Are you having difficulty controlling your drinking? Are you concerned about your relationship with alcohol? If these questions are on your mind, it may be time to take a look at your drinking. You are not alone in this situation.
Many people can easily give up alcohol if they have a good reason to do so. 1. However, for others, it can be a daunting challenge. You may have already tried to cut down on your use or quit completely, without success. 2.
Recognizing that you have a drinking problem can be difficult. Often, people struggling with problematic drinking try to minimize the situation, convincing themselves that they have control over the situation. 3. It is essential to listen to yourself and be honest with yourself. The truth is that alcoholism is a disease 4, and like any illness, it requires treatment.
A little one quiz is available online to help you determine if you might have a problem with alcohol. Feel free to check it out 5.
AA is a fellowship of men and women who have lost the ability to control their drinking. 6. They found a solution to their problem by relying on mutual help and sharing experiences. AA offers a caring and confidential space to share your experiences and difficulties. 7. AA is not there to judge or impose anything. A sincere desire to stop drinking is the only requirement for membership. 4. "In AA, we don't force anything on anyone. We just talk about our own drinking, the problems it caused us, and how we stopped drinking." 5.
There is no shame in asking for help. On the contrary, it is a sign of courage and a willingness to take charge of your life. AA is here to support you on your path to recovery. You are not alone.
1. Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th edition, p. 24
These are commonplaces that we often hear. They denote a world of ignorance and misunderstanding, and are made by people who react very differently to alcohol than we do.
The moderate drinker easily gives up alcohol if he has a good reason to do so. In his case, quitting drinking is not a problem.
There is also the case of the heavy drinker. He may have developed this habit to the point of gradually affecting his physical and mental health. His life may even be shortened. However, if he is motivated by a sufficiently serious reason such as failing health, a new romantic relationship, a change of environment or even a severe warning from his doctor, this drinker will manage, if not to cut out alcohol completely, at least to moderate his consumption, even if he finds it difficult or annoying. He may even need medical assistance.
2. Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th edition, p. 39
have gone sober for a year or more, only to become a serious drinker later. Even if you can stay sober for a very long time, you may be a potential alcoholic. We are sure that few of those interested in this book will succeed in not touching alcohol for a year. Some will be drunk the day after they make their resolution; most will get drunk within a few weeks.
Those who are unable to drink in moderation wonder how they can possibly stop drinking altogether. We assume, of course, that the reader wants to give up drinking. To know whether a person can get by without spiritual help, we must also know to what extent he has already lost the ability to choose whether or not to continue drinking. Many of us believed that we had great strength of character. We felt the absolute necessity of giving up alcohol forever. And yet we found this impossible. Alcoholism, as we now know, has this disconcerting peculiarity: the total inability of the sufferer to stop drinking, however great the desire and the need to do so may be.
3. Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th edition, p. 26
are similar to those of a man who would hit his head with a hammer so as not to feel his headache. If you point out to an alcoholic the absurdity of his reasoning, he will either laugh at it or become irritated and refuse to talk.
Sometimes the alcoholic will answer honestly; however strange it may seem, he knows no more than you what prompted him to take that first drink. Some drinkers have excuses that they are quite happy with, but deep down they do not know why they do what they do. Once they are dominated by this evil, they become confused. On the one hand, they are obsessed with the idea that one day they will succeed in getting out of it and on the other hand, they suspect that the game is lost.
4. “AA Frequently Asked Questions” pamphlet, p. 7
Before AA, many alcoholics, unable to stop drinking, believed themselves to be morally weak or mentally unbalanced. AA believes that the alcoholic is a person with a disease who can recover if he or she agrees to follow a simple program that has worked for thousands of people around the world.
Once alcoholism has set in, there is no moral fault in the disease. At this stage, willpower is irrelevant since the patient has lost all ability to decide whether to drink or not to drink. The important thing is to face the disease squarely and take advantage of the help that is offered. One must also want to get well. Experience has shown that the AA program is effective for any alcoholic who sincerely wants to stop drinking; it usually does not benefit those who are not convinced that they want to stop drinking.
5. Pamphlet 'Is AA for You?', p. 3
Is AA for you?
Only you can decide whether to give AA a try, if you believe it can help. The following questions can help you make a decision.
We ourselves joined the Fellowship because we finally gave up trying to control our drinking. We still hated to admit that we could never drink safely. But we heard other AA members say that we had a disease—exactly what some of us had thought for years! We discovered that many people suffered from the same feelings of guilt, loneliness, and hopelessness that we did. We realized that we felt these feelings because we suffered from the disease of alcoholism.
6. Brochure “A newcomer wants to know”, p. 1
Am I an alcoholic? If you frequently drink more than you intended or wanted, get into trouble, or have memory lapses when you drink, you may be an alcoholic.
Only you can know. In AA, no one will tell you if you are or not.
What can I do if I'm concerned about my drinking? Get help. Alcoholics Anonymous can help.
Who are Alcoholics Anonymous? We are a fellowship of men and women who have lost all ability to control their drinking and who have found themselves in all sorts of trouble because of alcohol. We are trying, most of us successfully, to live a satisfying life without alcohol. To do this we feel we need the help and support of other alcoholics in AA.
7. Brochure “Questions and Answers on Sponsorship”, p. 8
The sponsor tacitly assumes responsibility, which has no official character; however, it forms the basis of AA's approach to overcoming alcoholism through the Twelve Steps. Sponsorship can be a long-term relationship.
We hope this booklet will answer some of the frequently asked questions about the rewarding exchange of sponsorship. It is intended for those who may be looking for a sponsor, for AAs who want to share their sobriety through sponsorship, and for groups interested in sponsorship. (See page 23.)