In Praise of Lois and Bill Wilson’s only child 

Today's post as well as the next few will concern the cooperation between AA and Al-Anon. Figures from the past 12 years of surveys done by the Al-Anon World Service Office indicate that the percentage of new Al-Anons referred by AA's has declined steadily from a high in 1995. This is of deep concerne to me, as AA and the AA friends I made during the years of my own recovery played a HUGE role in that process!

Ken P.

             The following description of AA is taken directly from The Merck Manual of Medical Information, second edition, a favorite reference resource for physicians. I chose this definition because is it so accurate, but also because it represents a ringing endorsement from a group of highly respected professionals who themselves have spent decades wrestling with the physical deterioration caused by alcoholism.

            “No approach has benefited so many alcoholics as effectively as the help they can offer themselves by participating in Alcoholics Anonymous. AA is an international fellowship of people who want to stop drinking. There are no dues or fees. The program operates on the basis of the “Twelve steps,” which offers the alcoholic a new way of living without alcohol. Members of the fellowship typically work with a sponsor- a fellow member who is abstaining from alcohol use-who offers guidance and support. AA operates within a spiritual context but is not affiliated with any ideology or religious doctrine; however, alternative organizations, such as Life Ring, Recovery (Secular Organizations for Sobriety), exist for those seeking a more secular approach.

             AA helps its members in other ways as well. It provides a place where the recovering alcoholic can socialize away from the tavern with non-drinking friends who are always available for support when the urge to start drinking again becomes strong. In meetings, the alcoholic hears other people relate to the entire group-how they are struggling every day to avoid taking a drink. Finally, by providing a means to help others, AA builds self-esteem and confidence formerly found only in drinking alcohol.  

            Most metropolitan areas have many AA meetings available day and night, seven days a week. An alcoholic is encouraged to try several different meetings and to attend those at which he feels most comfortable. 

The Merck Manual of medical Information, 2^nd Home Ed., copyright 2003, Pocket Books, p. 651.

My next few posts will be less formal and educational and more personal. They will tell how AA and its members helped me and others within the program to recover.

Take care,

Ken P.