After Jim's slip: "on each of these occasions, we worked with him, reviewing carefully what had happened." (35:3, 'Alcoholics Anonymous')
Vs 'Questions & Answers on Sponsorship"
"In order to make the return truly a new beginning, it may be wise at this point to avoid post-mortems on the reasons for the slip. Instead, the sponsor can help guide the newcomer back to the simplicity of the First Step and the prime importance of staying away from the first drink just for the day at hand.
Later, the newcomer may want to check the kind of thinking that possibly led to the slip in order to guard against its recurrence."
I'm more with the writers of the Big Book on this one.
People drink again because they still have an alcoholic mind. ("We meet these conditions every day. An alcoholic who cannot meet them, still has an alcoholic mind," 101:1).
This must be examined, or the individual will not (a) understand why he drank again and (b) take the actions necessary to bring about the psychic change vital to permanent recovery.
The simplicity of the First Step is this: as I currently am, I WILL drink again, whether I want to or not, and, once I start, I may never stop. Suggesting that this be coupled with 'the prime importance of staying away from the first drink' is frankly idiotic.
Essentially, the pamphlet is saying we suggest to the newcomer: "it is vital you do not have a drink ... but you are powerless over alcohol, so you are going to! Have a nice day!" and leaving it at that.
Nonsensically, the pamphlet suggests that newcomers are able to guard themselves against drinking. I was not able to. That is the whole point of Step One—the inability to guard oneself against it.
No.
The slip must be subjected to a post-mortem whilst the memory of the pre-slip thinking is still fresh, to help the individual diagnose himself as the alcoholic of the doomed variety ... doomed, that is, unless he has a spiritual awakening. Only then will he take the necessary actions.
If the person drank, he had not surrendered totally to this programme. It is only by creating the conditions in which the individual can and will surrender (and a full knowledge of the hopelessness of his condition is one such condition) that we can hope to be of service to AA members who are relapsing.