Big Book

[root]

Life gains a new meaning. We see alcoholics recover, help others, no longer left to fend for themselves, witness the growth of the community, and find friends—all experiences not to be missed. We know you don’t want to miss out either. After all, having frequent meetings with newcomers and old members is a significant experience in our lives.  
[Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 83.]

Your candidate may start to present arguments for why they don’t need such a program. They may rebel against the idea of a drastic spring cleaning because it requires discussing their problems with others. Let’s not dispute their position! Instead, let them know that we once felt exactly the same way, but we don’t believe we would have gotten far if we hadn’t committed to taking action! During our first visit, let’s mention Alcoholics Anonymous! If our friend shows interest, let’s lend them the book!  
[Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 88.]

For an alcoholic who is both able and willing to change, everyday charity is unnecessary, and even undesirable. An alcoholic who begs for money or shelter before overcoming their drinking obsession is on the wrong path. Still, we are willing to help each other to the greatest extent possible if warranted.

This may seem like inconsistency, but we believe it is not. The question is not whether to give, but when and how. This can often be decisive in determining whether we succeed or fail. The moment help turns into servitude, our person begins to rely on us instead of God. They come up with all sorts of demands, claiming they cannot overcome alcohol until someone takes care of their material needs.

This is nonsense. Many of us received a harsh lesson from life before we learned: work or no work, wife or no wife—we simply cannot stop drinking until we prioritize our dependence on God over our dependence on others. Instill in every person’s consciousness that they can recover, regardless of anyone else. The only condition is to trust in God and complete the spring cleaning.  
[Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 91.]

If we are spiritually healthy, we can do many things from which an alcoholic is advised to stay away. They say not to go to places where alcohol is served; not to keep alcohol at home; to avoid friends who drink; not to watch movies with drinking scenes; not to go to bars; to have friends hide the bottles when we visit them; we shouldn’t think about alcohol, and others shouldn’t remind us of it!

However, our experiences show that it doesn’t have to be this way! We encounter such circumstances every day. An alcoholic who cannot face them still has the mindset of an alcoholic. There is something wrong with their spiritual state. Such a person would only have a chance at sobriety if they withdrew to a place like the Arctic Circle in Greenland. But even there, an Eskimo with a bottle of whiskey might show up and ruin everything! Just ask that woman who sent her husband to distant places in the belief that it would free him from his alcohol problems.

In our belief, every effort suggesting isolating the patient from temptation is doomed to fail. If the alcoholic hermetically seals themselves off, they may achieve success for a while, but the end is usually an even greater drinking binge than before. We have already tried it. Experiments with the impossible have always run aground. Therefore, we do not prescribe avoiding places where they serve alcohol, as long as we have a compelling reason to be there.  
[Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 94.]

Our task now is to be where we can help others the most! So let’s not hesitate to go anywhere we can help. Let’s not hesitate to visit even the dirtiest place in the world for such a mission! With this intent, let’s remain in the line of fire of life. God will protect us from all harm.  
[Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 95.]

Our book, with few exceptions, has only spoken of men up to this point. However, what we have said applies to women as well. Our efforts to assist drinking women are expanding. All signs indicate that, like men, women can easily regain their health if they follow our suggestions.  
[Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 97.]