Home read the big book and twelve steps and twelve traditions alcoholics anonymous alcoholics anonymous this is the fourth edition of the big book. How it works 63 when we sincerely took such a position, all sorts of remarkable things followed. Bills words from alcoholics anonymous comes of age and the elaboration in the big book about practice and imperfect adherence clearly bring into question many assertions by aa gurus, big book thumpers, leaders of meetings carrying their name, back to basics groups, intergroups, and the like. The big book has given me that comfort and the push to move forward. The big book of alcoholics anonymous including twelve steps and twelve traditions kindle edition by alcoholics anonymous world service inc download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. The big book step study bbss format, based upon an aa meeting format originated in hyannis, mass. This is a fairly comprehensive index to the big book, the basic text of the fellowship of alcoholics anonymous. It requires a level of humility, vulnerability, and diligent and daily spiritual practice to stay on this path. This article will examine the spirituality of surrender as a means of coming home to god 1. It is the basic text of the fellowship of alcoholics anonymous, and has helped large numbers of alcoholic men and women, young and old, recover as of december 2009, 30,664,881 copies of the big book have been sold or otherwise. Chief among these are the discipline of surrender and the virtue of humility. Surrender, vulnerability and connection aa beyond belief. Until that ego was somehow reduced or rendered ineffective, no likelihood of surrender could be anticipated.
And acceptance is the answer to all my problems today. Man, the unknown by alexis carrel published in 1935, this 346 page volume was the turning point in determining what focus the big book should take. Because of the negative association the term took as a result of the experience of alcoholics in the oxford group. The big book of alcoholics anonymous, also referred to as alcoholics anonymous. What are the bedevilments and where are they in the big.
Big book index alcoholics anonymous books, software. Of the twelve steps, step three can be best referred to as the process of surrender. Surrendering to god will be looked at in three ways. Breaking down step three of aa alcoholics anonymous.
Aa serves as proof that it is possible to surrender to a higher power without giving ones individual power away. See our study editionfor a far more comprehensive index in book form. Wilson, one of the founders of alcoholics anonymous aa. Being all powerful, he provided what we needed, if we kept close to him and performed his work well. For a lot of people in recovery, walking into a treatment center or an aa meeting the first time is a major part of working step one. The surrender of ignatius of loyola another way of surrendering ones life to god comes from the spirituality of ignatiuss surrender as expressed in his prayer the suscipe, or take and receive. Quotations from the big book of alcoholics aonoymous. Aa speaker turn our will and our lives over to the care of god new 20 duration. Aa speaker bob d and aa speaker ralph w session 5 of 11 doing a comprehensive and indepth aa big book study. Arranged into sections alphabetically, includes both keyword and subject references. Quotations from the big book quotations came directly from the 3rd edition of the big book of alcoholics anonymous.
Aa the original way 12 step guide aa the original way group. Faq for 164 and more guide to big book, alcoholics anonymous. I have provided a link in a couple of places on this page for your convenience, so you can get to the search page. You may not be able to change some things in your life, but you can make a decision to change your willingness to surrender, trust and seek knowledge. It is my hope that you will find this site useful to you and our friends of bill w. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the big book of alcoholics anonymous including twelve steps and. The admission of powerlessness is a distinctly aa way of practicing certain spiritual principles that are key to recovery.
Aa, still very much in its infancy, was celebrating a. The whytehouse is, i hope, a way to find that special phrase or saying etc. Its words and interpretations are left up to the reader to use as they choose. You cant do anything unless we take the actions necessary to turn it over. But as the big book of alcoholics anonymous says, do not be discouraged. For example, the word surrender does not occur in the a. Since the first edition appeared, in 1939, it has helped millions of men and women recover from alcoholism. The experience of surrender is the gateway to recovery from addiction. Understanding step 3 of the aa twelve steps verywell mind. On his pilgrim journey ignatius was called to surrender on several notable occasions. Powerless over alcohol explained by admitting that they are powerless over alcohol the individual is saying that they are unable to control their intake. It originated the twelvestep program now used widely among addictions outside alcohol.
The book they wrote, alcoholics anonymous the big book, is the basic text for aa on how to stay sober, and it is from the title of this book that the group got its name. The word surrender appears nowhere in our two basic texts, the big book and. The first was during the defense of the city of pamplona, spain. An unofficial alcoholics anonymous podcast featuring aa speaker meetings and workshops. Alcoholics anonymous big book audio read aloud youtube. The big book of alcoholics anonymous aa suggests that we addicts have a double whammy. The first involves an understanding of how surrender is operative in twelvestep recovery programs like alcoholics anonymous. The big book of alcoholics anonymous including twelve. Established on such a footing we became less and less interested in ourselves, our little plans and designs. In the big book and beyond the most obvious difference between the big book of alcoholics anonymous and the twelve steps and twelve traditions are in steps six and seven. Our ego surrenders its will through the pain and suffering of addiction. My 10 favorite lines from the big book of alcoholics.
There is no obligation by any member of the original way group to use this guide. The discipline of surrender practice these principles. Alcoholics anonymousthe big book has served as a lifeline to millions worldwide. No one among us has been able to maintain anything like perfect.
The wisdom from the big book isnt limited to 10 quotes. I have put this information together so as those interested in alcoholics anonymous and its program of recovery may gain some insight into the sources of the big book s insights. Feel free to email any quotes you may have or would like to see added. I have the greatest admiration for all who enter the surrender process of a. For reasons still obscure, the program and the fellowship of aa could cause a surrender, which in turn would lead to a period of no drinking. The big book alcoholics anonymous outlines how it works. The following article is condensed from a transcript of a march 6, 2008 training meeting of the upstate group. Surrender the admission of powerlessness is a distinctly aa way of practicing certain spiritual principles that are key to recovery. There is comfort in knowing you arent alone, that what youre feeling isnt unusual, and that there is a solution. Steps by the big book free sbbb workbook for the 12.
Downloadable group workbook companion to the 12 steps of alcoholics anonymous aa, for adults who desire information on alcoholism and addiction recovery. With publication of the second edition in 1955, the third edition in 1976. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Surrender school you dont have to hurt yourself with. This guide exemplifies, as close as possible, one of the strongest original ways of alcoholics anonymous. We were having trouble with personal relationships.
All you need is a big book and this guide to go through the steps with someone in a way similar to what dr bob, clarence s or bill wilson would have done. The importance of step 1 in alcoholics anonymous is emphasized by the fact that the first quarter of the big book is focused on this first action. When i am disturbed, it is because i find some person, place, thing, or situationsome fact of my life unacceptable to me, and i can find no serenity until i accept that person, place, thing. The big book is alcoholics anonymouss primary text. Alcoholics anonymous alcoholics big book alcohol allergy rehabilitation. The most recent ones are nearest to the top of the page. It asserts that a lifetime of recovery can only be achieved by making the decision to turn over your will to a higher being. The 164 and more book, ebook, and web site are all concordances which display passages from the big book alcoholics anonymous, the twelve steps and twelve traditions, and the a. The first part of the double whammy is an allergy of the body, which is simply an abnormal reaction to a substance. It is the basic text of the fellowship of alcoholics anonymous, and has helped large numbers of alcoholic men and women, young and old, recover as of december 2009, 30,664,881 copies of the big book have been sold or otherwise distributed source aa gso ny.
It was one of the first to suggest that alcoholism was an illness, not a character defect. For some people the road they traveled getting to the first step in aa has been more than enough to convince them that unconditional surrender is the only option for recovery. Breaking down step one of aa alcoholics anonymous jason. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading alcoholics anonymous. Works publishing edit wilson began work on the book, and as financial difficulties were encountered, the first two chapters, bills story and there is a solution. Honesty in big book alcoholics anonymous, 12 steps and 12. This is the fourth edition of the big book, the basic text for alcoholics anonymous. Sorting and rendering passages in the proprietary format of the 164 and more concordance does not in any way imply affiliation with or endorsement by either. These meetings cover a wide range of topics related to willingness to grow along spiritual lines and maintenance of our spiritual condition aa big book, pp. To paraphrase the first step of the aa 12step program, at this moment we experience an acceptance that we lack control and that our life is unmanageable. I surrendered once to the bottle, and i couldnt do these things. If a word is not listed in 164 and more, that particular word does not occur anywhere in the big book alcoholics anonymous pp.
This article will examine the spirituality of surrender as a means of coming home to. Critique of chapter 5 of the big book how it works aa. The story of how many thousands of men and women have recovered from alcoholism, is a collection of texts used by members of the alcoholics anonymous fellowship the book has undergone four revisions since william wilson, also known as bill w. Step three is defined as to make a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of god as we understood him. First printed in 1939 and 1952, respectively, both were principally authored by aa cofounder bill wilson. Acceptance and surrender are popular themes in recovery and now i. To read a pdf version of the fourth edition of alcoholics anonymous click here. First published in 1939, alcoholics anonymous sets forth cornerstone concepts of recovery from alcoholism and tells the stories of men and women who have overcome the disease. Hence, you will not find any passages containing surrender in. Its a daily spiritual practice to live our lives with a god consciousness in all that we do. I didnt connect with the big book of alcoholics anonymous until over a. The story of how many thousands of men and women have recovered from alcoholism generally known as the big book because of the thickness of the paper used in the first edition is a 1939 basic text, describing how to recover from alcoholism, primarily written by william g. Seeking knowledge making a decision to turn our lives and will over.
It became ever more apparent that in everyones psyche there existed an unconquerable ego which bitterly opposed any thought of defeat. Read the big book and twelve steps and twelve traditions. From page 417 of the big book of alcoholics anonymous. Surrender by aa members to a higher power, in fact, consistently leads to expanded, not diminished, responsibility for self and others. In many bbss meetings, only members who have worked the 12 steps according to this structure are permitted to share.