I haven't found it necessary to take a drink since. . . "what's up with that?" by tat2guru

O.K. so, things still irk me. I used to say this when I introduced myself at a meeting- "my name is John and I haven't found it necessary to take adrink since (whenever)". I didn't mind it then but I mind that statement now, why?

I will tell you this, when I made that statement with my introduction, when I said "I haven't found it necessary to take a drink since (whenever)", what that did was make me feel SUPERIOR to others in the the room.

You can't come to this conclusion without deep and effective prayer and meditation followed by SINCERE self-examination. That's not a common way to introduce yourself at a meeting AND I often wondered where it started?

Why is saying something like that so out of place?

First, if you believe in the "disease concept" of alcoholism, the statement "didn't find it necessary to take a drink" doesn't fit in or apply.

Let's investigate this a little further. From the Chapter "There is a Solution" - page 18 in the A.A. Big Book;

"An illness of sort--and we have come to believe it an illness--involves those about us in a way no other human sickness can. If a person has cancer all are sorry for him and no one is angry or hurt." end quote.


FIRST, please put out of your mind any idea that I am looking for sympathy because I have this illness.

Second, let's address this comparison then to cancer as the Big Book makes its point.


Anyone who truelly understands the disease of cancer AND anyone who has in fact gone through the agony of suffering and the pains of cancer recovery will understand this - a person who has experienced that process would be NOT be so COCKY to say "I have not found it necessary to have cancer since (whenever)." What does this statement imply then?

( WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU SAYING TO THE PERSON IN THE AUDIENCE WHO IS STILL SUFFERING? )

What is an illness anyway?

An illness is a sickness.

If you are alcoholic and CLAIM to not be sick anymore, why are you shoving it in our faces by saying "I haven't found it necessary to be sick since (whenever)."

What is a sickness? It's a disease.

What is a disease?

It's an unhealthy condition. It's a disordered or bad condition of the mind, morals, public affairs etc. A malady, an ailment.

So, you may not have taken a drink since (whenever) but why is that so important to announce it to the world?

What about your state of mind since whenever? The disease part of disordered or bad condition of the mind, morals, public affairs etc. A malady, an ailment.


Can you say "I have not found it necessary to be disordered in my mind, my morals and public affairs since (whenever)?"

I'll answer that for you - HELL NO- you can't say it!

Hey, death is necessary, have you also found it NOT necessary to die?

We don't need the wood but could you please get OFF THE CROSS now anyway.