Step One: We admitted that we were powerless over our drinking, using or acting out and that our lives had become unmanageable.
Listen to Chris R., a recovered alcoholic addict from Texas, talk about the Big Book of A.A. definition of a “real” alcoholic addict. Click here to download “Are you an addict” in MP3 format.
The Liar Analogy
The curious mental phenomenon that parallel with our sound reasoning there inevitably ran some insanely trivial excuse for taking the first drink. Our sound reasoning failed to hold us in check. The insane idea won out. (AA p. 37)
As an untreated addict I have this liar that lives in my head that loves the effect that alcohol, drugs and/or obsessive-compulsive behaviour and does not want to give it up…under any condition… so the liar has built this research institute in my head called, “Bullshit Inc.” and is researching new ideas, new excuses, new reasons, new justifications, that even though my life is completely destroyed, my liar convinces me that this time, somehow, someway I will be able to control and enjoy my drinking, using or acting out behaviour. And this is my real dilemma, because the liar always wins the argument.
Dog to Vomit Story
The untreated addict is like a dog that returns to its vomit. Ever seen a dog eat something that makes it foully sick? What does the dog do… it vomits and then eats the vomit only to throw it up again… only to eat it again and throw it up again. This is the behaviour of the untreated addict who continuously returns to their alcohol, drugs or obsessive-compulsive behaviour like the dog who returns to its own vomit.
Take this self-assessment test and determine how alcoholic, addict, or obsessive-complusive you might be. Alcoholic addict behavioural characteristics can be found on (page: xxviii, 20-22, 24, 30, 43, 44 of the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, 2001)
Analogy: Addicts are like drowning men and women. If we don’t find some way of keeping our heads above water, we are going to drown. So we look for some kind of power to keep us afloat. We notice there are “logs” floating on the surface. These logs look like they’re capable of keeping our heads above water, but when we reach for one of these logs we find that we can only hold on for maybe a day, a week, a month, a year, maybe longer, but at some point, the logs fails us as a power and we lose our grip, slip and drown.
“Logs” are best described as “easier softer ways,” “middle of the road solutions,” half measures” and “human aids.”
Important Note: The LOG list and the LOSER list are universal in application and a summation of the first 43 pages of the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous. ALL addicts burn the same logs and ALL addicts lose the same things pursuing their addiction pattern to the “gates of insanity or death.”
SELF-ASSESSMENT | SELF-DIAGNOSIS
…and strange as this may seem to those who do not understand—once a psychic change has occurred, the very same person who seemed doomed, who had so many problems they despaired of ever solving them, suddenly finds themselves easily able to control their desire for alcohol (drugs, acting-out behaviour), the only effort necessary being that required to follow a few simple rules. (AA. p. xxix)
Congratulations, You are now properly armed with the facts about yourself.