Anyone else noticed
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: London
Posts: 501
Anyone else noticed
that in step one it says...we were powerless over alcohol.
WERE. past tense.
which ties in nicely with the recent poll on this board.
I have lots of power over booze today.
WERE. past tense.
which ties in nicely with the recent poll on this board.
I have lots of power over booze today.
Member
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: uk
Posts: 3,054
It disturbs me greatly to see powerlessness taught, it is one of the biggest reasons I could never 12 step through al-anon.
I have ridden hundreds of horses and flattered myself on my control, or berated myself for my lack of it, in both cases I've often found I was wrong.
I get in my car every morning and feel as though I am in control, yet black ice, a blow out, deisel spill, brake lines corode, and suddenly I become aware of my folly. If these things happened every day I would come to the conclusion I didn't have enough power over a car to make driving safe, and yet inbetween disasters it would be evident that I had both power and influence over the car. I still would not be powerless.
I could answer quickly that I have no power over the weather BUT when I think more carefully I play my part in polution which is more than likely changing our weather. Am I powerless?
The concept of disease has been hijacked to infere powerlessness over behaviour - but that was NEVER in any way part of the definition of the word disease. Alzhiemers can be helped with behavioural therapy, support from loved ones and individual attitudes. When tested these things make clinical differences in the course of the disease. Disease has never and will never equate with powerlessness - like everything else power comes in degrees and us humans make choices depending on what we believe.
Am I powerless over other humans? If yes then why have humans evolved so many behaviours to influence others? From the smiles we give, hugging, loving, shouting, violence, cruelty, and kindness - if we are truly powerless it seems our evolution was rather pointless as much of it surrounds influencing each other. Am I powerless over disease? I don't have control - certainly not but does that equate with powerlessness? Are human beings (of which I am certainly one) powerless over disease? I would argue history suggests not. We have cured many diseases and treat many others, we do NOT have control a virus COULD wipe us out but historically we have responded to epidemics and won - we have never been shown to be powerless.
I'm sure there are things we are truly powerless over, I believe it is a scale from zero to infinity with 'stuff' dotted at every part and section. But I believe powerlessness is as rare as complete power, which makes it very rare indeed!
I have ridden hundreds of horses and flattered myself on my control, or berated myself for my lack of it, in both cases I've often found I was wrong.
I get in my car every morning and feel as though I am in control, yet black ice, a blow out, deisel spill, brake lines corode, and suddenly I become aware of my folly. If these things happened every day I would come to the conclusion I didn't have enough power over a car to make driving safe, and yet inbetween disasters it would be evident that I had both power and influence over the car. I still would not be powerless.
I could answer quickly that I have no power over the weather BUT when I think more carefully I play my part in polution which is more than likely changing our weather. Am I powerless?
The concept of disease has been hijacked to infere powerlessness over behaviour - but that was NEVER in any way part of the definition of the word disease. Alzhiemers can be helped with behavioural therapy, support from loved ones and individual attitudes. When tested these things make clinical differences in the course of the disease. Disease has never and will never equate with powerlessness - like everything else power comes in degrees and us humans make choices depending on what we believe.
Am I powerless over other humans? If yes then why have humans evolved so many behaviours to influence others? From the smiles we give, hugging, loving, shouting, violence, cruelty, and kindness - if we are truly powerless it seems our evolution was rather pointless as much of it surrounds influencing each other. Am I powerless over disease? I don't have control - certainly not but does that equate with powerlessness? Are human beings (of which I am certainly one) powerless over disease? I would argue history suggests not. We have cured many diseases and treat many others, we do NOT have control a virus COULD wipe us out but historically we have responded to epidemics and won - we have never been shown to be powerless.
I'm sure there are things we are truly powerless over, I believe it is a scale from zero to infinity with 'stuff' dotted at every part and section. But I believe powerlessness is as rare as complete power, which makes it very rare indeed!
Not the center of the Universe
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Orchard Lake, Michigan
Posts: 974
Right on. We were powerless over alcohol as long as we continued to put it in our bodies. I think the only danger here for me is starting to believe that I can somehow control my reaction to alcohol if it's inside my body, choosing to forget that my one power over alcohol is not picking up that first drink.
Where can I get a cup of tea?
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Somewhere in space...
Posts: 55
Well spoken folks - good thoughts for me.
That one thing is the clue, as Findingout says; Taking the first drink causes a drop in higher mind/brain functions which debilitates your conscious power to act in a rational way. The first one does the trick and tells the lie - the rest do the awful damage. Then a toxic brain and body keep making the same choices and causing further damage, and further inability to make better choices. Good joke, eh?! But sadly, not funny for long.
I like being sober - I like it a lot!
That one thing is the clue, as Findingout says; Taking the first drink causes a drop in higher mind/brain functions which debilitates your conscious power to act in a rational way. The first one does the trick and tells the lie - the rest do the awful damage. Then a toxic brain and body keep making the same choices and causing further damage, and further inability to make better choices. Good joke, eh?! But sadly, not funny for long.
I like being sober - I like it a lot!
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