In
my humble opinion to be the most effective at carrying the message of
recovery from alcoholism through doing the 12 steps, current core members of a fellowship group ought to be what our literature defines as "real" alcoholics. Also in my opinion it is best that they have also recovered through practicing the 12 steps as outlined in the book Alcoholics Anonymous and 12 steps and 12 traditions book.
(Real alcoholic members being people who have alcoholism
as described in the the doctors opinion and first 1/3 of the 164 pages of
the book.)
It is the matter of identification that is crucial. How the
problem of mind and body manifests in an individuals drinking history.
The stories about the inability to stop once starting drinking, the
inability to control it. Not being able to stop permanently even when
honestly wanting to ... the stories of "real" alcoholics help a new real
alcoholic do his 1st step which is crucial in surrendering and getting
the motivation to carry on with the rest of the steps to get a spiritual
awakening and a conscious contact with a HP. This giving recovery
through removal of the obsession by reliance on God. People who attend
meetings that are only hard drinkers or have problems other than
alcoholism do not have the experience and stories of a real alcoholic
and in my opinion can't be nearly as effective at helping a new real
alcoholic identify. "All alcoholics are drunks but not all drunks are
alcoholics" Pg 20-21 of the big book goes more indepth into this fact
they had found. In my opinion a "healthy" AA group ought to have core
members who are real alcoholics and are actively putting the 12 steps in
their lives and in doing so realize they need to carry "the message of
recovery through doing the steps" to other alcoholics. I am not saying
we ought to sus out who is a real alcoholic and who isn't but a strong
group ought to have core real alcoholic members who have a consistent
and big book originated message of recovery through doing the steps.
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