and make our amends, reconciling the wrongs we have done in the past. And finally the 11th Step, in which recovered alcoholics reside, praying only for the knowledge of God's will and the power to carry that out. All of these steps can only be performed and will only be successfully taken with a humbled spirit.

          Humility unlocks the door to the Grace of God. Only through such a humbled spirit may we recover from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body - making humility absolutely necessary.

Written by Armand

Admit And Accept

In The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions it is written: "A continuous look at our assets and liabilities, and a real desire to learn and grow by this means, are necessities for us. We alcoholics have learned this the hard way. More experienced people, of course, in all times and places have practiced unsparing self-survey and criticism. For the wise have always known that no one can make much of his life until self-searching becomes a regular habit, until he is able to ADMIT and ACCEPT what he finds, and until he patiently and persistently tries to correct what is wrong.

      Through daily inventory we can admit and accept that our character defects are a part of our human nature, a part that cannot manifest if we are truly living in the will of God. We are completely capable of understanding, if the proper work on the 12 steps is thoroughly done, that our human nature is in fact defected. We must accept this about ourselves if we desire to be recovered.

       In the program of Alcoholics Anonymous it is often said, "Let go and let God."  The "Let go" part is turning from the incessant prompts of our human nature and the "Let God" part is living in, and thereby manifesting, the will of God.  Living in the raw-natured will of God, our character defects cannot be manifested in our behavior - it is in such a spiritual place that our nature can be perfected as we become the human being that God created us to be.

          Self-survey is a most powerful tool of recovery.

Written by Armand

The Functioning Piece Of Alcoholism

I have learned through the program of Alcoholics Anonymous that I have three basic instincts: a social, a sexual and a security instinct.  These instincts are God given and necessary for life, but in me I can never get enough of  what it is I think I need.  The great psychiatrist Sigmund Freud defines an instinct as, "a bodily need manifested in our thought process.".

       Through the twelve steps I have learned that alcohol is but a symptom of our true malady - our true malady being self-centered fear. We are afraid that we are not going to get what we want and that we are going to lose what we have.  Once our fear is triggered we reach for our character defects in an attempt to satiate our instincts, but we can never get enough of what it is we think we need. We are then left running around, chasing our tails, creating havoc in our lives but, more importantly, havoc in the lives of everyone around us. This malady of self-centered fear is the functioning piece of alcoholism and any other ism.

           The solution to the disease of addiction is a vital spiritual experience. We must give life to our relationship with God.  How? By letting go of our human nature so our thought process is no longer propelled by our instincts, but rather by the will of God through inspiration,  

Written by Arman