In 1935, two men met in Akron, Ohio. One was Bill Wilson, who had been a financial hotshot on Wall Street in his successful days; the other was Dr. Bob Smith, a noted surgeon. Both had been successful in entirely different fields but apart from their past success they had one more thing currently in common. They had both just about drunk themselves to death and could not get sober. They had tried many ‘cures’ and been in hospital several times because of their alcoholism but nothing had worked and their cases seemed hopeless. Alcoholics anonymous and the 12 step programme was about to be formed.
Sticking together
Almost by accident, they stumbled on an astonishing fact. If they stuck together and tried to help each other to stay sober, they managed it. They took this finding to an alcoholic lawyer and he decided to join them in giving it a go – and it worked for him, too. So they carried on trying this with other desperate and hopeless alcoholics. They found that while it did not work in all cases – if the alcoholic did not want this last ditch effort, it still helped them to stay sober. By 1937, this band of recovering drunks numbered 20 and it seemed that a miracle had occurred.
Alcoholics anonymous and the 12 step programme
They decided to write a record of their experience but not surprisingly for a while they found it hard to fathom exactly what had happened. By the time they agreed on the common path they had followed in 1939, their numbers had grown to 100. They agreed that they had followed 12 Steps to their recovery. They also believed that anyone who followed the same 12 Steps and wanted to get well could do so.
Their experiences and their collective stories are recorded in the so called ‘Big Book’ of Alcoholics Anonymous (so called in a joking manner because it was originally intended as a slim volume and was bigger than intended, then printed on thick paper so appeared a massive tome).
The numbers of people now in AA number millions and we have all found one thing to be true. By meeting together and sharing our experiences, we can help each other stay sober. It works where many other medical interventions or consultations with counsellors, psychiatrists and therapists fail.
Admitting defeat
Many drinkers will try all sorts of other ways of stopping first before they admit defeat and go to AA. This is because many people have misconceptions of who goes to AA. What it is like and what it is about. We suggest you go and see for yourself but let me lay two of those misconceptions to rest straight away: AA is not full of park bench drunks. You will probably find a wide mix from society there as alcoholism affects the rich and well healed as well as the less well off; also it is not full of religious bible bashers. AA is not a religious organisation though it does strongly promote the spiritual side to recovery.
Alcoholics Anonymous and the 12 step programme
If you have a drink problem, you will find that people at AA are just like you in one vital respect. If you look out for what you have in common with them – how you feel about yourself and drinking, for example – rather than look for how you are different from them, then you will get something from the Alcoholics anonymous and the 12 step programme. In time, this can lead you on to a miraculous recovery of your own.
If you have a drink or drug related problem, please call 01462 851414 for confidential help and advice.
