AA's Position on "Hitting Bottom"
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 1,405
AA's Position on "Hitting Bottom"
It is often said that AA says addicts must hit bottom before seeking recovery.
Here is AA's official use of the word "bottom".
Chapter 4: We Agnostics Page 51
"Did not Professor Langley's flying machine go to the bottom of the Potomac River?" (When comparing it to the Wright Brothers first flight at Kittyhawk.)
Chapter 6: Into Action Page 75
"We thank God from the bottom of our heart that we know Him better." (self explanatory)
That's it.
Here is AA's official use of the word "bottom".
Chapter 4: We Agnostics Page 51
"Did not Professor Langley's flying machine go to the bottom of the Potomac River?" (When comparing it to the Wright Brothers first flight at Kittyhawk.)
Chapter 6: Into Action Page 75
"We thank God from the bottom of our heart that we know Him better." (self explanatory)
That's it.
Member
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Eastpointe,Michigan
Posts: 278
whatever it takes.
I think of my bottom like a skipping stone, I kept hitting bottoms until the stone finaly sank to the bottom of the sea. But it doesn't have to be that way. I as a result, got the 'gift of desperation' However I have heard that you hit your bottom when you put down the shovel.
Member
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Eastpointe,Michigan
Posts: 278
from the 12 and 12
'The 12 steps and 12 traditions'-page 23 second paragraph-'It is a tremendous satisfaction to record that in the following years this changed. Alcoholics who still had their health, their families, there jobs and even two cars in the garage, began to recognize their alcoholism.
Member
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 1,618
cynical one! I always keep my eyes open for your posts. It is not often that I share my AH's words on this forum, but I'll make an exception here.
When he was in county, and I was still very lost, he said something that has stuck with me this whole year.
"Lily, you will reach bottom whenever you choose to stop digging"
Thanks for sharing cynical.
When he was in county, and I was still very lost, he said something that has stuck with me this whole year.
"Lily, you will reach bottom whenever you choose to stop digging"
Thanks for sharing cynical.
Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: northern michigan. not the U.P.
Posts: 15,281
From the intro tot he second set of stories in the big book titled," they stopped in time:"
Therefore, these seventeen A.A.’s, and hundreds of thousands like them, have been saved years of infinite suffering. They sum it up something like this: “We didn’t wait to hit bottom because, thank God, we could see the bottom. Actually, the bottom came up and hit us. That sold us on Alcoholics Anonymous.”
AA really doesn't have any stance on what addicts need to do. It deals with alcoholism.
Although no set " bottom" there are some things noted that are common for an alcoholic to have to seek recovery in the bb:
We learned that we had to fully concede to our innermost selves that we were alcoholics. This is the first step in recovery. The delusion that we are like other people, or presently may be, has to be smashed.
...completely give themselves to this simple program.
...Many of them do recover if they have the capacity to be honest.
...let go absolutely.
Lretty wild how the words " honest" And" willing" are used quite often in the bb.
That's justa few.
Therefore, these seventeen A.A.’s, and hundreds of thousands like them, have been saved years of infinite suffering. They sum it up something like this: “We didn’t wait to hit bottom because, thank God, we could see the bottom. Actually, the bottom came up and hit us. That sold us on Alcoholics Anonymous.”
AA really doesn't have any stance on what addicts need to do. It deals with alcoholism.
Although no set " bottom" there are some things noted that are common for an alcoholic to have to seek recovery in the bb:
We learned that we had to fully concede to our innermost selves that we were alcoholics. This is the first step in recovery. The delusion that we are like other people, or presently may be, has to be smashed.
...completely give themselves to this simple program.
...Many of them do recover if they have the capacity to be honest.
...let go absolutely.
Lretty wild how the words " honest" And" willing" are used quite often in the bb.
That's justa few.
Member
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Lakeside, Ca
Posts: 10,208
Originally Posted by airwick 
No two cases are alike.
some they call high bottom
others may be called low bottom
and then some just bottomed out
Main thing is to recognize the bottom
some are there but don't know it
others are there and don't care
I have seen a lot of these die
MM
Member
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 2,775
Hitting bottom? I supposed that depends on the individual. When I got sober I assumed everyone was at least 30. It never dawned on me that anyone would get sober in their early 20`s for example.
Sometimes I wonder how much different life might have been had I been perceptive enough to realize I had a problem in my early 20`s (got sober age 35.)
On the other hand I have no nagging doubts I can go back to drinking responsibly after playing out the drink out as long as I could.
Sometimes I wonder how much different life might have been had I been perceptive enough to realize I had a problem in my early 20`s (got sober age 35.)
On the other hand I have no nagging doubts I can go back to drinking responsibly after playing out the drink out as long as I could.
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