“At a certain point in the drinking of every alcoholic, he passes into a state where the most powerful desire to stop drinking is of absolutely no avail.” (Chapter 2, Big Book)
“If we are planning to stop drinking, there must be no reservation of any kind, nor any lurking notion that someday we will be immune to alcohol.” (Chapter 3, ibid.)
“But the actual or potential alcoholic, with hardly an exception, will be absolutely unable to stop drinking on the basis of self-knowledge.” (Chapter 3, ibid.)
“The story he told is most instructive, for here was a chap absolutely convinced he had to stop drinking, who had no excuse for drinking, who exhibited splendid judgment and determination in all his other concerns, yet was flat on his back nevertheless.” (Chapter 3, ibid.)
“If he does not want to stop drinking, don’t waste time trying to persuade him.” (Chapter 7, ibid.)
“Some of us have taken very hard knocks to learn this truth: Job or no job—wife or no wife—we simply do not stop drinking so long as we place dependence upon other people ahead of dependence on God.” (Chapter 7, ibid.)
“It may convince your husband he wants to stop drinking forever.” (Chapter 8, ibid.)
“Will he take every necessary step, submit to anything to get well, to stop drinking forever?” (Chapter 10, ibid.)
“‘Look here, Ed. Do you want to stop drinking or not? You put me on the spot every time you get drunk. It isn’t fair to me or the firm. I have been learning something about alcoholism. If you are an alcoholic, you are a mighty sick man. You act like one. The firm wants to help you get over it, and if you are interested, there is a way out. If you take it, your past will be forgotten and the fact that you went away for treatment will not be mentioned. But if you cannot or will not stop drinking, I think you ought to resign.’” (Chapter 10, ibid.)
“He proved to be a devil-may-care young fellow whose parents could not make out whether he wanted to stop drinking or not.” (Chapter 11, ibid.)
Sometimes the language in the Big Book is not entirely helpful. There are many references to stopping drinking in the basic text. However, the phrase ‘stop drinking’ and therefore the phrase ‘inability to stop drinking’ (or variations thereof) have four distinct possible meanings:
(1) Being unable to stop a drinking bout midstream due to the physical craving
(2) Being unable to end a period of drinking due to lack of
desire / willingness
(3) Being unable to end a period of drinking due to physical
dependence (seizures occur; medical help required)
(4) Being able to drop drinking physically but inevitably
starting again
Alcoholics necessarily have (1) and (4). (2) and (3) may or may not be present.
When the Big Book talks about stopping drinking, it’s really talking about the sense (4): not starting again once physical sobriety has been achieved (so a combination of (2) and (4)).
I certainly could not stop a drinking bout midstream (1).
For longer periods I simply did not want to stop (2).
When I did want to stop, I could stop without medical help,
as I did not have seizures, although I was very ill (3).
When I did this, I always started again (4).