the 12 steps of alcoholics anonymous -revised

7/27/2019 The 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous -Revised

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An Insight Into the Science, Spirituality, andDiscipline of How They WorkBurns M. Brady, MD, FASAM


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I. History of the factors that influencedtheir writing

II. Shared common problem

III. Shared common solution


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A. Oxford Group

B. Richard Peabody

C. Emmanuel MovementD. Father Ed Dowling

E. Other Sources


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Frank Buckman

1878 Lutheran background Ordained as minister in 1905 Serious resentment and rebuff at orphanage

where he was director 1908 Keswick Convention Keswick, England where he had a rapture

experience of Jesus while listening to asermon by a little-known minister, JessiePenn-Lewis

(spiritual awakening of the sudden lightexperience) vs (educational experience)


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He talked of sin and acceptance of Christ

Alcoholics Anonymous, 27 years later, talkedof resentment and a spiritual awakening as

the result of these steps


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He spent 6 years at Penn State as a YMCAsecretary where he developed his philosophyof the Oxford Group, which was primarily theKey Man and Abstinence position

(alcohol and smoking)


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Initially, from 1920 to 1928, the group wascalled First Century Christian Fellowship

From 1928 to 1938 it was known as the

Oxford Group - (first called by South Africanpress when a group from Oxford came thereto preach)


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In this 10-year period were developed theconcepts of:

A. House parties

B. ChangeC. Guidance

D. Maximum


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Attempts to refer to the 6 steps of the OxfordGroup (as precursors of the 12 Steps of AA)

were only loosely connected since the OxfordGroup referred to the four absolutes, notthe 6 steps:

Honesty

UnselfishnessLove

Purity

Derived from Robert Speer in his 1902 bookThe Principles of Jesus


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The Oxford Group did have some criticalpoints that were emphasized

1. Men are sinners

2. Men can be changed

3. Confession is prerequisite to change4. The changed soul has direct access to God

5. The age of miracles has returned

6. Those who have been changed must change

others


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These absolutes and 6 points were thefoundation of anecdotal communication priorto the writing of the book AlcoholicsAnonymous with its Twelve Step Program


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Bill Wilson related that the steps, in essence,which came from these 6 points were:

1. We admitted we were licked, that we werepowerless over alcohol

2. We made a moral inventory of our defects3. We confessed or shared our shortcomings

with another person in confidence4. We made restitution to all those we had

harmed by our drinking5. We tried to help other alcoholics with no

thought of reward in money or prestige6. We prayed to whatever God we thought there

was for power to practice these precepts


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In 1908 Harold Begbie wrote

Twice-Born Men a report of the SalvationArmy results using religious methods

In 1923 he wrote More Twice-Born Men areport of Buckman and the first centuryChristian movement


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His report focused on:

Anonymity

Chaos

Conviction Commitment

Conversion based on inventory, amends,restitution and continuance


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Reports pro and con developed with

suggestions of cult, dangerous delusion,inculcating morbid introspection,discontinuing use of ones intelligence andsubstituting a purely emotional subconscious

guidance from God

Many churchmen had given their blessing asa spiritualizing influence


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In 1936, a huge June meeting (10,000)occurred of the Oxford Group in Stockbridge,

Mass.

It was international in attendance and flags

from countries represented were flown.

This procedure exists today in AAsinternational conferences, which began in

Cleveland in 1950 and occur every 5 years invarious locations


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Bill and Lois Wilson were in attendance at this

conference.

Bill and New York withdrew from the OxfordGroup in 1937.

Dr. Bob and Akron would later withdraw in1939.


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History has told us that Bill had great

reservation about the public awareness ofBuckman and the entire Oxford Group.

He also had noted that public opinion haddeteriorated about Buckman due to what wasseen as Nazi support (not true, but reported)


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In 1938, the Oxford Group became known as

MRA Moral Rearmament

It still exists with its headquarters in Caux,Switzerland

Its membership and support declined greatlyafter Buckmans death in 1961


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In 1935-1936, Peabody was treatingalcoholics one block away from CalvaryEpiscopal Church where Bill and Lois wereattending Oxford Group meetings

Peabody had written a book, The CommonSense of Drinking. Bill did not know thisman, but would have read this book since it

was high profile at that time


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Peabody believed completely in abstinenceand powerlessness over alcohol.

He believed deeply in honesty.


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Contents of the book referred to halfway

measures are of no avail.

This book also contained a story of a manwho, after years of abstinence and getting hisbusiness in order, picked up again and diedwithin 3 years


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While he believed the alcoholic was borndifferent in regard to alcohol (disease), he didnot focus on resentment, fear, and self-pity;nor did he develop the group support idea or

the spiritual roots of surrender andresponsibility.


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His primary focus was in the belief thattherapy and cognitive behavioral adjustmentof self-knowledge, retraining, discipline, andcultivation of new habits were enough to

establish and maintain sobriety


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This movement was started in 1905 1906by two Episcopal ministers in Boston at theBoston Emmanuel Church


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Initial efforts were directed for the

establishment of a clinic for TB to be used bythe indigent population.

It expanded naturally into a clinic for the

treatment of alcoholics, or nervous sufferersas they were called


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This was the first successful effort to bringmedicine and clergy into the primarytreatment of alcoholism. Thus, a medicalproblem with a spiritual solution.


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Peabody had recovered in this movement, butsubsequently dropped the spiritual solutionin favor of self-based cognitive power.


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A Jesuit priest from St. Louis who befriendedBill Wilson in 1940

He was Bills most cherished and spiritualconfidant from 1940 until 1960 whenDowling died


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His contribution was huge as he remindedWilson of his divine dissatisfaction as Billsgreat gift from God


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Dowling also noted the significant similarity

of the Jesuits Ignatian spiritual exercisesand the twelve steps

The common property of all mankind


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He helped Bill see the divine guidance thatDr. Bob, his wife Anne, and Bill had receivedwhen they were led in the summer of 1935 toread the Bible books of James and Pauls

letter to the Corinthians on love.


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Finally Dowling interjected the Jesuitdiscipline of daily spiritual preparation,execution, and closure to the AA miracle


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Multiple other sources such as old timerevivalist, i.e. Moody, Finney & Booth(Salvation Army), and more modern preachers

such as Sam Shoemaker and Emmet Fox wereall significant contributors to Bill Wilsonsthinking as he constructed the 12 Steps.


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Major influences by Carl Jung, William James,William Silkworth, Roland Hazard and EbbyThatcher were of inestimable value to Billsmoment of clarity.


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While we love to marvel at Bills report ofputting the steps together in a fewminutes to a few hours, history reportsclearly that Bill experienced and

researched voraciously multiple sourcesfor that defining moment.


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A. The population to which Wilson was

appealing:

1) A condition of pitiful andincomprehensible demoralization

2) The old pleasures were gone. They werebut memories. Never could we recapturethe great moments of the past. There

was always one more attempt - and onemore failure.


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3) The less people tolerated us, the morewe withdrew from society, from life itself.

As we became subjects of King Alcohol,

the chilling vapor that is loneliness

settled down. It thickened, ever

becoming blacker.


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4) Now and then a serious drinker, being dry

at the moment, says, I dont miss it at all.Feel better.

He fools himself. He isnt happy with hissobriety. He cannot picture life without

alcohol. Some day he will be unable toimagine life either with alcohol or without it.Then he will know loneliness such as fewdo. He will be at the jumping-off place. He

will wish for the end.


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Wilson experienced complete hopelessness.He painted a picture of hopelessness. Heappealed to those who had been defeated, tothose who were going to make a decision tolive or die.


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B. Real Alcoholic (William D. Silkworth, MD)Bodily and mentally different

1) Bodily 2) MentallyGenetics Thinking

a) Brain peculiar mental twist

b) Gut the thinking that leadsto the drinking

c) Liver unresolved characterdefects


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Brain:

Absolute or down regulated Dopaminesystem in both Type I (Adult) and Type II

(Adolescent) alcoholism.

Up regulated serotonin system in Type II anddown regulated serotonin system Type I.

This involves the neurotransmittor, reuptake,and receptor sites.


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The condition produced from this in AA

terminology is irritable, restless,discontented.

In mental health terminology anxiety,depression, mood disorders, ADD and ADHD.


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The individual genetically so programmed cancorrect (or even overcorrect) these chemicalconditions with alcohol and essentially allcommon drugs of reward, i.e., opiates,

stimulants, marijuana, nicotine.


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Gut:

Deficient Alcohol Dehydrogenase (ADH) in thegut leads to higher concentrations of alcoholupon absorption with greater exposure oforgan systems to the toxic effects of alcohol.


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The female alcoholic is more deficient in ADHthan the male thus resulting in more rapidphysical deterioration for the female -vs- themale


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Liver:

Abnormal metabolism resulting fromacetaldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) functionin the alcoholic.


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Both the gut and liver are peculiar for alcoholmetabolism and not other drugs of reward.


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Summary:

The alcoholic drinks for the effect for relief.

The drug addict uses for the effect forrelief.

Bodily Different


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Bodily Different

Genetics

Brain Dopamine irritable

Serotonin restless

discontent

GutADH

Liver effect drink

ALDH

relief drug


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Peculiar mental twist

Alcoholic thinking

Delusional thinking that rationalizes the drinkor drug with little or no insight into theconsequences relief at all cost.


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This type of thinking, according to the textbook of Alcoholics Anonymous, arises out ofunrecognized or unresolved character defectswhich the individual has.


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So named by Wilson, they are:

ResentmentFear

Harms to others

Sex conduct

Dishonesty

Self-centered (Reliance on personal powerrather than a higher power. Alcohol and

drugs serve as great teachers in illustratingthis paradigm failure)


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The irritable, restless, and discontented

condition which occurs when the alcoholicleaves unresolved the feelings and behaviorof these defects can lead to Jims famousexample of no harm if scotch is put in milk.

Crazy thinking but relief if he is not toofar in his brain resetting.


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Jims Story

~from the text book


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Mentally Different thinking

Character DefectsResentment

Fear

Harms to others (shame)

Sex conduct (shame)

Dishonesty anybody can recover if they arehonest. Nobody can recover if they are

dishonest.Self-centered source of power


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An established and maintained spiritualcondition to deal with these defects is themandatory basis of the twelve step solution.


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A) Freds story

1) Spiritual Answer

Steps 1, 2, 3

2) Program of Action

Steps 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12


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B) Faith alone is insufficient; it must befollowed by

1) Self sacrifice

Steps 1, 2, 3

2) Unselfish constructive action

Steps 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

Faith without works is dead


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C) Spiritual answer self sacrifice

Step 1: We admitted we were powerless overalcohol, that our lives had becomeunmanageable

Powerless over alcohol (compulsivity)

Life is unmanageable (planning necessary

control outcome deadly)

St 2 C t b li th t t


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Step 2: Came to believe that a power greaterthan ourselves could restore us to sanity

Lack of power is our dilemma

Believe or be willing to believe in power

greater than self (abandon survival skills allbased on self power)

Own concept of greater power


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Step 3: Made a decision to turn our will and

our lives over to the care of God as weunderstood him

This is only the beginning.

Note Third Step Prayer And its lead into theprogram of action.


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With these 3 steps we have admitted thechaos, solidified our conviction, and madethe commitment to our limitations andtherefore our humility.

D) Program of Action


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g

Step 4: We made a searching and fearlessmoral inventory of ourselves

Character Defects

Resentment

Fear

Harms to othersSex conduct

Dishonesty

Self-centered source of powerWe have identified and swallowed huge chunks

of truth about ourselves


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Step 5: Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to

another human being the exact nature of ourwrongs

We are only as sick as our secrets.

We must be honest with somebody.Confession


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Step 6: Were entirely ready to have God

remove all these defects of character

Willing, Work, Want


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Step 7: Humbly ask him to remove ourshortcomings

A prayer for unconditional love and a spiritual

condition dedicated to helping others.


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Step 8: Made a list of all persons we had

harmed, and became willing to make amendsto them all

This list came from our inventory Step 4 andwas spiritually dedicated in Step 6 and Step 7


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Step 9: Made direct amends to such people

wherever possible, except when to do sowould injure them or others

This step is delivered only following

completion of the first 8 steps, consultationwith a sponsor, and much prayer.


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Step 10: Continued to take personal inventoryand when we were wrong promptly admitted it

An insight into progress rather than perfection,the staples of prayer, share, inventory, andservice, and finally the 6th sense or Godawareness. How can I best serve thee.

This step is clear in its promise of a dailyreprieve and the admonition for a life-timediscipline of the step process

How to live each day


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Step 11: Sought through prayer and

meditation to improve our conscious contactwith God, as we understood him, praying onlyfor knowledge of his will for us and the powerto carry that out

How to begin each day and how to end eachday. Discipline


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Step 12:

A) Having had a spiritual awakening as the

result of these steps

B) We tried to carry this message to alcoholics

(experience, strength, hope)

C) Practice these principles in all our affairs(Design for living)


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Those of us who have spent much time inthe world of spiritual make-believe have

eventually seen the childishness of it. Thisdream world has been replaced by a greatsense of purpose, accompanied by a growingconsciousness of the power of God in our

lives.

Our real purpose is to fit ourselves to be ofmaximum service to God and the people

about us


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In summary:

Trust a Higher Power

Clean House

Help Others


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The Great Mystery

The total is greater than the sum of its parts

the 12 steps of alcoholics anonymous -revised

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