Tuesday, August 22, 2006

The Big Book Online Fourth Edition


http://www.aa.org/bigbookonline/en_tableofcnt.cfm

© Copyright 2006 Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.

1 comment:

varjapani said...

Most alcoholics have to be pretty badly mangled before they really commence to solve their problems.

Many doctors and psychiatrists agree with our conclusions. One of these men, staff member of a world-renowned hospital, recently made this statement to some of us: "What you say about the general hopelessness of the average alcoholics' plight is, in my opinion, correct. As to two of you men, whose stories I have heard, there is no doubt in my mind that you were 100% hopeless, apart from divine help. Had you offered yourselves as patients at this hospital, I would not have taken you, if I had been able to avoid it. People like you are too heartbreaking. Though not a religious person, I have profound respect for the spiritual approach in such cases as yours. For most cases, there is virtually no other solution."

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Once more: The alcoholic at certain times has no effective mental defense against the first drink. Except in a few cases, neither he nor any other human being can provide such a defense. His defense must come from a Higher Power.

p 43 aa big book.

http://www.aainsa.org/BigBook/43.htm

This was always a bit depressing yet it now brings me comfort.

Once I came to realize that I was beyond human aid and that ONLY a power greater than myself COULD restore me then the question became WOULD I allow a power to restore me.

Then the trick became to continue to remember that I would always remain in a continual state of grace. As soon as thought that I had it licked the mental state returned.

What I recovered from was a seemling hopless state of mind and body.

I think perhaps this is why I was always guided to focus on gratitude.

Why there are statements in the book such as our very survival depends on continual though of others and how we can meet their needs.

As long as I focus on ME ME ME and my self then things do not go right.

I need to continue to make a decision to turn my will and life over by working the thrid step.

Stay in action and as the earlier part of this chapter reads remember that I am like a man who has lost his lets, he does not grow new ones.