The Bludgeoning

Faced with alcoholic destruction, we soon become as open-minded on spiritual matters as we had tried to be on other questions.  In this respect alcohol was a great persuader.  It finally beat us into a state of reasonableness.

Thirty eight years of meetings and I've never heard anyone say: "Everything in my life was great: wife loved me, kids worshipped me, superstar at work, plenty of money and a nice place to live, no troubles with the law outside of an occasional parking ticket . . . . what the hell - I think I'll go to Alcoholics Anonymous." We have been beaten into a state of reasonableness. We do not come into The Rooms on a winning streak.

Beat: Strike repeatedly and violently so as to hurt or injure, typically with an implement such as a whip or a club. (Ed. Note: I thought an implement was like a spatula or stir stick. Apparently it can also be a club for beating alcoholics.)

So it is by circumstance rather than by any virtue that we have been driven to A.A.  Chances are that the alcoholic has become convinced that he has more problems than alcohol, and that some of these refuse to be solved by all the sheer personal determination and courage he can muster.  A dependence on a higher power was their chief source of strength.

We were in a position where life was becoming impossible and if we had passed into the region from which there is no return through human aid, we had but two alternatives: one was to go on to the bitter end, blotting out the consciousness of our intolerable situation as best we could, and the other, to accept spiritual help.

To be doomed to an alcoholic death or to live on a spiritual basis are not always easy alternatives to face. 

Under the lash of alcoholism . . .  The idea that somehow, someday he will control and enjoy his drinking is the great obsession of every abnormal drinker.  The persistence of this illusion is astonishing.  Many pursue it into the gates of insanity or death.

Death or spirituality? THIS is a difficult choice?! We really ARE hardheads.

Recovering alcoholic: "Okay, here are your options. Keep drinking and end up dead, in jail, or a mental institution or accept some kind of spiritual assistance." Newcomer (long pause): "Can I get back to you on that?" Yeah, we're not the sharpest tacks in the box.

Why don’t you try some more controlled drinking?

Absolutely unable to stop drinking on the basis of self-knowledge.

We alcoholics have lost the ability to control our drinking.  We know that no alcoholic ever recovers control.

However intelligent we may have been in other respects, wherever alcohol has been involved, we have been strangely insane.

Most of us have tried everything. Everything. Whatever you're thinking of trying that will enable you to keep drinking and drinking responsibly someone here has tried out. You're probably out of options but go ahead . . . try something else.

Someone who knew what he was talking about once remarked that pain was the touchstone of all spiritual progress.