Saturday Night. Nov.27. 1943

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS

By Gordon Best

At 7 p.m. on January 19 last, eight men Many doctors believe that the alcoholic sat down to dinner in Little Denmark a small craving is limited to this class. These allergic restaurant on Bay Street in Toronto. Other types can never safely take even one drink. At a diners noticed nothing extraordinary about these party, the alcoholic, no matter how good his men. They included a lawyer, doctor, insurance abstemious intentions is not at ease until he gets man, flier and a broker. hold of one of those drinks, drinks he sees his However, there was something unusual friends taking with impunity and then he is off to about this group, each man was a confessed the races. alcoholic. The dinner meeting was help for the Many alcoholics, look at the one’s you purpose of founding the first Canadian branch of know, are keen and competent with strong wills Alcoholics Anonymous, an organization which and sound judgement in other spheres. But has over 200 branches or “clubs” in the states parallel with their ordinary sound reasoning will with over 8,000 members. be so insanely trivial excuse for taking the first lf there is anything less anonymous than drink. And their allergy to drink, once they take the average alcoholic we would like to know it. the first one, entirely eliminates their will power, But the reason for anonymity of members of responsibility and standards of value. This Alcoholics Anonymous appears to stem from the allergy is a disease. Condemnation, haranguing delusion of every alcoholic that very few people and arguing had so far failed to cure any known know that he drinks to excess. He would not be disease. Treatment of an alcoholic along these induced to join a club that flamboyantly lines by relatives, holier-thanthou or controlled proclaimed itself to be a band of alcoholic for drinkers who do not understand the alcoholic’s fear of the effect this might have upon his problem, not only fails to help him but in many business connections if he has any left. cases sets up a resentment, probably due to his Alcoholics Anonymous are ex- alcoholics sense of frustration in his own attempts, which who ally themselves for mutual support in frequently leads to additional indulgence. remaining “ex’s” and to aid helpless alcoholics But there is one kind of person to whom who desire their aid, to overcome their an alcoholic, with a desire to stop, usually will uncontrolled thirst. listen to, another alcoholic. The other speaks his ln no sense a temperance society, Ianguage, he has been through the mill. crusaders against liquor or backers of anti- Members of Alcoholics Anonymous are alcohol campaigns. Alcoholics Anonymous have thus in a highly strategic position to help the nothing to offer the controlled drinker nor the alcoholic who desperately wants to stop slightest desire to influence these to abandon drinking, but has found after many futile efforts their drinking. on his own part, that he is unable to do so. They Prominent doctors and psychiatrists help him with non-moral, straight, practical state that while there are many kinds of advice. Their system works. Many of the worst alcoholics, they all have one symptom in cases, men who have been in and out of common; an allergy to liquor which after the first hospitals and institutions for alcoholics for years drink or two, places the overcoming of desire for have proven them successful. Thousands of so additional drinks entirely beyond their mental called hopeless cases have been completely control. This does not mean that in every cured, instance, the alcoholic, having taken the first Alcoholics Anonymous is not an drink is going to end up in drunken stupefaction, organization in the strict sense of the word. but that, having taken the first drink he cannot Rather it is composed of autonomous groups in control the length of time he continues drinking. various cities and towns, over two hundred at It might be ten minutes or ten days. this writing. There are no dues or fees of any

kind. There is no alliance with any religion or been able to give to others. Much of this creed. The passkey to become a member is the program is not easy for all. But the feeling of recognition and admission on the part of the elation each of us has enjoyed in the knowledge prospective member that he is an alcoholic and that we, and in most cases only we alcoholics, possession of an honest desire to stop drinking. can aid other alcoholics is deeply gratifying. Besides the club in Toronto, which has Everyone of us who has had the experience of about 100 members, there are branches of assisting a fellow alcoholic in the solution of his Alcoholics Anonymous operating in Victoria and problem has been definitely strengthened in the Montreal. As in the states, each club is conquest of his own problem. The gratitude and autonomous. Additional clubs are now in the satisfaction of seeing wives reconciled, families process of formation in Winnipeg, London, reunited, self-respect restored is an experience Hamilton and Ottawa. transcending in satisfaction most every other Alcoholics Anonymous appear to have experience in our lives.” developed a form of applied psychology The Toronto branch holds a dinner each somewhat similar to the theme expounded in Tuesday night and to one of these was a guest. I Lloyd Douglas’ “Magnificent Obsession.” To a went a couple of weeks ago. lnformal degree, their good deeds are anonymous, but conversation before and after dinner, while instead of operating singly they have adopted largely on the topic of drinking was anything but the convoy system. An explanation of this clinical or academic. lndeed, a considerable appears in a brochure entitled “lmpressions of amount of it consisted of humorous stories about 4.4.” the antics of current alcoholics whom some of “Finally it became manifest to us that as the members had been trying to help. Extreme a part of our regeneration, assistance to other tolerance and understanding was the highlight of alcoholics who sincerely wished to be rid of their these. ln fact, several of the members in telling affliction was necessary. We have found group these stories, would compare similar capers of association to be of inestimable assistance. Only their own in the days when they were drinking, the alcoholic can understand and sympathize to those of some who they are today trying to with the other alcoholic’s problem. Especially in help. This attitude was very impressive, the the beginning do we lean heavily on each other.” antithesis of that of the professional reformer “Probably the most emotionally satisfying and is, no doubt, one of the keynotes to the part of our program is the aid which we have success of the organization.

Source: Saturday Night, November 27, 1943

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