Every now and then I find myself going back and picking up the BB and reading a chapter, which captured my mind. The chapter is There Is A Solution. In it is the story of an alcoholic, who came from the city near me. He was the man, who had gone to Switzerland to see the famous psychiatrist Dr. Carl Jung.
It was Jung’s work with this man, which really made the basis for this program. They had worked together for a long time and, when he thought he was all right and going to stay sober he left, got to Paris and got drunk. In desperation he went back to Dr. Jung. Jung then told him what was wrong with him. He told him he had the mind of a chronic alcoholic, which pretty much ruled out a solution back then.
When this man asked if there was any exceptions, Jung told him there was. But it meant he had to have a spiritual awakening. And that’s exactly what happened to him. And it was this man, who opened the door for AA’s cofounder, Bill W. He told the man he helped at the Oxford Movement, who took what he told him to Bill. And Bill found the same solution. Later Bill and Dr. Bob opened the door for others and the program was founded.
Every time I stop and read this it reminds me of who I was, when I found a way to get sober. I truly believe I was a chronic alcoholic. I knew nothing about alcoholism, nor did I know anything about the AA program. Yet I was given a gift by a friend of mine, who had run across a member back then, who told him about meetings. This man gave to me a message that men and women held meetings to stay sober and he would take me there.
I was on my way to commit suicide and he stopped me and gave me hope. I prayed and alcohol was removed. I’ve always felt that this was a miracle. I hadn’t reached this program yet, and here I was surrendering to the First Step without knowing it. Like the man in this chapter it changed my life.
Anyway I stopped and thought about this tonight, because I had run across a new person today, whom people in our group were trying to help. Every time I run into new people my thoughts go back to what it was like for me. How what Jung told that man was so true. How we found our lives changed and sobriety begun. It led me to this program, which has helped me to stay sober a day at a time ever since.
There were no rehabs, or detoxes back then. What was available were all these old timers, who had found these groups dedicated to helping alcoholics get sober and staying that way the rest of their lives. Makes me so grateful it’s really hard to express that.
I owe so much to my Higher Power I found here and the people like my old sponsor and others, who gave me this gift. I only hope I can do for others what was done for me. All I can do is express my gratitude and freely give what was so freely given to me. I have never had to go back to alcohol since that prayer, that first moment back when I was gifted with hope. Thanks.