It’s An Individual Decision

Despite caustic, contradictory commentary in opposition to the reality, Alcoholics Anonymous does not demand that you be convinced you are an alcoholic. Once again, from Mel B.;

“In other words, the AA founders were not zealously committed to the task of convincing any person that he might be an alcoholic, or of citing scientific proof that he could never be a controlled drinker. This was something the individual would have to decide for himself, even at the cost of getting drunk again. Is it irresponsible to tell an alcoholic to try drinking again if he thinks he can get away with it? Not really, because any person who believes that he can drink will probably do it no matter what is said to him. Our experience has certainly shown us that alcoholics do not usually respond to logic or intellectual arguments.”

Challenge my logical arguments? Certainly not when I’m drinking and you’ll probably elicit, at the least, an inward, instinctual, response today.

But the truth remains – I can’t personally get you sober or drunk nor can you me. Those who take the time and make the effort to blame AA or its members for their arriving home drunk, were simply looking for whatever excuse they could find to fulfill their obsession to drink alcohol.

As Mel also says (true of me): “When I was drinking, I would have listened to any person, no matter how sleazy his credentials, who told me I could keep on drinking.” No matter how sleazy!