I rode the wave of going to meetings and talking talk to. Main points from alcoholics anonymous foreward, the doctors opinion, and pp. Alcoholism through a doctors eyes the new york times. The letter by dr silkworth that opens the big book of alcoholics anonymous was written july 27, 1938 under the letterhead of the charles b towns hospital a medical facility with a national reputation in alcohol and drug addiction treatment. William duncan silkworth henceforth be removed from all printings of the big book. Step 1 doctors opinion alcoholics anonymous aa my last. When we got to the doctors opinion, i was told to read it every day for thirty days. Because this book has become the basic text for our society and has helped such large numbers of alcoholic men and women to recovery, there exists a sentiment. Pfau, also known as father john doe 10 november 1904 19 february 1967 was the author of sobriety without end, sobriety and beyond and the golden book series.
For a number of years i had a big book on a shelf that did a great job at collecting dust. Click on the attachment below to download an powerpoint presentation that covers the main points from alcoholics anonymous foreward, the doctors opinion, and pp. This is the second edition of the book alcoholics anonymous, which made its first appearance in april 1939. Towns hospital for drug and alcohol addictions in new york city in the 1930s, during which time bill wilson, a future cofounder of alcoholics anonymous a. I personally am convinced that the allergy diagnosis in the doctor s opinion of the big book is rooted in solid science, not in metaphor or outdated medicine.
Its because my body is physically allergic to alcohol and a reaction is. Reading guide for the doctors opinion amethyst recovery center. The reason why i cannot drink is given in the doctor s opinion in the aa book. In 1939 when the big book was written the correct diagnosis for that reaction was an allergy.
This program will describe a physicians view of alcoholism, as presented in the literature of alcoholics anonymous and updated with the modern. Read from aa big book, appendix ii, spiritual experience, pages 569570, adapted to compulsive overeating. We demand that the chapter the doctors opinion of the big book of aa be revised or removed we the people demand one of the three following things of alcoholics anonymous world services, inc 1. When i came to aa they told me i had an allergy to alcohol and i could never drink it.
Doctors in big book alcoholics anonymous, 12 steps and 12. Alcoholics anonymous has taken no official stand on the use of prescription drugs for recovery, other than to say the issue is between a patient and her doctor. At any rate, discounting someone else s truth can be a slippery slope as facts can be declared, but truth, especially spiritual in nature, is open to the interpretation of each individual, as the big book. Since the first edition appeared, in 1939, it has helped millions of men and women recover from alcoholism. My life as asober alcoholic and subsequent study of aa through living its principles in my daily life. The doctor s opinion the doctors opinion contains two letters written by william d. Eventually i decided that i should try working the steps, so i found a sponsor who suggested we read the big book and go through the steps together.
Chapter three breaks down the early history of doctor silkworth, doctor bob and bill wilson. The doctor s opinion w e ofalcoholics anonymous believe that the reader will be interested in the medical esti mate of the plan of recovery described in this book. Convincingt estimonym ustsu relyco me from medical men who have had experience with the sufferings of our members and have witnessed our return to health. The doctor s opinion we of alcoholics anonymous believe that the reader will be interested in the medical estimate of the plan of recovery described in this book. The drama, about the founding of alcoholics anonymous, is a great way to learn how designating something as a disease is only a starting point for understanding the patients who experience it. A little ditty on the big book, alcoholics anonymous the doctors opinion. Chapter two is the doctors opinion out of the big book. Main points from alcoholics anonymous foreward, the. A little ditty on the big book, alcoholics anonymous. How do i cite alcoholics anonymous big book apastyle in.
This is the fourth edition of the big book, the basic text for alcoholics anonymous. Alcoholic selftest using the big book of aa step 12. I would suggest that you crack open the big book youve said that you have an electronic copy of it, so thats good and start with the doctors. Our own experience validates his view of the physcial aspects of alchollism. One of the many doctors who had the opportunity of reading this book in manuscript form told us that the use of sweets was often helpful, of course depending upon a doctor s advice. We of alcoholics anonymous believe that the reader will be interested in the medical estimate of the plan of recovery described in this book. We demand that the chapter the doctors opinion of the.
Convincing testimony must surely come from medical men who have had experience with the sufferings of our. Silkworth begins his opinion in a letter to alcoholics anonymous in which he describes the treatment and recovery of one of a. The doctor s opinion to whom it may concern the little doctor who loved drunks the prevention of alcoholism alcoholism as a manifestation of allergy reclamation of the alcoholic psychotherapy in chronic alcoholism psychological rehabilitation of alcoholics dr. It was only years later, when this theory gained acceptance, that he allowed his name to be used. The doctor s opinion gives a brief description of the phenomenon of craving that alcoholics develop when they ingest alcohol that most other people dont. Towns hospital for drug and alcohol addictions in new york city, where he had treated, one of the founding members of aa, bill w. Frequently asked questions abstinence afflicted aggregate alcohol alcoholic alcoholics anonymous alcoholism all addictions allergy amends anonymous atheist audio avocation big book big book meeting bills story bill w. Read from aa big book, the doctor s opinion, page xxviii, adapted to compulsive overeating. This concept was so new at the time that when bill asked dr. These men may well have a remedy for thousands of such situations. How alcoholics anonymous lied to the american people.
We of alcoholics anonymous believe that the reader will be interested in the medical esti mate of the plan of recovery described in this book. Father john doe download mp3 all tracks as a zip file 8. The doctors opinion we of alcoholics anonymous believe that the reader will be interested in the medical estimate of the plan of recovery describedi nt his book. A bunch of people contributed to it so collectively, the author can be cited as alcoholics anonymous.
We, of alcoholics anonymous, are more than one hundred men and women who have recovered from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body. We demand that the chapter the doctors opinion of the big book. Convincing testimony must surely come from medical men who have had experience with the sufferings of our members and have witnessed our return to health. This was the version of the big book distributed to friends and colleagues of aas founders before the first edition was printed. He is believed to have been the first roman catholic priest to enter alcoholics anonymous aa.
When we begin to drink we develop a craving for more alcohol that is beyond our ability to control. Many alcoholics find personal fulfillment within a traditional religious belief system. This book is used to teach men and women how to recover from alcoholism. Provided to youtube by cdbaby the doctor s opinion alcoholics anonymous alcoholics anonymous. I would suggest that you crack open the big book youve said that you have an electronic copy of it, so thats good and start with the doctor s opinion. Alcoholics anonymous and is called the big book the organization i picked uses the book alcoholics anonymous and is also called the big book. You may rely absolutely on anything they say about themselves. The doctors opinion on alcoholism november 2011 youtube. There is also some brief writing by bill wilson, the founder of alcoholics anonymous. In the doctor s opinion, section of the book, alcoholics anonymous, you will read of several different types of alcoholics. The book alcoholics anonymous offers a path of recovery which extends beyond any requirement to conform to traditional religious ideas or practices.
A n o n y m o u s this is a reproduction of the 1938 original manuscript of alcoholics anonymous. Background on the doctor s opinion the letter by dr silkworth that opens the big book of alcoholics anonymous was written july 27, 1938 under the letterhead of the charles b towns hospital a medical facility with a national reputation in alcohol and drug addiction treatment. Home read the big book and twelve steps and twelve traditions alcoholics anonymous alcoholics anonymous this is the fourth edition of the big book, the basic text for alcoholics anonymous. Its faithbased 12step program dominates treatment in the united states. Silkworths rx for sobriety slips and human nature dr. The 164 and more book, ebook, and web site are all concordances which display passages from the big book alcoholics anonymous, the twelve steps and twelve. An explanation of addictive illness found in the big book of alcoholics anonymous.
Chapter four is a history of the oxford group and the twelve steps. Aa articles aa speakers the purpose of this study guide is to enable the student to better understand the information the authors of the book, alcoholics anonymous, intended to impart to each of us based on their experience and knowledge of alcoholism and their program of recovery. You can search the alcoholics anonymous big book for phrases, key words, etc. The book has many stories that were written by people who were alcoholics and have since had a lifetime change.
The doctors opinion gives us a rational basis from which to begin our examination of the problem of alcoholism. But researchers have debunked central tenets of aa doctrine and found dozens of. The author indicates that there are so many different types of alcoholics that he will not list them all. What is the doctors opinion from the alcoholics big book. Silkworth to expand on it in the doctor s opinion for the book alcoholics anonymous, dr. Mann would soon befriend the book s author, aa cocreator wilson, and she began attending aa meetings in 1939. Youve probably read it before, but im going to suggest that you read it again, slowly and carefully, and aloud to yourself.