Alcoholism is a unique disease in that it is a two-fold malady. There is the physical allergy that ensures each and every time we put alcohol into our system we'll get sick, drunk, and into all kinds of trouble. But more paramount - we have a mental obsession that ensures, even though we don't want to drink, sooner or later our mind will tell us it's okay to pick up the intoxicating substance, triggering the physical allergy. We will surely get drunk again.
Dr. Silkworth, the chief medical benefactor of AA suggests that the thought process of the mind has to be transformed. The thought process of the mind of an alcoholic must have a psychic change. This change is essential and must be complete. As Dr. Silkworth stated, "... once a psychic change has occurred the very same person who seemed doomed, who had so many problems they despaired of ever solving them, is easily able to control their desire for alcohol, the only effort necessary being that required to follow a few simple rules."
The transformation of thought that is necessary to recover from a seemingly hopeless state of both mind and body occurs through the grace of God. This Grace can and will be received through the practice of the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous.
Having admitted complete defeat; having admitted to our innermost selves that we are alcoholic; understanding that our human power could not overcome our alcoholism; having begun to trust in God as a solution to our problems we arrive at Step Three, "... decided to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God." Our will is our thoughts and our lives are our behaviors as we think before we act. We turn over our thoughts and in doing so, behavior follows suit.
We pray, "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 my difficulties so that victory over them may bear witness to those I would help of Thy power, Thy love and Thy way of life. May I do Thy will always."
This unique disease cannot be remedied using that which causes it - self-centeredness and fear. Turning our broken, scarred selves over to a much Higher and Mightier power is the simple solution to this bewildering and unique disease.
Written by Armand
Pete welcome. Thank you for your comment. Much appreciated.
ReplyDelete.Armand
Dr. Silkworth was on point! Dr. Silkworth was also completely supported by Carl Jung who, when speaking to Roland Hazzard, cited a vital spiritual experience was necessary to have any hope of recovery. Carl Jung was a rock star in the field of psychology to this day. Jung also referred to the vital spiritual experience as a huge emotional displacement. I related to it as being born again in the Lord, a spiritual birth into a new dimension of being. Knowing that this world is not the final destination for our being gives me a new sense of new possibilities. The program of AA as outlined in the Big Book of recovery gave me that hope!
ReplyDeleteJim The Spiritual Awakening you speak of begins with a decision in the Third Step...Thank you...Armand
DeleteWhatever it it, I have it! Once I consumed my first drink, I never took a day off - never. I'm sure my mind would have counseled me otherwise but my mind was of no use. I know full well that my emotions yearned for me to somehow slow down but my emotions were of no use. My problem was spiritual and I was the last to know it. Does that make me unique? It certainly makes the solution for me unique. My only option was for me to do exactly as this post iterates. I had to turn my thinking and my behavior to something greater than myself. All Twelve Steps led me to That Power Greater than myself - within myself. Nothing is more simple or more actionable than that Unique Truth. The problem/disease is no match for The Power Within me and within all of us. Paradoxical yes. And unique.
ReplyDeleteMichael as you state our human power is useless when it comes to dealing successfully with our alcoholism. The power that is needed must come from God...Thank you...Armand
DeleteThanks Armand, very important thoughts about the nature of our disease. They bear repeating because they are still not widely understood, sometimes even within AA, sadly. When I first came to AA, I was under the mistaken impression that it is one of the "self-help" programs. That if I do the AA program, I will work on my "self" and eventually improve my "self-image." None of this is true. AA is not a self-help program, it is a God-help program. My mental obsession with alcohol is so powerful that no human power can defeat it-- no, not even the shibboleth I heard in the rooms, "Don't drink or use no matter what." When I finally got into the Book, I learned that our so-called willpower is of practically no avail. And as you so correctly state, my mind will always trick me into taking the first drink, thus setting off the physical reaction for more, more, more. After being out of control with drinking and drugs, I quit again, "forever," but then the obsession kicks in again and eventually leads me to back to the first drink, triggering another destructive spree. Without the help of a Power greater than myself, I am doomed to repeat this horrible cycle forever. What's the solution? The AA Program, meaning the Twelve Steps of AA, produces within me a personality transformation-- by relying upon infinite God rather than my finite self, I change my reaction to life, and my obsession with drinking leaves me... for as long as I keep doing the Program!
ReplyDeleteDan love when you wrote "AA is not a self help program but a God help program." It is sad that not only does much of AA not know of the solution but sadly many do not even want to hear of it...Thank you...Armand
DeleteThanks Armand,
ReplyDeleteI just love Dr. Silkworth's testimony. Alcohol was the principal vehicle I personally preferred to overcome the self centered fear of loosing what I thought I had, or never getting what I thought I wanted and then; to justify every thought, word and action of a man who was absolutely inwardly convinced that the entire known universe was uniquely and exclusively created just for him. It then became the all too temporary elixir in a vain attempt to numb and avoid the painful consequences of a sober conscience that reeled back in terror during any fleeting sober moments of sanity.
Yet, a casual glance at the world at large confirms that these regrettable characteristics are not the exclusive estate of the Alcoholic mind. Self centered fear and abuse of our God given natural appetites appears common to all of mankind as stark evidence of our universally failed and fallen nature. Even the most sober minded and spiritual among us suffer some cravings of misdirected appetites from time to time and any denial of our true condition is the primal delusion that opens the door to a desperate and lonely journey down a personal highway to hell. It's a core spiritual state that cannot even be recognized let alone overcome without Devine intervention through the gift of Gods grace through faith. One of the greatest saints who ever lived wrote of this nearly 2000 years ago and I'll defer to the problem he identified and the universal solution he discovered. Romans 7: 14 - 24:
" We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it."
"So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!"
It was a forgone conclusion that even when I inwardly agreed that the course I would choose would ultimately lead to self destruction I would still "throw the dice" as my appetites demanded hoping for a better outcome, and that, my friend is insanity... Simple knowledge of my condition is of no avail until I fully accepted that I'm completely, utterly and constitutionally incapable of overcoming my own will and fallen nature and any self powered effort in that direction was tantamount to placing a hair net over the space shuttle with the expectation of preventing the launch.
Any attempt at practicing these eternal principles, without acknowledging an absolute dependence upon the only source of Power capable of manifesting them in space and time may, for a brief period, produce a "white knuckle" form of "recovery", but none of the peace, assurance and serenity that is the immutable fabric of a life lived in the spiritual arms of the one and only Prince of Peace. There is only One who can enter a tomb to breathe life into the fetid state of a long dead soul or provide a Damascus Road meeting with the Author of Light. That one is God. May we all, by His grace, reach out and answer the call of the one true and living God who is longing to reunite with His child and is as close as the mention of His name...
A Gratefully Recovering Alcoholic
A Gratefully Recovering Alcoholic if I could have overcome my Alcoholism on my own, I would have but the truth is without the intervention of God in my life I would be dead or in prison...Thank you...Armand
ReplyDelete