Three legged stool step one

[nandm]

Excerpt from "Stools and Bottles"
"We admitted we were powerless over alcohol---that our lives had become unmanageble."

What is the lesson of Step One? What message does it bring? Does it assure our recovery when we admitted its teachings? What happens if we don't? Is it a humble, honest step? What about this one-legged stool? Of what use is it in A.A.? It has no use---except to illustrate its uselessness. By comparison, each newcomer in A.A. is quite as unbalanced as a one-legged stool, until he adds the other legs. Steps 1-2-3 are A.A.'s basic steps. Like the legs of a stool, they work only as a unit. We need all of them. One will not do the trick any more than one drink would satisfy us in our drinking days.

Now that we are in A.A. and wish to rehabilitate our lives, how do we go about it? Can we learn to control our drinking? If alcoholism is a disease, how is it cured? Where will we find the answers to our many problems?

The answers aree given in the book of Alcoholics Anonymous. Alcoholism is an incurable illness. From the standpoint of control, we can never drink normally again. We can arrest it, however, by living the 12 Steps of A.A. to the best of our ability.

This requires study, patience and practice, but it works! We profit most from first learning the whole truth about ourselves, the alcoholic selves we are, rather than the indispensable individuals whom we think we are. The greatest hurdle we must clear is self before we can recover from alcoholism.

This is equally true of our physical, mental, and spiritual recovery. For, until we fully concede that our uncontrolled use of alchol has made us ill we find no reason for treatment of this illness.

Because our alcoholism is self-inflicted and develops so slowly, we are averse to look upon it as a disease. Thus we retard our recovery with egotistical thoughts of false security.

It is advisable to check our reaction toward practices of the various Steps. When we rebel against the provisions of a Step, we should back away and give that Step close study. The suggestions we rebel against are often the very things we should be doing.

Most sick persons require exacting care. They rarely ask a surgeon to partially remove a malignant growth. That doesn't make sense. Yet many alcoholics come into A.A. seeking temporary relief from alcoholism which can become as serious as any malignant disease. A realistic view toward alcoholism is our fist step toward recovery.

Before A.A., we were always unreliable---drunk or sober. Sober, we might get drunk, and drunk we might do most anything. But nothing we did seemed to make good sense.

We considered alcohol a requisite of life. Mistaking this depressive drug for a stimulant, we progressively became ill from its use. We tried to recapture the old glow and warmth with alcohol once gave. Blind to our addiction, we failed to realize that sooner or later depressive drugs must bring pain instead of pleasure; that the end of our drinking is insanity or alcoholic death. Note---the latter is entirely physical and decidedly final

Unwittingly, we formed many harmful physical habits. Admitting them is the first honest thing A.A. asks us to do. It is the only thing we can do. Step 1 suggests that we do it. Its purpose is to convince us that we have become alcoholic. Other Steps of our program will explain how we recover.

Paradoxically, admission of our weakness soon becomes a source of new strength. Make is now and avoid the future reservations that bar success.

Some members, still dishonest with themselves, will not admit their alcoholis. So with closed and belligerent minds they must continue to view sobriety through the cloudy windows of self-centered, alcoholic reservation.

Let's stop resisting recovery and make a true evaluation of Step 1 as it relates to the physical illness of alcoholism. This is clearly explained in paragraphs 1-2-3, pages 2 and 3, in the first editions of Alcoholics Anonymous and on page 24. "The Doctor's Opinion", in the second edition. Study these pages.

Many A.A. failures would not have happened had the newcomer been reading his Big Book and realized the importance of good health to his recovery. The toxic alcoholic poisoning which we have built up within our bodies is not conducive to good health or manageable living. Upon entering A.A. we should make every effort to improve our physicla condition, thus qualifying ourselves for the mental and spiritual prograss which we hope to make later.

Occassionally we encourter persons who discount the physical illness of alcoholism, claiming it is unimportant. Don't be decieved. We cannot substitues alcohol for food, vitamins, minerals, and relaxation over a long period of years without paying a physical penalty.

Any drug that poisons must do it physically. Alcohol is not a beverage for alcoholics---it is a poison. When we drink it we get sick. Remove the physicaly illness from alcoholism and there isn't much left. In other words, it would be impossible to become alcoholic without drinking alcohol.

We agree that we are mentally and spiritually ill as well, but physical illness brings most of us into A.A. where we treat "First Things First."

Consider the old adage, "Know the truth and the truth shall set you free." The obvious truth is that we have acquired alcohlism, from which we can recover, but cannot be cured. Our allergy to alcohol is out of control. Contented sobriety is now vital for us.

It takes no more courage to face this reality than to sweat out another hangover. Why not face it and start our recovery now? There is no point in waiting. Our next drunk might prove fatal.

Until we stop ducking the issue, A.A. cannot help us, but by facing it we turn lukewarm desire into grim determination to get well. New faith and hope inspire us---we are on our way.

Step One puts a strong leg in our recovery stool, but since a stool is worthless with one leg, let's turn to Step Two for further help.[/quote]

See Three legged stool step two