A Secret Part of the AA Program?

One thing that bugged me about the Big Book and even the Steps, particularly at the beginning of my recovery, is that no where does it explicitly state that the alcoholic must stop drinking. Or that the overall goal of recovery is to "stop drinking". Sure, there's all sorts of "implications" that not drinking is the ultimate goal---but I'm beginning to wonder if that was really the intended implication by the writers. Is "not drinking" a secret part of the AA program that is never said out loud but still remains a requirement to long term or "full" membership? You'd think! I mean if I had written the book, I would have been very clear about that. [Thank God I didn't write the book!]

But no. While the "not drinking" part of the AA program is rather essential to being and staying sober, I don't think that it's some secret part of the program. Nor do I think that it was an oversight by Bill Wilson and the others who were writing the Big Book when the choose not to include a clear and unambiguous "mandate albeit suggestion" that the alcoholic has to stop drinking. I say that because I think the insight they all had into this particular disease and it's treatment/solution was that the alcoholic was one "who could not stop drinking." AA is not made up of people who could or who can "stop" drinking.

True, the are those in AA who characterize themselves as people who have stopped drinking.... But I don't think that's the essential characteristic of all members of AA. If it were, we wouldn't have people coming in and going out. We wouldn't have members of AA who come into the room with alcohol (or other mind-altering drugs) still on their breath or still coursing through their veins. Are such people not "members" of AA? Are they "less" members? Of course not. In fact, they may be more aware of their full membership rights than most of us because they know without question that they simply can't stop drinking! They "know" they are powerless over alcohol.

Nor would we be better off had the writers of the Big Book chosen to rephrase the 1st step to say, "We admitted that we were powerless over alcohol--that our lives had become unmanageable--and therefore we stopped drinking!" To put things that way would have taken the focus off the utter powerlessness we have over alcohol, the utter powerlessness we have over "being" alcoholics.

The secret of the AA way of life, for me, is not that it gives me a way to stop drinking. No, that's not what it's given me. Rather, it's given me a way to stop stopping. It's given me a way of life which involves trying to stay sober, one day or moment at a time. I've learned to focus not on what I can't do (stop drinking) and focus instead on what I can: stay sober. Staying sober is possible for me. Stopping drinking is impossible for me.

Spread the secret!

Take care!

Mike L.