Our friend Doctor John stopped by sober.coffee this weekend to discuss the first step of the 12-step recovery program Alcoholics Anonymous - and a whole lot more. By the session’s end, it was clear that this was a coffee that requires a re-listen.
From exploring the disease to talking about treatment, John shares the importance of this step (#one) and the success (and failure) experienced by those “in” the program.
The important takeaways for those that don't want to invest the 27 minutes are that the addicts aren't bad guys and that feeling good doesn't mean you are doing good, and as such, feeling bad doesn't mean you are doing bad. The program of Alcoholics Anonymous is not a feel-good program; it is a get-well program.
As John reminds us, there is a void in all of us -- addicts and nonaddicts -- a hole in the soul, if you will, that everybody seeks to fill with something.
Accept this truth and find your soul food!
Oliver Wendell Holmes says that “the simplicity that precedes complexity may be comforting, but it's worthless. The simplicity that follows complexity may be discomforting, but it's priceless.”
We are convinced that people judge their own recovery wrongly. Life is about change, and going from an addictive-alcoholic lifestyle to one of sobriety is radical and won't feel simple or natural, but that change can be priceless.
Do you believe in the first step? Do you think you can assess your own progress? Are you truly working THE program?
Embrace change!
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Alcoholics Anonymous and AA are registered trademarks of Alcoholics World Service. Inc. References to AA, the 12 steps, and 12 traditions do not mean that AA has reviewed or approved the contents of this publication, nor that AA agrees with the views expressed herein. This publication is intended to support personal growth and should not be thought of as a substitute for the advice of healthcare professionals. The author's advice and viewpoints are their own.