Introduction

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) has long been regarded as one of the most influential
mutual support programs in the world. It truly is the origin of the peer-to-peer help
model. Rooted in spiritual principles, AA emphasizes the concept of a "Higher Power of
your own understanding." Ebby Thatcher first introduced this idea to Bill Wilson, the cofounder of AA. Ebby said, to Bill, “Why don’t you choose your own conception of God?”
(Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 12). This idea was revolutionary to Bill and would start him
down a path toward permanent sobriety which he achieved the following month. This
idea became a bedrock of AA spiritual principles. This incident became so foundational
that AA historians have named it the GOMU moment, or “God of My Understanding”
moment.

In the “Big Book” of Alcoholics Anonymous, we read “We are not cured of
alcoholism. What we really have is a daily reprieve contingent on the maintenance of
our spiritual condition. Every day is a day when we must carry the vision of God’s will
into all our activities.” The book suggests a constant meditation on what God wants us
to be doing, all through the day.

“The Master entered a village where he was met by ten lepers who stood at a distance. They raised their voices, saying, “Master, have mercy on us!” When the Master saw them, he said, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” As they went, they were cleansed. Upon realizing that they had been made clean of their leprosy, one returned to thank the great Healer.  The Master looked upon the man and asked, “Where are the other nine?” He then said, “Go, for your faith has healed you.”” (Lk 17, 11-19). 

I have always loved to travel, but I was afraid to fly. To overcome my fear of flying, I took flying lessons at the airport, on a Beechcraft Sport single engine airplane, and got a license. Once I understood airplanes, the FAA, and the air traffic control system, I lost my fear of flying. The keys to the whole system are following directions and doing the maintenance before every single flight. Most pilots are fanatical about maintenance. I have been on airliners where the pilot refused the plane because one toilet wouldn’t work. Everything on that airplane has to be in proper shape or the pilots refuse it. Safety is number one.

Chapter seven of the book, Alcoholics Anonymous, is devoted entirely to working with others. You get a clue from the author of the “Big Book”, how important certain steps are by the amount of space he devotes to them. When the author has devoted an entire chapter to working with others, i.e., Step 12, it must be important.

We have the 12 Steps and the 12 Traditions on which volumes of material have been written. Yet, a common theme running through the steps and traditions is this idea of principles. But what are these principles and from where do they come?

On December 11, 1934, while under treatment at Towns Hospital for alcoholism, Bill Wilson, co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, experienced a profound and lasting spiritual experience. This intense and life-changing spiritual awakening left Bill with an overwhelming sense of well-being and freed him from his obsession and craving for alcohol. Bill said this about his “hot flash”, “I knew I was a free man”.

Johann Hari stated at the end of his viral “TED Talk” that… “the opposite of addiction is not sobriety; the opposite of addiction is connection”. This comment was received as a landmark and almost heretical statement in the field of addiction treatment. It sent shock waves through the recovery community. It was a new and innovative way to view addiction and address recovery.

One of the difficulties I have with staying sober is that I like to drink. I also like my drugs: Valium, Percodan, and other opiates, benzodiazepines, and barbiturates. For me, drinking and drugging is forever natural. Being clean and sober is forever unnatural. Even though my sobriety date is July 4, 1989, and I have been sober for 11,173 days, a day at a time, sobriety has never become natural for me. I rely on the “Big Book” of Alcoholics Anonymous and I do what it says to do.

I was 18 years old and three years sober. Ever since I went through treatment in the summer of 1978, all I wanted to do was to be a counselor. My counselor had saved my life and all I wanted to do was to become a counselor so I could save lives too. I could think of no higher calling or more worthwhile work. So, I applied for a Counselor Training Program.