When I was approached about writing an article about Alcoholic Anonymous, I was less than enthusiastic. Not that I have anything against the organization. To the contrary, I believe they do good works; however, I couldn't imagine what I could add to what has already has been written. Their book, "Alcoholics Anonymous," originally published in 1935 is in its fourth edition. In 1989, a movie, "My Name is Bill W." was released starring James Garner, James Woods and JoBeth Williams. Then, of course, there have been a number of television programs which have featured A. A. in one manner or another. Currently, "Elementary," starring Johnny Miller as a modern day Sherlock Holmes, infrequently attends an A.A. meeting and/or meets with his sponsor. So, it's not as if no one has ever heard of A. A.
As I understand it, A.A. is alcoholics helping alcoholics, and A. A. members follow "The 12 Steps of A.A." But, am I familiar with the 12 steps? Not really. Are you? Probably not. So, in an effort to better understand A. A., what follows are "The 12 Steps of A. A," with editorial comment.
1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol--that our lives had become unmanageable. (I understand this to a point. For example, I can't keep ice cream in my freezer because it calls to me every time I walk by the refrigerator; however, when the ice cream is gone, I'm not compelled to run out and buy more. In fact, I can go months without ice cream. However, an alcoholic cannot stop when the bottle or glass is empty. An alcoholic must have another drink and will do what it takes to get it -- that's addiction.)
2. Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. (Think about turning your life over to a higher Power -- easier said than done).
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him. ("God as we understood Him." Not a specific religion. But, your personal understanding of God - not someone's idea of Him [or Her]. Yours! And, yours alone. Note: I asked an A. A. member if this excluded agnostics or atheists. His answer was no. He explained, the only real requirement for A. A. membership is a desire to stop drinking. There is no religious test, he said, and no requirement to believe in anything. There is a growing movement of agnostics and atheists in A.A. They even have a website: aaagnostica.org and they hold national conventions.)
4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. (This goes much deeper than a glancing at yourself in a mirror. This requires looking inside of yourself and accepting what you find.)
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. (Who wants to admit the nature of their wrongs even to oneself? But, to someone else? A higher power? Gut wrenching!)
6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. (Really? Imagine being willing and able to relinquish your flaws to anyone, let alone God or the Power you believe in?)
7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings. (Is your faith strong enough for this?)
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all. (Forgiveness may be or may not be forthcoming. That isn't your problem. What is important for recovery is to acknowledge the damage you did and to atone for it.)
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. (This requires accessing the situation and having the courage to act accordingly -- this is not an excuse to not make amends.)
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it. (Recovery is an ongoing process. Every second. Every minute. Every hour. Day in, day out. Perpetual recovery.)
11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out. (Continuous conversation with the God, as you understand Him, in order to function on a daily basis).
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs. (Understanding your life has changed through your relationship with God as you understand Him.)
However, if you think this is the end of it, you couldn't be more wrong! In addition to "The 12 Steps of A. A.," members also adhere to "The 12 Traditions of A.A." which serves to protect members and A. A.
The 12 traditions are: "1. Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon A. A. unity.
2. For our group purpose, there is but one ultimate authority -- a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern.
3. The only requirements for A. A. membership is a desire to stop drinking.
4. Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups of A. A. as a whole.
5. Each group has but one primary purpose -- to carry its message to the alcoholic who still suffers.
6. An A. A. group ought never endorse, finance, or lend the A. A. name to any related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property and prestige divert us from our primary purpose.
7. Every A. A. group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.
8. Alcoholics Anonymous should remain forever nonprofessional, but our service centers may employ special workers.
9. A.A., as such, ought never be organized; but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve.
10. Alcoholics Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the A. A. name ought never be drawn into public controversy.
11. Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio, and films.
12. Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities."
If you have a drinking problem, you are welcome at Alcoholics Anonymous. There are no other restrictions. No one cares how old are or your education levels. Ph.D.s are as welcome as high school drop-outs. A.A. doesn't care about the color of your skin, your religion or lack thereof or your politics. The organization is fully self-supporting, which means, A.A. does NOT ask for or accept money from non-members. You cannot just write out a check A. A. as you would The Salvation Army or any other organization. In other words, A.A. will not accept your donation unless you are an A.A. member. Even members are limited to the amount of money each can contribute annually.
In Poplar Bluff and the surrounding area, there are a number of A.A. chapters. Their meetings are listing in the Daily American Republic's Community Calendar. You may have noticed the meetings are listed as "closed" or "open." Those descriptions may be misleading. I recently spoke to two members of AA who explained, "Closed meetings are not just for A.A. members, but for anyone who thinks they may have a drinking problem. Open meetings usually have a speaker and are open to members, and anyone who wants to know more about A.A. Often open meetings are attended by members of the medical profession, clergy, press and the general public. There is also a separate organization, Al-Anon, which are meetings which support family members of alcoholics because alcoholism affects the entire family!
In summary, Alcoholics Anonymous is voluntary and its sole purpose is to help men and women with a drinking problem. In addition to their 12 Steps and their 12 Traditions, you should understand what A. A. doesn't do. Among their don'ts -- they do not solicit members, offer religious services, collect dues or membership fees, host retreats, keep attendance records or case histories, follow up or try to control members, etc.
Simply put, if you or someone you know has a drinking problem, A. A. may be worth investigating, but the final decision rests with the person with the drinking problem. He or she must want to stop drinking. A. A. can provide the guidance needed, but A. A. cannot stop anyone from drinking. Sobriety can only be achieved by the person with the drinking problem. The person with the drinking problem has to take the first step toward recovery. While the road may be long, it need not be lonely. A. A. is here to help.
For more information about A. A. or to find a meeting near you, call 573-712-0333. The call will be answered by an A. A. member.