How do medicine and religion differ in their
approach to the alcoholic?
Answer
They differ in one respect.
When the doctor has shown the alcoholic the
underlying difficulties and has prescribed a program
of readjustment, he says to him, "Now that you
understand what is required for recovery, you should
no longer depend on me. You must depend on yourself.
You go do it."
Clearly, then, the objective of the doctor is to
make the patient self-sufficient and largely, if not
wholly, dependent upon himself.
Religion does not attempt this. It says that faith
in self is not enough, even for a non-alcoholic. The
clergyman says that we shall have to find and depend
upon a Higher Power - God. He advises prayer and
frankly recommends an attitude of unwavering
reliance upon Him who presides over all. By this
means we discover strength much beyond our own
resources.
So, the main difference seems to add up to this:
Medicine says, know yourself, be strong and you will
be able to face life. Religion says, know thyself,
ask God for power, and you will become truly free.
In
Alcoholics Anonymous the new person may try either
method. He sometimes eliminates "the spiritual
angle" from the Twelve Steps to recovery and wholly
relies upon honesty, tolerance and working with
others. But it is interesting to note that faith
always comes to those who try this simple approach
with an open mind - and in the meantime they stay
sober.
If, however, the spiritual content of the Twelve
Steps is actively denied, they can seldom remain
dry. That is our A.A. experience. We stress the
spiritual simply because thousands of us have found
we can't do without it. (N.Y. State 3. Med., Vol.
44, Aug. 15, 1944)
