The Alcoholics Anonymous Spiritual Awakening, Part II

The Alcoholics Anonymous Big Book's chapter seven, "Working with others," states: "Perhaps you are not acquainted with any drinkers who want to recover. You can easily find some by asking a few doctors, ministers, priests or hospitals. They will be only too glad to assist you. Don't start out as an evangelist or reformer. Unfortunately a lot of prejudice exists."

Since this was written in its first edition in 1939, there are thousands of central offices of AA throughout the world where you can connect with all aspects of the fellowship.

It happens that because of your own drinking, drug-usage experience, you can be uniquely useful to other alcoholics, or addicts.

Page 90 to 103 in my third edition, which has the year 1976 printed on the cover page by AA World Services, New York, describes how to best help a prospect for our program and how not to waste time trying to persuade.

My sober clean and sober date is July 15, 1976 and I was born in New York!

You may spoil a future opportunity if you hold on to prejudice and bias. It's best to fellowship and let a friendship blossom, and then help them. Perhaps wait until the prospect goes on a binge. Don't deal with the prospect when he or she is very drunk, but wait for the end of the spree or at least a lucid moment.

Talking to the family of the person and finding out all you can about his or her behavior, their problems, their background and the seriousness of their condition will be extremely helpful.

It's also good to find out about the person's religious leanings. The information gained on the individual will come in handy when the time is right for you to approach him or her with your story of recovery.

You will receive receive an indication that your prospect wants to stop drinking and/or using drugs.

The AA book does not talk about any other addictions, but virtually all the other 12-step programs are patterned after AA. And the miracle of it is that it may not have caught on at all if founder Bill W. didn't pick up the phone in a hotel lobby in Akron, OH to help another practicing alcoholic and go see him.

William Griffith Wilson, or Bill W., got out of himself and got his mind off of drinking leading to the birth of the 12-step program with co-founder Dr. Bob.

That began the first day of Bill W.'s continued sobriety until his death in 1955.

There are personal stories in my copy of AA, as well, from the pioneers of AA starting on page 171 to page 561.

To be helpful is our only aim. I remember back when friends and family were trying to help me, but not until the light went on and I wanted to be helped did the program work for me. We alcoholics can be stubborn!

Take care and God bless.