nandm

Every word in the first three chapters is here to allow me to see myself in the authors' words, enabling me to say, "Yes, I am one of them too; I must have this thing." But how can joining together with a gorup of people who are as sick as I am be of any help to me? The cement that binds A.A.'s together is not just that they have a common problem but that they have found a common solution (17:12)

The physical symptoms detailed in "The Doctor's Opinion" together with the mental obsession described here begin to give us a more complete view of alcoholism. The authors suggest that someone exhibiting these symptoms "....has probably placed himself beyond human aid" (24:15). This opinion is reinforced by the pronouncement of Dr. Carl Jung that he had never seen one single case recover where that state of mind existed as it did in Roland H. who was treated by Dr. Jung for alcoholism. The only hope Dr. Jung held out for Roland was a vital spiritual awakening (27:3-12). This deep and effective spritual awakening is exactly waht the author's state is available to us through the application of their program (25:8-10). They promise to give us "clear-cut directions" showing how this awakening was produced in their lives (29:1) and to answer "specifically" (20:5), our question as to what we are to do. They claim to have no desire to convince us that there is only one way in which faith can be aquired (28:6). We are free to choose our own concept of God (12:10).

We can see that the authors have obviously encountered the same difficulties that we have. Here they say that they have discovered a solution and successfully applied it to their own lives. They are undeniably right about what the problem is. They don't mince words about the solution. They see that what is needed is more than a mere change in behavior but rather a fundamental remaking of everything that makes us who we are. The promise that they can show us how to bring about an entire reorganization of our character gives us hope that we too can recover.