July 20, 2015 - Readings in Recovery: Step by Step

The Serenity Prayer

Step by Step
Monday, July 20, 2015
 
"I had my first drink when I was 15 and my alcoholic potential had ripened me to the point of necessary escapism. I needed alcohol from that night on, and it in turn used me, ruling my life for three years.
"I never drank socially; I drank as often and as much as I could. My eventual goal was to drink myself to death. All my life, it seemed, was spent on the outside looking in. I had been unhappy, lonely and scared for so long that the discovery of liquor seemed to be the answer to all my problems." - Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd Edition, 1976, Part II ("They Stopped in Time"), Ch 7 ("A Teenager's Story"), p 353.

Today ... out of the mouths of babes. This excerpt from a sufferer who crossed the threshold of alcoholism at age 15 and began recovery at 18 speaks to all of us on multiple levels. First, youth and even a relatively short drinking career do not shield us from alcoholism; second, if like this child we are drinking or drank as an "escape" or a solution "to all (our) problems," we have by clinical definition established the link between alcohol and addiction even if it is emotional or psychological in nature. If I have any deep-seeded worry about my drinking or if I am desperately clawing for excuses to quiet others who have their worries, grant me the strength and honesty to heed the voices of warning. Their experience may be the lifeline I might not yet know I need. And our common journey continues. Step by step. - Chris M., 2015