Americ-Holics Anonymous: How Addicted Are We as a Society?

By Will King

How does society influence and mold us? Is our social moral fabric nothing more than a thin curtain of denial behind which we are actually promoting drugs and alcohol to ourselves? Or is addiction an odd peculiarity within an otherwise moral and sane culture?

Could society itself be, in its fundamental nature, addictive? If our Western, American, Judeo-Christian society were a person, could it be medically diagnosed as an addict? Leaving the question of individual addiction aside, are we all living in an overall collective addictive environment? If the whole of society could, like a patient, be taken to the doctor’s office, what symptoms might be observed? If we could put the entirety of western civilization on the psychiatrist’s couch as one large collective patient, might it result in a diagnosis of addiction?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jan 27, 2021
• ISBN: 9781664154254

Will King

Will King is a pastor who lives in the Florida Keys. His spiritual ministry welcomes everyone. For over 35 years he has helped alcoholics and addicts awaken to recovery. The secret is understanding the distinction between energetic spirituality and the synthetic intellect. This is the keystone to building a happy, and more importantly, a powerful life. Opening our hearts to God is as simple as becoming joyous. We bring our happiness and love to the alter, and in return God blesses us with His power. To paraphrase the song, perhaps love really does make the world go round. Love is more than a nice feeling. It may be the greatest force of all.

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Copyright © 2021 by Will King.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted

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Rev. date: 01/27/2021

Xlibris

844-714-8691

www.Xlibris.com

824423

In loving memory

of

Shirley Kamler

for her encouragement and support.

Special thanks

to

Jim McLaughlin

for his much appreciated and expert help.

CONTENTS

Preface

Chapter 1   Our Society

Chapter 2   The Intellect

Chapter 3   Society and Addiction

Chapter 4   Symptoms Of Addiction

Chapter 5   Instincts—Direct Connection to God

Chapter 6   The Solution

Chapter 7   A Spiritual Inventory

Chapter 8   Generating the Love-Based List

Chapter 9   The Spiritual Switch

Conclusion

Acknowledgments

PREFACE

Moderate drinking and doctor-prescribed medications are socially, legally, and morally acceptable. Such activities are seen by most as right and good. Most people enjoy cocktails or follow physician-directed medical treatment and live healthy, happy, normal lives.

On the other hand, there are those who neither drink nor use recreational drugs to any extent. There are also those who are blessed with such healthy physical and mental conditions so as not to need mood-altering prescribed medications. There are religions that do not tolerate alcohol and drugs, as well as individuals who simply choose not to drink or use drugs. And then, of course, there are sober alcoholics and drug addicts in recovery.

This little book addresses itself to these drug-free and sober individuals. It is intended for people who are substance free. These are people who either have chosen to be so or have sufficiently debilitating problems with alcoholism or drug addiction. Those enjoying life well enough and are productive while drinking or using drugs are not the focus of this writing. This book is intended to be neither pastor nor police. The desire is not to proselytize or to preach. It is not to moralize, be temperance crusaders or skirmish with religion. The aim is to undertake a neutral position with regard to these things. As much as possible, the purpose is to merely view the landscape of alcohol, substances, and drugs in relation to society. It is to present observations rather than opinions. It is hoped that the reader will draw his or her own conclusions.

Most predominantly, this book is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical care, nor should anything within these pages be regarded as dissuasion from consulting doctors or medical providers. Individuals diagnosed with conditions indicating medications should regard the doctor as fully in charge. It is important that patients exactly follow directions provided by doctors or licensed medical professionals. These professionals make the decisions as to taking or not taking medications. Do exactly as a doctor advises while under his or her care. Nothing in this book is intended to be construed as medical advice. Nothing but medical care should be considered medical care.

The Invisible Line

The line between addiction and nonaddiction is invisible, and the approach to that line is progressive. It can be regarded as a grace period. Depending on the substance, there is a longer or shorter period during which the user can get away with it. Then there comes an indeterminate time when the user, or sometimes drinker, crosses an invisible line and becomes addicted. In recent years, medical science has begun providing symptomatic parameters for diagnosing substance addiction. Traditionally, addicts and alcoholics come to develop acceptance of their addiction within their own decision-making process. Outside intervention-type events can set the addict or alcoholic on a path to recovery. But ultimately, the decision to accept a condition of addiction or alcoholism is personal.

Coming to believe in the truth of an addiction problem is as progressive as the process of becoming an addict or alcoholic in the first place. Self-acceptance in this regard is generally a process of weighing behavioral and emotional evidence against the established experience of sober alcoholics and addicts. It often takes the form of understanding that some certain line has been crossed. Only then do addicts or alcoholics come to realize that they have fallen into a state of addiction. The realization, or admission of alcoholism or addiction, is manifested as either a behavioral change or a health crisis. Such things as a drunken automobile crash can lead to a decision to recover or at least initiate a decision-making process.

Those who have no issue with substances might wish to simply consider the nature of society so as to observe the exact extent to which it is geared to promoting alcohol and drug use. Perhaps, for example, parents might wish to understand how children are affected by societal influences outside the home with regard to substances and substance abuse.

Anonymity

The many anonymous twelve-step recovery programs have much in common. At the same time, they are tailored to the specific needs of the various groups whether they be alcoholics, drug addicts, gamblers, overeaters, or friends and family of alcoholics and addicts. All such groups operate anonymously. In other words, they exist apart from the outside world.

Founded in 1935, the first twelve-step recovery fellowship was Alcoholics Anonymous. These early recovering alcoholics adopted the principle of anonymity to provide themselves with a shelter of discretion. It should be no surprise that addicts and alcoholics in recovery are intimidated by society. Admission of one’s own alcoholism, or disclosure by others to friends, neighbors, or employers, could lead to social disgrace, ostracism, and potential loss of employment. It was one thing to be a drunk. A good night’s drinking was nothing more than being one of the boys. But admitting to alcoholism was the end of life within a community.

Even today, such an admission is not at the top of the to do list. Historically, women who drank, even small amounts, were more or less branded as fallen women. This class also included prostitutes or other disreputable female types. In theory, real ladies never touched alcohol. So at the very beginning of AA history, women were not welcome at AA meetings. By definition, they could not be alcoholics. Clearly, social norms were not helpful to alcoholics and addicts. Society was seen as threatening enough to necessitate meetings in private and personal references to be kept as anonymous as possible. Members, then as now, refer to one another only by first names. Last name initials are optionally added to distinguish Bob A. from Bob B. More colorfully, people are bestowed handles that precede the first name, such as Motorcycle Bill or English Betty.

The birth of Alcoholics Anonymous was prompted by the need to separate the recovery process from society and, specifically, religion. The founders had become members of a society called the Oxford Group. Founded by Lutheran and Episcopalian ministers, the group was an extension of the Protestant faith. It was an informal church auxiliary group whose outreach offered help in different ways to the community. The Oxford Group was dedicated to societal reform in general. Temperance was only one of many planks in their platform. With few choices at that time, this seemed helpful to alcoholics. The separation occurred when Catholic alcoholics who were seeking help became irritated by the use of the wrong Bible. At the same time, other nonalcoholic members of the Oxford Group found it increasingly more difficult to remain patient with the less than socially acceptable condition and behavior of the growing number of alcoholics joining their ranks.

As conflicts grew, it became obvious in the late 1930s that a new fellowship was needed. Immediately, two basic pillars formed the base. The first foundation principle was singleness of purpose. This was to resolve conflicts within the fellowship among the recovering alcoholics themselves. Alcoholics no longer needed to compete with other nonalcoholic members who were pursuing other agendas. Also, fewer membership requirements meant that more were qualified to join. Thus, anyone of any religion could receive help. This eliminated most conflicts with regard to forming the mission for the group as a whole as well. The new fellowship dealt with alcoholism. It did not take on the greater social issues such as poverty, hunger, and the many outside moral and civic causes to which religious and other groups addressed themselves.

The other initial principle was anonymity. They separated themselves from society and society’s moral stigma connected to alcoholism. To erase the stigma of alcoholism, the founders concluded that alcoholism was an illness, not a moral failing. Today, that idea might include addiction to other substances. They began to see alcoholics as sick people getting well rather than bad people getting good.

These two principles led to a third conclusion. AA needed to separate itself from religion. Since the ultimate answer to alcoholism is spiritual, morality guided by religion was no help. In all likelihood, most alcoholics and drug addicts realize they are bad. If not, then at least they understand that addiction and alcoholism leads, in the end, to bad results. But the simple fact is that exasperated sermons, tears, and pleading are useless. Morality is not the answer. In any case, many alcoholics come from religious experiences featuring angry gods. At best, their answer is to ignore religion or, at worst, to resent it. In the early days of AA, it was found that attacking sick people with moral righteousness only repelled and alienated the very people needing help. This seems to hold true today as well.

So recovery began as a departure from religion and the outside world. Can it be that society, either in part or as a whole, is addictive? Why, even today, is there a need to seek refuge in order to recover? Does society actually provide fuel to power addiction? Is this really why alcoholics and addicts need to remove themselves from religion and society in order to recover? How addictive is our world? How addicted is our society as a whole?

CHAPTER 1

Our Society

In the United States, addicts number in the millions and amount to hundreds of millions around the world. These data are from Addiction Center online:

• 300 million people throughout the world have an alcohol use disorder.

• 2 million Americans will suffer from addiction to opioids, both prescribed and illicit.

• In the United States alone, 21 million Americans have at least one addiction while only 10 percent seek treatment.

• Alcohol and drug addiction cost the US economy over $600 billion a year.

• And more than 90 percent of those