Advice for the newcomer.

Complete abstinence from alcohol must be achieved if most alcoholics are to live long. Any real alcoholic abstaining will eventually drink if the alcoholism is not thoroughly treated. Honest doctors will be the first to admit they have no successful treatment for alcoholism. This is because real alcoholics may have a disease which only a power greater than themselves can conquer. Most all people who follow the program of AA (which means working the steps, not just going to meetings) achieve what AA calls a "spiritual awakening". They get a  connection with a Higher Power or "God" through the action of taking the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. When members of AA continue to put the 12 steps in their lives they get a change in personality brought on by a spiritual awakening sufficient to relieve them of their alcoholism. This is the good news of the book "Alcoholics Anonymous".

I highly recommend getting to it and taking the steps for anyone looking to recover from alcoholism or addiction. It can even be done by yourself if a suitably motivated AA sponsor in your neighbourhood cannot be found. One only really needs another person for the 5th step and 12th steps.

Some may say "I've been going to lot's of meetings isn't that enough?" Well ask any real alcoholic if just going to meetings is enough. Real alcoholics can't stay sober just on meetings. I know this from personal experience. The Big Book says "That probably no human power could have relieved our alcoholism". For people reading this who have continued to drink or drank again even while going to lots of meetings, let me ask, how has going to lot’s of meetings worked for you in the past?

Going to meetings is great, but will not give the desired recovery unless intensive 12 step work is done too. All AA literature speaks to this fact. If  you are a real alcoholic (like the AA book describes) I hope you take my advice.

Something my sponsor told me once. If you keep doing what your doing, you’ll keep getting what you get. Many alcoholics pay the ultimate price finding this out too late.