The 82 "Musts" Found In

Alcoholics Anonymous 3rd. Edition.

 

 

THE DOCTOR'S OPINION

1. As part of his rehabilitation he commenced to present conceptions to other alcoholics, impressing on them that they must do likewise with still others. (p. xxiii)

2. In this statement he confirms what we who have suffered alcoholic torture must believe -- that the body of the alcoholic is quite as abnormal as his mind. (p. xxiv)

3. The message, which can interest and hold these alcoholic people must have depth and weight. (p. xxvi)

4. In nearly all cases, their ideals must be grounded in a power greater then themselves, if they are to re-create their lives. (p.xxvi)

5. I must stop, but I cannot! (p. xxvii)

6. You must help me! (p. xxvii)

7. Faced with this problem, if a doctor is honest with himself, he must sometimes feel his own inadequacy. (p. xxvii)

8. Though the aggregate of recoveries resulting from psychiatric effort is considerable, we physicians must admit we have made little impression upon the problem as a whole. (p. xxvii)

 

CHAPTER 1, BILL'S STORY

 

9. I could almost hear the sound of the preacher's voice as I sat, on still Sundays, way over there on the hillside; there was that proffered temperance pledge I never signed; my grandfather's good natured contempt of some church folk and their doings; his insistence that the spheres really had their own music; but his denial of the preacher's right to tell him how he must listen; his fearlessness as he spoke of these things just before he died; these recollections welled up from the past. (p. 10)

10. I must turn in all things to the Father of Light who presides over us all. (p. 14)

 

CHAPTER 2, THERE IS A SOLUTION

 

11. "His will power must be weak." (p. 20)

12. Our hope is that many alcoholic men and women, desperately in need will see these pages, and we believe that it is only by fully disclosing ourselves and our problems that they will be persuaded to say, "Yes I am one of them too; I must have this thing." (p. 29)

 

CHAPTER 3, MORE ABOUT ALCOHOLISM

 

13. 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. (p. 33)

14. His defense must come from a Higher Power. (p. 43)

 

CHAPTER 4, WE AGNOSTICS

 

15. But after a while we had to face the fact that we must find a spiritual basis of life -- or else. (p. 44)

 

CHAPTER 5, HOW IT WORKS

 

16. Above everything, we alcoholics must be rid of this selfishness. (p. 62)

17. We must, or it kills us! (p. 62)

18. We saw that these resentments must be mastered, but how? (p. 66)

19. Whatever our ideal turns out to be, we must be willing to grow toward it. (p. 69)

20. We must be willing to make amends where we have done harm, provided that we do not bring about still more harm in so doing. (p. 69)

 

CHAPTER 6, INTO ACTION

 

21. We must be entirely honest with somebody if we expect to live long or happily in this world. (p. 73)

22. Those of us who belong to a religious denomination, which requires confession must, and of course, will want to go to the properly appointed authority whose duty is to receive it. (p. 74)

23. The rule is we must be hard on ourselves, but always considerate of others. (p. 74)

24. But we must not use this as a mere excuse to postpone. (p. 75)

25. We must lose our fear of creditors no matter how far we have to go, for we are liable to drink if we are afraid to face them. (p. 78)

26. We must not shrink at anything. (p. 79)

27. If we obtained permission, have consulted with others, asked God to help and the drastic step is indicated we must not shrink. (p.80)

28. In fairness we must say that she may understand, but what are we going to do about a thing like that? (p. 81)

29. Certainly he must keep sober, for there will be no home if he doesn't. (p. 82)

30. We must take the lead. (p. 83)

31. We must remember that ten or twenty years of drunkenness would make a skeptic out of anyone. (p. 83)

32. Every day is a day when we must carry the vision of God's will

into all of our activities. (p. 85)

33. These are the thoughts, which must go with us constantly. (p. 85)

34. But we must go further and that means more action. (p. 85)

35. But we must be careful not to drift into worry, remorse or morbid reflection, for that would diminish our usefulness to others. (p. 86)

 

CHAPTER 7, WORKING WITH OTHERS

 

36. To watch people recover, to see them help others, to watch

loneliness vanish, to see a fellowship grow up about you, to have a host of friends -- this is an experience you must not miss. (p. 89)

37. The family must decide these things. (p. 90)

38. To be vital faith must be accompanied by self-sacrifice and unselfish, constructive action. (p. 93)

39. After doing that, he must decide for himself whether he wants to go on. (p. 95)

40. If he is to find God, the desire must come from within him. (p. 95)

41. In many homes this is a difficult thing to do, but it must be done if any results are to be expected. (p. 99

42. But we must try to repair the damage immediately lest we pay the penalty by a spree. (p. 99

43. If their old relationship is to be resumed it must be on a better basis, since the former did not work. (p. 99)

44. Both you and the new man must walk day by day in the path of spiritual progress. (p. 100)

45. People have said we must not go where liquor is served; [continued] (p.101)

46. we must not have it in our homes; [continued] (p. 101)

47. we must shun our friends who drink; [continued] (p. 101)

48. we must avoid moving pictures which show drinking scenes; [continued] (p. 101)

49. we must not go into bars; [continued] (p. 101)

50. our friends must hide their bottles if we go to their houses; [continued] (p. 101)

51. we mustn't think or be reminded about alcohol at all. (p. 101)

 

CHAPTER 8, TO WIVES

 

52. Our next thought is that you should never tell him what he must do about his drinking. (p. 111)

53. Wait until repeated stumbling convinces him he must act, for the more you hurry him the longer his recovery will be delayed. (p. 113)

54. But sometimes you must start life anew. (p. 114)

55. But you must be on guard not to embarrass of harm your husband. (p. 115)

56. You will no longer be self-conscious or feel that you must apologize as though your husband were a weak character. (p. 115)

57. Often you must carry the burden of avoiding them or keeping them under control. (p. 117)

58. Yet you must expect too much. (p. 118)

59. Your husband will see at once that he must redouble his spiritual activities if he expects to survive. (p. 120)

 

CHAPTER 9, THE FAMILY AFTERWARD

 

60. The family must realize that dad, though marvelously improved, is still convalescing. (p. 127)

61. But he must see the danger of over-concentration on financial success. (p. 127)

62. We know there are difficult wives and families, but the man who is getting over alcoholism must remember he did much to make them so. (p. 127)

63. That is where our fellow travelers are, and that is where our work must be done. (p. 130)

64. The others must be convinced of his new status beyond the shadow of a doubt. (p. 135)

 

CHAPTER 10, TO EMPLOYERS

 

65. State that you know about his drinking, and that it must stop. (p. 141)

66. Though you are providing him with the best possible medical attention, he should understand that he must undergo a change of heart. (p. 143)

67. When a man is presented with this volume it is best that no one tell him he must abide by its suggestions. (p. 144)

68. The man must decide for himself. (p. 144)

69. For he knows he must be honest if he would live at all. (p. 146)

 

CHAPTER 11, A VISION FOR YOU

 

70. "...I know I must get along without liquor, but how can I?..." (p. 152)

71. They will approach still other sick ones and fellowships of Alcoholics Anonymous may spring up in each city and Hamlet, havens for those who must find a way out. (p. 153)

72. There must be many such in this town. (p. 154)

73. Both saw that they must keep spiritually active. (p. 156)

74. Though they knew they must help other alcoholics if they would remain sober, that motive became secondary. (p. 159)

75. God will determine that, so you must remember that your real reliance is always upon Him. (p. 164)

 

APPENDIX I, THE A.A. TRADITION

 

76. We alcoholics see that we must work together and hang together, else most of us will finally die alone. (p. 563)

 

THE TWELVE TRADITIONS (LONG FORM)

 

77. A.A. must continue to live or most of us will surely die. (p. 565)

 

APPENDIX II, SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE

 

78. Yet it is true that our first printing gave many readers the impression that these personality changes, or religious experiences, must be in the nature of sudden and spectacular upheavals. (p. 569)

79. Though it was not our intention to create such an impression alcoholics have nevertheless concluded that in order to recover they must acquire an immediate and overwhelming "God consciousness" followed at once by a vast change in feeling and outlook. (p. 569)

 

APPENDIX III...THE MEDICAL VIEW ON A.A.

 

80. "...I think our profession must take appreciative cognizance of this great therapeutic weapon. (p. 571)

81. Any therapeutic or philosophic procedure which can prove a recovery rate of 50% to 60% must merit our consideration." (p. 571)

82. They know that they must never drink. (p. 572)

 









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