One Day at a Time in Al-Anon:
Alcoholism is a disease – we hear this statement over and over again. This is so hard for most of us to accept because we cannot associate it with germs or viruses, as in other “respectable” diseases. Nevertheless, we will see substantial progress in ourselves once we realize that it is a physical, mental and spiritual illness that has no single isolated cause. I cannot stop it, any more than I can make a sick person get well.
Compulsive drinking is an outward manifestation of the alcoholic’s inner anguish; if it goes on, it becomes a destructive cycle of deterioration. To make myself ready to help, I must, first of all, accept alcoholism as an illness.
Today’s Reminder:
How does the knowledge that the alcoholic is sick work on me? It changes my attitude toward him! It replaces my rage and frustration with quiet patience. It lets me choose the right moment to suggest AA—when he is truly in despair and willing to acknowledge his need for help.
“I pray for the realization that the alcoholic is sick and desperate, and I ask that I be given the strength to help him in the right and constructive way.”