There's a man who attends my morning meeting who is adamant about using the phrase "recovered alcoholic" when he identifies. He points to a passage early in the Big Book that contains the phrase "almost 100 recovered alcoholics" so he believes that it's harmful to new people to hear someone who no longer drinks say that they're an alcoholic. He flatly states that he has found a spiritual solution to a spiritual sickness and that he'll never drink again. I get it. I agree that the heart of our problem is that we're spiritually adrift and bereft and that we may very well struggle to stay sober unless we find a spiritual center. After all our drinking was "only a symptom" and not a root cause. After all the whole purpose in writing the Big Book was to help people find their own spiritual solution.
I've always returned to Dr. Bob's response when asked if he thought he'd die sober: "I believe that if I keep doing what I'm doing then I'll never have to pick up a drink again." While I don't think I'll ever drink again I also believe that I can indeed drink again. So am I recovered or recovering? I know I'm not a drunk anymore but I also am comfortable calling myself an alcoholic. I've seen too many cocksure people with long term sobriety return to drinking. I'm not going to get all wrapped up in words one way or the other. Let's face it - if someone wants to drink again they'll come up with an excuse better than the ommision of the adjective "recovered." There are too many examples in human history of smart people poring over a text and cherry-picking passages that support whatever position they would like to promote.
An interesting side note: apparently Bill W kept track of everyone who's story appeared in the First Edition of The Big Book and only about half of them managed to stay sober.
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