How can anyone believe that in the entire universe there is not a medical cure for alcoholism?
I feel that many probably ask this question when they are new, and I did myself, then I actually saw a TV report that seemed to offer a ‘cure,’ haven’t heard why it’s not available maybe the trials showed some bad side effects. Earlier this month I spoke in another topic about that, I said -
Early on I went to a meeting and said that I had seen on TV someone talking of a new pill, which promised people like us could drink and enjoy without overdoing it. About half the room laughed, the other half like me looked on in shock, why are they laughing, when we might have a way out of this no drinking for life sentence we wondered.
One of the older ones who was laughing, said I should come back and let them know, when they invent a pill which not only controlled how much we drank, but also made them more serene and happier than they had ever been before.
Of course this is something I understand now, a cure for alcoholism could hardly also contain a cure for what had me drinking in the first place, so I would still be the unhappy person I was before.
A couple of us here write about our spiritual practice including contemplative prayer, and a study of how to live in the present, it’s like half way meditating while going about life. Alcohol and similar drugs deaden our minds (thoughts), so we feel more comfortable because our thoughts about life problems and fears are reduced, our minds are pushed below such irritating thoughts. In the practice of living in the present however, our minds are elevated above such thoughts, we can be absolutely alert, yet feel the peace most only experience while meditating.
There is a saying I have seen around AA something like ‘they call it present because it’s a gift,’ and yet someone wrote this a few days ago -
Paradoxically while not drinking "One Day at a Time" is great practice for living "One Day at a Time," living in the present is a terrible way to stay away from that first drink.
Since a newcomer to AA, would hardly have developed spiritually enough to live in the present, and since only newcomers should be concerned about staying away from the first drink, then even if this theory were true, it would not apply. By the time we get spiritually fit enough to live in the present, staying away from the first drink would be an idea we dropped long ago, as the book says - “We have not even sworn off. Instead, the problem has been removed. It does not exist for us.”
"Good morning, this is your Higher Power speaking. I will not be needing your help today."