Aa
NA vs AA Big Book
I pulled out my NA and AA books to see the difference. I rarely read NA, now I remember why. The AA book has a great intro by Dr. Silkworth about the nature of an addict. It's not in the NA book, so my suggestion wasn't that good. Here is a little quote from "The Doctor's Opinion"
Men and women drink essentially because they like the effect produced by alcohol. The sensation is so elusive that, while they admit it is injurious, they cannot after a time differentiate true from false. To them, their alcoholic life seems the only normal one. They are restless, irritable and discontented, unless they can again experience the sense of ease and comfort which comes at once by taking a few drinks--drinks which they see others taking with impunity. After they have succumbed to the desire again, as so many do, and the phenomenon of craving develops, they pass through the well-known stages of a spree, emerging remorseful, with a firm resolution not to drink again. This is repeated over and over, and unless a this person can experience a and entire psychic change there is very little hope of his recovery.
On the other hand-=-and strange as it 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 he despaired of ever solving them, suddenly finds himself easily able to control his desire for alcohol, the only effort necessary being that required to follow a few simple rules.
Men have cried out to me in sincere and despairing appeal: "Dr., I cannot go on like this! I have everything to live for! You must help me!
Faced with this problem, if a doctor is honest with himself, he must sometimes feel his own inadequacy. Although he gives all that is in him, it often is not enough. One feels that something more than himan power is needed to produce the essential psychic change. Though the aggregate of recoveries resulting prom psychiatric effort is considerable, we physicians must admit we have made little impression upon the problem as a whole.
-Dr. Silkworth, Intro to the Big Book of AA
Dr. Silkworth talks about addiction like an allergy, not all people have it. This was in the 1930's, long before there was any proof or brain scans to reveal what this disease does.
So, I wanted to talk about this psychic change. I always call it a window of opportunity. Just for a moment, I felt like I knew the truth of my addiction. I wasn't sure what to do, but I could tell false from true and knew there must be a better way to live. My life had become unmanageable. That was the seed of the psychic change. Detox and aftercare are a continuation of separating false from true, for me it is. I am slowly having a 'total psychic change.' I always think about how important it is to change so much more than my drug use. That is only the beginning. If I stop working a program, I will like go back to auto pilot. Jail doesn't make the change, rehab has about a 23% recovery rate. Psychiatry and medicine alone don't do much. What is it that really called us out of all the insanity?
Men and women drink essentially because they like the effect produced by alcohol. The sensation is so elusive that, while they admit it is injurious, they cannot after a time differentiate true from false. To them, their alcoholic life seems the only normal one. They are restless, irritable and discontented, unless they can again experience the sense of ease and comfort which comes at once by taking a few drinks--drinks which they see others taking with impunity. After they have succumbed to the desire again, as so many do, and the phenomenon of craving develops, they pass through the well-known stages of a spree, emerging remorseful, with a firm resolution not to drink again. This is repeated over and over, and unless a this person can experience a and entire psychic change there is very little hope of his recovery.
On the other hand-=-and strange as it 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 he despaired of ever solving them, suddenly finds himself easily able to control his desire for alcohol, the only effort necessary being that required to follow a few simple rules.
Men have cried out to me in sincere and despairing appeal: "Dr., I cannot go on like this! I have everything to live for! You must help me!
Faced with this problem, if a doctor is honest with himself, he must sometimes feel his own inadequacy. Although he gives all that is in him, it often is not enough. One feels that something more than himan power is needed to produce the essential psychic change. Though the aggregate of recoveries resulting prom psychiatric effort is considerable, we physicians must admit we have made little impression upon the problem as a whole.
-Dr. Silkworth, Intro to the Big Book of AA
Dr. Silkworth talks about addiction like an allergy, not all people have it. This was in the 1930's, long before there was any proof or brain scans to reveal what this disease does.
So, I wanted to talk about this psychic change. I always call it a window of opportunity. Just for a moment, I felt like I knew the truth of my addiction. I wasn't sure what to do, but I could tell false from true and knew there must be a better way to live. My life had become unmanageable. That was the seed of the psychic change. Detox and aftercare are a continuation of separating false from true, for me it is. I am slowly having a 'total psychic change.' I always think about how important it is to change so much more than my drug use. That is only the beginning. If I stop working a program, I will like go back to auto pilot. Jail doesn't make the change, rehab has about a 23% recovery rate. Psychiatry and medicine alone don't do much. What is it that really called us out of all the insanity?
Powerful my friend thank you very much for that and I agree 100 percent.
I also like the chapter 'we agnostics,' a Higher Power is a difficult idea. The NA book doesn't have that chapter. Half of the founders of AA were atheists and agnostics, so that is very important, don't know why NA didn't put it in the book. I personally encourage people to pick up an AA book and read the missing chapters. The stories and 12 steps are fine in NA, but a lot of the good stuff is missing, IMO.
Yeah I agree on the whole high power thing im Pagan myself so It can easily scare people off
I'm Christian and that is just as scary to some people
Agreed - I don't per say believe in a higher power.. God, Jahve, Buddha... I believe there is more to life than meets the eye but not one omnipotent excistense...
Vil try to look up the AA book so I can read the Agnostic section...
Vil try to look up the AA book so I can read the Agnostic section...
Love is my God and Service is my religion. All spiritual paths are the same. We try to use the least inaccurate description of "God" as we can. The goal of the stories and rituals are the same, Love, peace, tranquility, empathy, compassion, etc... We all know what they are, they are those things that make us feel love and loved. Religion is for those afraid of Hell, while spirituality if for those who have been there. I used all my willpower to try and get clean, I really tried 110%, but could not do it on my own. I concluded that I am not the Highest Power in the Universe. As I pulled together with others, Love increased and gained power. After going to ashrams in India, being a fire keeper in the Native American Church, teaching adult Sunday School, and praying at the same temples as Buddha, I decided to explain my faith through Christianity, that is my heritage.The Bible doesn't describe God as a Hairy Man on a cloud. That was Michaelangelo's art we invision. Most Christians would not say that I am a Christian, but I try to love my neighbor as myself. Ghandi said he would gladly proclaim Christianity, if he only had to live by the sermon on the mount and not the dogma of any church. Mother Theresa prayed with Hindu's and Muslims, asking that they only that they give what they believe their whole heart. George Fox, Quacker founder, spoke of the light of Christ in all men, from all walks and religions. All have a part, none have it all. It even requires faith to be an atheist, there are many questions science can't answer and many scientific answers are being proven wrong all the time. Agnostics are the most honest about it, they say, "I don't know." Socrates started with the foundation that he knew nothing. We keep trying to describe the indescribable. Moses was told he couldn't see the face of God, and God's name is I AM. Pretty vague, faith is required. There must be a power greater than me, I would feel arrogant to think otherwise. There is no power greater than Love. Love makes martyrs who die for the needy, servants who give their lives for the underprivileged, and warriors who fight for justice without seeking a reward. That is powerful, I have a piece of that power, but combined with many others, Love can conquer anything, even addiction. Who can describe Love or see it's face, it is the face of all people and lives inside all of us. It has the power to do anything, even get a drug addict like me off drugs.
Tony, I like the AA book vs the NA..But remember that the NA is somewhat from AA. I love my people at AA/NA and we ALL know we can not do this alone. We have to give it to something other then ourselves. It does not matter what type of religion you are. I fine that my AA is way more free and full of the Spirit then the NA. BUT that does not mean we do not have it in NA. It just seems like AA is more matured and caring. A lot of people think they have to do the 12 steps like it is a test and has to be done in a week. These steps have worked over and over for centuries. We will use them over and over as we grow into different stages of our lives. We can not walk this Journey into our Recovery Alone..lol
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