While the internal difficulties of our adolescent period were being ironed out, public acceptance of A.A. grew by leaps and bounds. For this there were two principal reasons: the large numbers of recoveries, and reunited homes. These made their impressions everywhere. Of alcoholics who came to A.A. and really tried, 50% got sober at once and remained that way; 25% sobered up after some relapses, and among the remainder, those who stayed on with A.A. showed improvement. Other thousands came to a few A.A. meetings and at first decided they didn’t want the program. But great numbers of these—about two out of three—began to return as time passed.
- My observation over my time in AA is that of those who really try, pretty much everyone gets sober at once and the rest get sober eventually
- The important qualification is 'and really tried'
- What is really trying? Here are the elements:
- Having a home group and making close connections there
- Having a sponsor
- Practising the first nine Steps to clear up the past
- Practising the last three Steps on a daily basis
- Sponsoring others
- Engaging in service