Alcholics Anonymous

Alcoholics Anonymous is a voluntary organization that was conceived back in 1935 to help practicing alcoholics to find sobriety. It was the brainchild of Mr.Bill Wilson, a one time financier who’s career in Finance was shattered by alcoholism. Whilst attending a hospital, suffering from the effects of acute alcohol poisoning, Bill Wilson underwent what he called a spiritual experience, and in his new found acceptance and belief in God, was able to cure himself.

After leaving hospital he teamed up with Doctor Bob Smith and together they went about their joint vocation of helping and curing alcoholics. The venture was hugely successful and in 1939 Bill Wilson wrote a book entitled Alcoholics Anonymous which launched the organization we know today.

Today, there are over 106,000 Alcoholics Anonymous meeting groups and the organization has spread across the world. The only requirements to join AA are that you must be a practicing alcoholic who wants to quit drinking. There are no fees or subscriptions so the foundation gathers its finances from private donations.

The concept of treating alcoholism like a disease was the brainchild of Dr William Silkworth who was the physician who treated Bob Wilson in the New York hospital where here underwent his spiritual experience that put him on the path to creating Alcoholics Anonymous.

As Alcoholics Anonymous grew during the late 1930s and early 1940s it became more structured and the 12 basic principles were developed that are still the backbone of the organization today. The original 12 principles were:

Admitting alcoholism ruled their lives
Believing God could cure alcoholics of their addiction
Putting themselves in God’s hands
Honest self evaluation
Self confession of wrongs enacted
Preparedness for God to remove bad characteristics
Requesting that God remove these bad characteristics
Listing the people they had harmed and committing to redress wrongs done
Actually making any amends possible
Continuous self-evaluation and admittance of any ongoing imperfections
Vowing to try to understand God and his plans for recovering alcoholics
Committing to help other practicing alcoholics

It is clear from these original mission statements or principles that Alcoholics Anonymous had a basic grounding in the belief of God; but as the fellowship has grown, over the passage of a number of years, these principles have become more generalized in order not to alienate, or make themselves untenable to alcoholics who desperately needed and wanted help but saw religion as a barrier to acquiring that help.

Various branches of Alcoholics Anonymous have spread across the world, and all are self governing. There is a central body but it is there for general guidance and help, and they do not interfere with the way that the individual branches are run. Each branch therefore has the freedom and autonomy, to act as it sees fit, to best suit its local members needs.

Today, Alcoholics Anonymous is without question the organization that everyone associates with curing alcoholism. With global alcoholism predicted to spread to almost epidemic proportions, it is certainly going to be a busy fellowship.

Whether or not religion is an accepted concept to many alcoholics, it is interesting to realize that Muslims are one of the few religions who have a zero tolerance to drinking alcohol and that Muslim devotees therefore practice total abstinence.

However, the flip side of that coin questions why people who do not need the services of Alcoholics Anonymous, (i.e. those who enjoy alcohol in moderation), should be denied the pleasure of drinking through religious belief. The American way is based on a “live and let live” philosophy, and as long as this doesn’t bring harm on others, and it’s a great freedom.

Check out my other guide on teens and drugs

Alcholics Anonymous

alcholic anonymous

Alcholics Anonymous

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