Big Book Page 44:9-10
Quote:
At first some of us tried to avoid the issue, hoping against hope we were not true alcoholics. But after a while we had to face the fact that we must find a spiritual basis of life----or else.

To be a true alcoholic means that to recover we have to abandon our old ways of thinking and methods of dealing with life. Many of us hold tightly to the idea that our lives based on self can be successful if only we try hard enough. We resist, sometimes for years, beginning to build our lives on a spiritual foundation. This is not necessarily true for the problem drinker

Many of us try for years to avoid the spiritual solution hoping that mere fellowship with sober people will help us recover. Sooner or later we realize that our lives run on selfwill are unsuccessful and we begin to seek a solution. Some of us unfortunately return to our old solution and begin once again to drink. Others of us discover a true solution in the spritually based way of life suggested in the Big Book.

Alcoholism destroyes all things worthwhile in our lives leaving only feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness, and guilt. Association with sober people in AA can not bring about a personality change sufficient to overcome alcoholism. The power capable of restoring meaning and purpose to our lives can be found only by adopting a spiritual way of life. The problem drinker might be able to stay sober through these things but the true alcoholic can not.

Big Book Page 44:14
Quote:
If a mere code of morals, or a better philosophy of life were sufficient to overcome alcoholism, many of us would have recovered long ago.

I can not think of a truer statement than this one. I tried the self help route and for me all it did was provide me more proof that I am an true alcolic, I passed the problem drinker stage early in my drinking, and I have to have a spiritual solution for me to recover.