... he then encounters what I believe is A.A.’s second unique factor: A.A. treats the symptom first. It may come as a surprise to some that, from a short 30 years ago, when the idea was fairly revolutionary, Alcoholics Anonymous has consistently emphasized its conviction that alcoholism is, to use its own phrase, “the symptom of deeper troubles.” However, A.A. also believes that the cleverest diagnosis of these troubles is of little benefit if the patient dies. Autopsies do not benefit the person upon whom they are performed. Sometimes sooner, sometimes later, A.A. seems to be able to get over to its neophytes that total abstinence is the name of the game. In A.A., the cart does come before the horse. The first step is still the First Step. No newcomer to A.A. is ever left in any real doubt that recovery can begin only with a decision to “stay away from the first drink.” And he soon learns that no one can or will make that decision for him. In fact, he soon further learns that if he makes the decision, no one can or will force him to implement it. In A.A., the choice begins and always remains with the alcoholic himself.
A Member's Eye View of Alcoholics Anonymous
The idea is familiar that, to have a chance of recovery, we need to be sober first and remain so.
Most of us have extremely pressing psychological problems, too. The mind produces terrifying and aggressive garbage, and we are thoroughly poisoned.
Before any therapeutic measures are of benefit, the mind must be cleared also of that poison; if not entirely cleared, then at least the constant toxic deluge must be staunched.
Hence AA's regular encouragement to get out of oneself, to do a gratitude list, to help someone, to let go, to do something else: anything but think about oneself.
This is often criticised as 'avoiding the problem', encouraging denial, or brushing it under the carpet.
However, just as when an alcoholic cannot much do an adequate inventory sitting at the pub drinking a gallon of Guinness, a recovering alcoholic cannot much take psychological or spiritual stock whilst writhing in the bitter morass of self-pity and morbid reflection so familiar to many of us.
No, we need to get sober first, both physically and mentally, before we can get down to the underlying causes. We need a physical and mental detox, whether we are sober days, weeks, months, or years.