The Foundation of Recovery: A Tribute to Dr. John part 5 of 5

Sure.

I'll try.

Uh-

Uh-You know, at the last, uh, episode, uh, we talked about what are you really powerless over? Uh, and, and I can't emphasize enough in my opinion that believing, never mind about thinking and theorizing and talking, but believing in your gut that you're screwed-

Mm-hmm

... that you're powerless, is essential.

Uh, if I didn't believe that I'm powerless, uh, that I'm sick, that I, I can't make myself well, I'm not gonna thoroughly follow the path.

Now the question is what is it I'm powerless over? Uh, powerless over alcohol is the admission ticket, and you'll notice the word alcohol shows up only once in the 12 steps.

Hmm.

The admission ticket, you know? Um, and bad behavior, character defects is not really what I'm powerless over.

I'm powerless over my alcoholism.

What do I mean by that? Now, I don't have a scientific explanation.

I can only share with you metaphors that I've picked up over the years, and none of these are original.

Well, maybe I made up a few of them, but-

[laughs]

...

I pretty much stole them at meetings.

And the, the first way I, I came...

I was born scared, okay?

Hmm.

When I first started to try to convey in words what I meant by the ism of alcoholism, and by the way, I think the ism is the core issue that underlies any addiction regardless of the object of addiction, whether it's alcoholism or sexoholism or foodoholism or whatever the, the object of addiction, I think the ism is the core issue.

Mm-hmm.

What is this ism? Uh, I, I don't think it's a chemical imbalance in the brain.

If it was, I'd go see my good friend Dr., uh, Hill and-

Pill thrower

Sure.

I'll try.

Uh-

Uh-You know, at the last, uh, episode, uh, we talked about what are you really powerless over? Uh, and, and I can't emphasize enough in my opinion that believing, never mind about thinking and theorizing and talking, but believing in your gut that you're screwed-

Mm-hmm

... that you're powerless, is essential.

Uh, if I didn't believe that I'm powerless, uh, that I'm sick, that I, I can't make myself well, I'm not gonna thoroughly follow the path.

Now the question is what is it I'm powerless over? Uh, powerless over alcohol is the admission ticket, and you'll notice the word alcohol shows up only once in the 12 steps.

Hmm.

The admission ticket, you know? Um, and bad behavior, character defects is not really what I'm powerless over.

I'm powerless over my alcoholism.

What do I mean by that? Now, I don't have a scientific explanation.

I can only share with you metaphors that I've picked up over the years, and none of these are original.

Well, maybe I made up a few of them, but-

[laughs]

...

I pretty much stole them at meetings.

And the, the first way I, I came...

I was born scared, okay?

Hmm.

When I first started to try to convey in words what I meant by the ism of alcoholism, and by the way, I think the ism is the core issue that underlies any addiction regardless of the object of addiction, whether it's alcoholism or sexoholism or foodoholism or whatever the, the object of addiction, I think the ism is the core issue.

Mm-hmm.

What is this ism? Uh, I, I don't think it's a chemical imbalance in the brain.

If it was, I'd go see my good friend Dr., uh, Hill and-

Pill thrower