'Fit SPIRITUAL condition'. NOT 'fit PSYCHOLOGICAL condition'

"That is how we react so long as we keep in fit SPIRITUAL condition."
(p85, AA Big Book)

What IS 'Fit SPIRITUAL condition'? (p85, AA Big Book)
That's another post.

'Fit SPIRITUAL condition' (p85, AA Big Book) MAY or MAY NOT manifest as 'fit PSYCHOLOGICAL condition'

But many unconsciously read this sentence as MEANING
'fit PSYCHOLOGICAL condition'

Which it is NOT (!!!) saying.
Think about it.
Its SO !! easy to UNCONSCIOUSLY MISINTERPRET what the big book is saying VERY !! directly to us
WITHOUT EVER REALISING IT.

Whatever.
I'm just drawing your attention to this (what I see as) IMPORTANT distinction.
I will !! TRY (!) to explain what 'Fit SPIRITUAL condition' is another post. (Difficult !!!! or what!)

For now, just remember that the big book does NOT suggest we aim to achieve 'fit PSYCHOLOGICAL condition'. Meaning the aim is not to become more PSYCHOLOGICALLY ADVANCED.
Nope.
Not to increase our Psychological knowledge, proficiency or expertise.
Certainly not as a primary goal.
It may (or may not) occur as a fortunate !! BY PRODUCT of having a spiritual awakening as a result of the steps, (p60, AA Big Book) and thereafter keeping in fit SPIRITUAL condition. (p85, AA Big Book)
BUT THAT'S NOT REALLY WHAT THE BIG BOOK IS TELLING US (in no uncertain terms) WHAT WE OUGHT TO BE STRIVING FOR.

Whatever. Just thought I would mention that if you haven't already spotted it.
Basically recovery has VERY LITTLE to do with PSYCHOLOGICAL GOALS, but has a GREAT DEAL to do with SPIRITUAL GOALS.
Which are distinctly different to the former, (in my perception anyhow.)
That's my experience. Make of it what you will. For all I know ? this is glaringly ! obvious to you all already..

Have a great Thursday!

"If you want to hide something from an alcoholic, put it in the Big book"

Can therapy or counseling get you sober, or keep you sober?

..As a substitute for "a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps" (p60, AA Big Book)

"Neither he NOR ANY OTHER HUMAN BEING can provide such a defense. His defense must come from a Higher Power. " (p43, AA Big Book)

That includes Therapists, counselors, people who work in treatment centres, psyciatrists, sponsors, me, you.
ALL !!!! humans unfortunately..

This is why I do not get Sponsees to do therapy or such (if ever) until AFTER step 9. Ie when the spiritual malady Is overcome (p64, AA Big Book) and they are no longer in danger of drinking PROVIDED THEY STAY IN FIT ***SPIRITUAL*** CONDITION. (p85, AA Big Book)

Anyway. That's how I do it. That's how old timers did it when I was new. And that's what I saw working again and again and again.
So that's what I pass on. That's my experience.
Thankfully it seems to be the same as that of the first 100 members. (re first quote from p43, AA Big Book)
There's another reason, but ill explain that another time. Theres more to this, but I'll split it over a few posts.

Have a great Thursday!

"If you want to hide something from an alcoholic, put it in the Big book"

'I'm not going to jump into the lifeboat until I know WHY this ship is sinking'

Its not what you KNOW, its what you DO: 'I'm not going to jump into the lifeboat until I know WHY this ship is sinking' (I cant remember ? where I first heard that one, but it was in some meeting..)

Regarding trying to get to the bottom of things, or trying to understand stuff. I'm not really trying to figure it out as such. Just trying to live according to spiritual principles.
If I tried to UNDERSTAND the universe and all the stuff in it, I would drive myself MAD. So I don't bother. Its just not worth it. What difference would it make anyway?
Ie.
'I'm not going to jump into the lifeboat until I know WHY this ship is sinking'

It takes great moral courage to embrace the contradictions and unseen crannies inherent in reality.
Its often very unflattering and confusing. I stopped trying to understand it a long time ago. All I know is that I must try to treat other humans how I would like to be treated. That's all. The rest I don't really know.

Did a 'chair' at a meeting today which was nice. Saw some new faces and discovered a GREAT coffee place afterwards I had no idea existed. A good day! Weather is STILL fabulous over here..
Have a good Thursday!

Untreated Alcoholism: 'Stinking thinking". The STEPS are the answer. NOT Self Knowledge, or Will Power.

Inside All Saints Margaret Street Church London, originally uploaded by Irish friend of Bill.

"Stinking Thinking leads to Drinking"

This is for those of you who are new, and have not yet got a Sponsor, and started working through the Steps, as laid out in the Basic Text of AA. (The Big Book)
I remember I had to hear AA members repeat this SO !! MANY TIMES before I really HEARD it. That's why I'm spelling it out here. !

Lets say you have reached a point after starting coming to meetings where you are just beginning to see that instead of being a 'nice person'. Or a 'victim of circumstance', that actually, you have a little more 'stinking thinking' than you first realized. (!!!)
That actually you are a bit ! selfish.
That actually you have about as much gratitude as a gnats chuff.
That actually people annoy you quite a LOT.
That the general conversation, 'washing machine' thoughts that rumble around in your head, ARENT ACTUALLY THAT !!!! POSITIVE.

Well at this point it is tempting to think, that what AA offers is something 'educational' or 'self aware'. A bit like therapy perhaps. This is not so. Not entirely anyway. Self knowledge plays a PART, but not a very BIG part. The 'meat and potatoes' is in the STEPS. Well that's what I've found anyway.
Right. So regarding those negativities or mental 'defects' that you have started to spot..
"Many of us had moral and philosophical convictions galore, but we could not live up to them even though we would have liked to. Neither could we reduce our self-centeredness much by wishing or trying on our own power."
p62

"We found that such codes and philosophies did not save us, no matter how much we tried. We could wish to be moral, we could wish to be philosophically comforted, in fact, we could will these things with all our might, but the needed power wasn´t there. Our human resources, as marshalled by the will, were not sufficient; they failed utterly."
p45

"the actual or potential alcoholic, with hardly any exception, will be absolutely unable to stop drinking on the basis of self-knowledge. This is a point we wish to emphasize and re-emphasize, to smash home upon our alcoholic readers as it has been revealed to us out of bitter experience."
p39

And regarding any thoughts about drinking you may be experiencing..
"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."
p43

"No human power could have relieved our alcoholism." (Doesn't say, "except for Mary, Joan, or Bridget')
p60

So if the problem isn't ''selfishness' (or any other 'stinking thinking" ) as such. What IS the problem?
"Lack of power, that was our dilemma. we had to find a power by which we could live, and it had to be a Power greater than ourselves. Obviously. But where and how were we to find this Power?
Well, that´s exactly what this book is about. Its main object is to enable you to find a Power greater than yourself which will solve your problem."
p45

So how exactly am I supposed to " find a Power greater than yourself which will solve your problem."?
"Here are the steps we took, which are suggested as a program of recovery"
p59
"Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps"
p60

So. There's your answer.
The STEPS will restore you to sanity.
Which will enable you to have a mental defence against alcohol. See page 84.

(After step 9) regarding alcohol:
"We will seldom be interested in liquor. If tempted, we recoil from it as from a hot flame. WE react sanely and normally, and we will find that this has happened automatically. We will see that our new attitude toward liquor has been given us without any thought or effort on our part. It just comes! That is the miracle of it. We are not fighting it, neither are we avoiding temptation. We feel as though we had been placed in a position of neutrality—safe and protected. We have not even sworn off. Instead, the problem has been removed. It does not exist for us. We are neither cocky nor are we afraid."
p84

And will provide you with the 'needed power" to do many things which until now have been beyond reach. Such as to act in keeping with the " moral and philosophical convictions galore" which you have, but are unable to live up to. Eg selfishness etc.

But to do the steps, you will need a sponsor. The more contented the better, the more peace of mind the better. Find the best available woman in your neighborhood and ask her to take you through the first nine steps. After that its just maintenance.
But most importantly,
"the (drink) problem has been removed. It does not exist for us."
p84

Which is why we all showed up in AA in the first place, lets face it!

So happy hunting! And I hope you find a good un!

The 'Alcoholic Mind' Do you still have one?

(In regard to the ability to be around alcohol after Step 9)
Chapter 7. WORKING WITH OTHERS page 101
We meet these conditions every day.
An alcoholic who cannot meet them, still has an ALCOHOLIC MIND;
there is something the matter with his spiritual status.

Chapter 3. MORE ABOUT ALCOHOLISM page 41
I now remembered what my alcoholic friends had told me,
how they prophesied that if I had an ALCOHOLIC MIND,
the time and place would come -- I would drink again.

Chapter 2. THERE IS A SOLUTION page 23
Therefore, the main problem of the alcoholic centers in his mind, rather than in his body.

Chapter 3. MORE ABOUT ALCOHOLISM page 42
I knew from that moment that I had an ALCOHOLIC MIND.
I saw that will power and self-knowledge would not help
in those strange mental blank spots.

Chapter 2. THERE IS A SOLUTION page 24
The almost certain consequences that follow taking even a glass of beer
do not crowd into the (alcoholic) MIND to deter us.

'Strange mental blank spots'. What are they?

Chapter 3. MORE ABOUT ALCOHOLISM page 42
I saw that will power and self-knowledge would not help
in those strange mental blank spots.

Chapter 3. MORE ABOUT ALCOHOLISM p43
Once more: The alcoholic AT CERTAIN TIMES
has NO effective mental defense against the first drink.

Notice it just says ‘at certain times’. NOT all the time.
-Or just when we experience a very obvious craving for a drink.

What does ‘at certain times’ mean? All day? One hour in the evening?

Chapter 2. THERE IS A SOLUTION p24
If these thoughts occur,
they are hazy and readily supplanted
with the old threadbare idea
that this time we shall handle ourselves like other people

What are the implications of this statement?
Can you rely on your thinking to keep you in check?
What is the difference between ‘no effective mental defense’ and a perceived craving for a drink?

Chapter 3. MORE ABOUT ALCOHOLISM page 41
The thought came to mind
that it would be nice to have a couple of cocktails with dinner.
That was all. Nothing more.
This time I had not thought of the consequences at all.

Chapter 3. MORE ABOUT ALCOHOLISM p36
I had no intention of drinking.
I just thought I would get a sandwich.

Chapter 3. MORE ABOUT ALCOHOLISM p37
But there was always the curious mental phenomenon that
parallel with our sound reasoning
there inevitably ran some insanely trivial excuse for taking the first drink.
Our sound reasoning failed to hold us in check.

Chapter 3. MORE ABOUT ALCOHOLISM p37
we are obliged to admit that our justification for a spree
was insanely insufficient in the light of what always happened.
there was little serious or effective thought
during the period of premeditation
of what the terrific consequences might be.

Chapter 3. MORE ABOUT ALCOHOLISM page 40
I felt I had every right to be self-confident,
that it would be only a matter of exercising my will power
and keeping on guard.

Chapter 3. MORE ABOUT ALCOHOLISM page 41
Not only had I been off guard,
I had made no fight whatever against the first drink.

Will Self Knowledge keep you sober?

The actual or potential alcoholic, with hardly any exception,
will be absolutely unable to stop drinking on the basis of self-knowledge.
page 39 Chapter 3. MORE ABOUT ALCOHOLISM

Above all, he believed he had acquired such a profound knowledge of the inner workings of his mind and its hidden springs that relapse was unthinkable.
Nevertheless, he was drunk in a short time.
More baffling still, he could give himself no satisfactory explanation for his fall.
page 26 Chapter 2. THERE IS A SOLUTION

He had much knowledge about himself as an alcoholic.
Yet all reasons for not drinking were easily pushed aside
in favor of the foolish idea that he could take whiskey if only he mixed it with milk!
page 36 Chapter 3. MORE ABOUT ALCOHOLISM

I saw that will power and self-knowledge would not help in those strange mental blank spots.
page 42 Chapter 3. MORE ABOUT ALCOHOLISM

Surely this was the answer -- self-knowledge.
page 7 Chapter 1. BILL'S STORY

He was positive that this humiliating experience,
plus the knowledge he had acquired,
would keep him sober the rest of his life.
Self-knowledge would fix it.
page 40 Chapter 3. MORE ABOUT ALCOHOLISM