This is not a definitive answer, but a set of
ideas that reflect my experience.
The book 'Alcoholics Anonymous' was written
to be used (in part) as a manual for people without the benefit of personal
instruction. It was a do-it-yourself guide to the programme.
In principle, it's
possible to simply read the Book, do what it says, and get well.
However:
- When the Book was written and published,
thousands of people who tried to use it wrote to the central office in New York
because they encountered problems or difficulties. It clearly did not provide
all of the answers, and this was recognised by New York, who were painstaking
in responding to every single letter.
- Just because it can be used without a guide (what we now call a sponsor), that does not mean that this will produce the best results.
- The Book itself suggests that the sponsor provide practical help (in addition to the instructions contained within the book).
- The experience of early AA was that people worked intensively with alcoholics. This is not just because this is what benefited the sponsor, but because this is what was most helpful to the individual. See the descriptions of Jim’s story and Fred’s story in the basic text. We don’t just give people the information and walk off. We help them. This is because help helps.
- Most people struggle with ideas contained in the Book up to page 63, which is where the practical instructions start. Almost no one can follow the chain of reasoning effectively, and even individual ideas are regularly misunderstood. The sequence of ideas in the Book does have a logic of sorts, but it is far from entirely systematic and is not written like a textbook. It is discursive and employs many different narrative styles.
- Almost everyone who writes inventory does not get the hang of it first go: it needs close and careful monitoring until it is being written effectively and efficiently.
- A sponsor (or other listener) is required for Step Five.
- A sponsor (or other advisor) is required as a sounding-board particularly for tricky amends: if the advisor does not know the individual well, the advice will not be as good. This is important: the welfare of third parties is involved.
- Steps Ten and Eleven are largely straightforward, provided that a person can read and follow written instructions: my experience is that most people struggle even with this, miss elements, misread elements, and add elements that are not there.
- Step Twelve, to be fully effective, requires considerable experience and expertise. The smart thing to do is to learn from others rather than reinventing the process yourself.
… and perhaps most importantly:
- Much of the process involves identifying
self-delusion, unlearning 'bad wisdom', unwinding false narratives, correcting
misperceptions, and generally acquiring a completely different interpretation
and therefore perception of oneself, one's past, one's present life, and the
rest of the universe. This is not easily accomplished, and the enemy—the ego—is
battling the individual all the way. It does not want to give up its dominion.
Without help from a dispassionate outsider, only someone who is already fully
surrendered will be capable of this. Most people are not.
In short: the Steps (like many other
activities) are best accomplished in tandem.
- Just because it can be used without a guide (what we now call a sponsor), that does not mean that this will produce the best results.
- The Book itself suggests that the sponsor provide practical help (in addition to the instructions contained within the book).
- The experience of early AA was that people worked intensively with alcoholics. This is not just because this is what benefited the sponsor, but because this is what was most helpful to the individual. See the descriptions of Jim’s story and Fred’s story in the basic text. We don’t just give people the information and walk off. We help them. This is because help helps.
- Most people struggle with ideas contained in the Book up to page 63, which is where the practical instructions start. Almost no one can follow the chain of reasoning effectively, and even individual ideas are regularly misunderstood. The sequence of ideas in the Book does have a logic of sorts, but it is far from entirely systematic and is not written like a textbook. It is discursive and employs many different narrative styles.
- Almost everyone who writes inventory does not get the hang of it first go: it needs close and careful monitoring until it is being written effectively and efficiently.
- A sponsor (or other listener) is required for Step Five.
- A sponsor (or other advisor) is required as a sounding-board particularly for tricky amends: if the advisor does not know the individual well, the advice will not be as good. This is important: the welfare of third parties is involved.
- Steps Ten and Eleven are largely straightforward, provided that a person can read and follow written instructions: my experience is that most people struggle even with this, miss elements, misread elements, and add elements that are not there.
- Step Twelve, to be fully effective, requires considerable experience and expertise. The smart thing to do is to learn from others rather than reinventing the process yourself.
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