And the solution is progressive. Just as alcoholism gets progressively worse, sobriety can become progressively better.
For me, the daily mental debate over should I drink today became a question of why? Then sanity took over and alcohol lost its power over my mental processes. With sanity, the ease of sobriety became paramount in my daily life.
One of the things I remembered most about my first AA meetings is how open, honest and self-aware people were. They talked openly about their shortcomings and their tendencies. And they had decades of sobriety. My ego was still super inflated and I did NOT want to work the program, I was there to support a girlfriend of mine. But that really stood out to me. So, eventually when I finally realized doing it my way was NOT working for me, even with 2 years sober, I remembered that and became willing to truly work the program. I worked with people who I wanted what they had. I was so blessed to listen to people who had long-term sobriety and I thank god every day they were put on my path. This truly was the easier and softer way for me when I was finally able to surrender to it. There is a solution, and because of that I no longer live in the despair and chaos that was my old life. I am a grateful recovering alcoholic today.
I wasn’t the valedictorian, or the guy on the short bus. In fact, I never pushed myself in school but I don’t remember ever struggling either and made out with pretty good grades. I say this only because I know it fueled my ability to think I could out think my disease. When I read this part in rehab and after listening to many fellows at meetings sharing about how they tried to rationalize, develop a personal plan or some other bullshit way to beat it…only to end up going back out I knew I had to look at this as simple as possible. I’m an alcoholic, I work the program of AA, it fucking works as long as I do it with the mindset that this is what saved me and will continue to.
Simple, and no overthinking required.
Thank you for doing this Mandi 
Yes, I want to agree @MandiH. Although I don’t have much to contribute, I enjoy very much reading along. Thank you for making this possible, I really appreciate this initiative 
The 10th June 1935 it all began 80 YEARS thanks Bill and Doc Bob
That’s incredible. So so SO grateful for those men and the path they went to help sooooo many of us that have followed behind them.
90 years Ray, right? 1935?
Thank you for inspiring us all
Sorry senior moment lol
The part that stands out most to me in this last section of the there is a solution chapter is the line, “clear-cut directions are given showing how we recovered”.
I like to over-complicate things sometimes, but it’s really quite simple. This book and program are what worked. And continues to work for SO many alcoholics to this day. It works if I work it and I retain my sobriety today by following the steps of others. I am beyond grateful for this today.
This chapter, yet again, reminds me of me. The insanity. Refusing to admit I was am alcoholic. Wanting to be able to drink like a normal person and alllll the failed attempts at that.
“The persistance of this illusion is astonishing. Many persue it into the gates of insanity or death.”
Those two sentences could not be more accurate. My life was insanity, though I honestly couldn’t see how bad it was at the time clearly with my bottle rim vision. And next up was death. I was following exactly in my dad’s footsteps.
When I stopped drinking, I still didn’t think I was an alcoholic. I just thought I needed a break for a bit to get my health better. But, then I saw there was no good reason to drink-it was all my own bs & my twisted thinking. Which, was the same thinking that got me to where I was. I needed to change that, but I didn’t really know how. I stayed sober, and made some changes-but I was isolated and continuing the same patterns. Until I prayed and surrendered when this program arrived on my doorstep the next day.
Today, I am a grateful recovering alcoholic. I have no misgivings about being an alcoholic today. But I’m grateful for it too, because doing this work literally changed me and my entire life. And it continues to do so as I continue to work it. I truly believe that anyone can benefit from doing the 12 steps, but I had to concede that I was an alcoholic first to be willing to do them and try something new. My ways weren’t working anymore. And for that I’m grateful, the gift of desperation brought me a new way of life and today it’s better than its ever been-because of this program.
This week we continue the reading in the chapter More About Alcoholism. Please share what this reading brings up within you. 
I find it amazing that this book gives how to instructions from just breathing to what you should meditate on I have attended so many seminars in my adult life only to walk away thinking great idea but how do I start? Paid a lot of money to get nothing for hours of my time. With AA no money is required although I alway give and what I walk away with is priceless and life changing.
Yep, I am a pickle now. Won’t ever be a cucumber again. I accept this fact & feel that this story was just another example in the Big Book of AA that got me to this point…happy, joyous and free.
