From; The NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE, Vol. 221(15), October 12, 1939
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS: The story of how more than one hundred men have recovered from alcoholism. 400 pp. New York Works Publishing Co., 1939, $3.50.
The psychological aspect of alcoholism taxes the entire skill and intuition of the therapist, and the authors of this book claim that in the long run the ex-alcoholic patient who is properly trained in psychological method is an extremely effective person to bring about the cure of the neurotic alcoholic individual.
The first part of the book discusses methods, with particular stress on twelve steps in the recovery program. This program includes the general principles of psychotherapy found in such books as those by Durfee and Peabody. There is, however, an essentially new note, namely, that the alcoholic individual should be helped to admit to God, to himself and to another human being (preferably an ex-alcoholic patient) the exact nature of his personality deficit Some will perhaps shy from the emphasis on God and religion until it is realized that the alcoholic patient is asked in this relation to believe sincerely in a power greater than himself. He then sees that his life is really unmanageable without this power.
The second part contains the stories of twenty-nine individuals who were cured by the method of working out their character problems in relation to God, themselves and another human being. All these individuals were "convinced by an ex-alcoholic therapist" Those who at some time must deal with the problem of alcoholism are urged to read this stimulating account
The authors have presented their case well, in fact, in such good style that it may be of considerable influence when read by alcoholic patients.
Bloggers note; The Big Book of AA has now sold over 25 million copies and has helped over 100 million people recover from alcoholism and about 500 other maladies - not just alcoholism.
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2 comments:
"Alcoholics Anonymous" has always confused and dumbfounded medical science since the begining as two recovering alcoholics can not only keep themselves sober but carry the message to other alcoholics far better than the medical profession.
The stories in part two not only are testiments to the power of AA as a whole but how the 12 steps were worked into the life of the recovering alcoholic.
It's very spiritual book reflecting as it does the struggles the first hundred had in establishing Alcoholics Anonymous.
I've been sober for 22 years thanks to AA, a length of time that ordinary medical science finds impossible to do, indeed, many refer "the nuerotic alcoholic individual" on to AA.
There's now, according to AA, a 100,000 groups worldwide and 3,000 in the UK alone, with an estimated global membership of 500,000, probably more...All built around the book "Alcoholics Anonymous".
Hi... I just wanted to say I love this space of yours, and I mentioned it when I was sharing at a meeting yesterday.
Sober IS sexy.
:-)
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