“We think we have done well enough in admitting these things to ourselves. There is doubt about that. In actual practice, we usually find a solitary self-appraisal insufficient. Many of us thought it necessary to go much further. We will be more reconciled to discussing ourselves with another person when we see good reasons why we should do so. The best reason first: If we skip this vital step, we may not overcome drinking.” (Page 72, Big Book)
Why does one need to talk to a sponsor regularly, daily until Step Nine is completed?
Until the person is in the clear, the capacity for self-deception and the regrowth of ego outstrips the individual’s ability to spot these. If they are candid, and the sponsor is paying attention, the sponsor will spot the self-deception and the regrowth of ego before such factors lead to a drink, in sufficient time for something to be done about them.
With time, this need vanishes: the individual becomes and remains self-aware enough and establishes sufficient checks and balances of internal accountability to ensure that problems are spotted. There is a shift to the honours system. Of course, ongoing conversation is still required, but one does not remain a perpetual liability, an imbecile of the first order.
Significant caution is required in early days, but one should not remain infantilely dependent on others as a safety net forever.