Whose Will?

“Ideas, emotions, and attitudes which were once the guiding forces of the lives of these men are suddenly cast to one side, and a completely new set of conceptions and motives begin to dominate them.” (27:3)

If this is true then it is no wonder the treatment facilities can’t seem to be of much real help to us real alcoholics. It is also no wonder that those of us who have been exposed to the treatment facility methods who finally DO find the solution to our alcoholism are shocked and sometimes upset to learn we have been duped. For all of the supposed support and alignment that the treatment facilities claim to have WITH AA’s Twelve Steps – we find that most of their methods to be in direct conflict with the Program.

As a sponsor I have my work cut out for me in deprogramming these individuals from the non-spiritual tools they have been given to “work on” themselves. They have been taught to be WILLFUL.

Since the do not bring the client through a spiritual awakening – but instead “counsel” to the client a SELF WILLED “Change of behaviors” there is no real inner change. “You need structure”; “You have to change your behaviors.” “You have to change the way you think” is what folks are told.

Then they get sent into sober living houses with heavy disciplines, rules, curfews, and the threat of being “kicked out” if they don’t comply. This “living” as long as they don’t drink” is fine, they are told.

It may not have bars on the windows – but it IS PRISON with the only primary purpose being to “Not drink” through human mandated structure. For many I suppose it is fine. Self-will is this way of the world. And if your will isn’t strong enough – then submit to the will of “the house”. He’ll get a job. He’ll get a girlfriend. He’ll have a clean bed and roof over his head. All looks well on paper – but MAN, isn’t it better to let God discipline us?

Men I work with, who come out of “Addictions counseling” environments, have been hammered with this whole idea that that they “Must change” their behaviors, they must “Work on myself” and they have been told that the only way to do that is to place themselves into new environments with “structure” – in essence; “Fake it till I make it” – like they are some kind of soulless dogs being checked through a training kennel. “Behavior modification” is what it is and it is the direct opposite of what we know works for real alcoholics.

Behavioral modification is part of a larger school of thought known as Applied Behavioral Analysis and was developed out of research performed on rats and pigeons. Yes, that is how they came up with this stuff – by experiencing on rats and pigeons! The resulting theories and applications are now being applied to human beings to influence our behaviors – the same way that we can modify the behaviors of small, non-sentient creatures.

Make no mistake. The folks utilizing these tools ARE the Mind Controllers! When they can get into a person’s mind. they can control their behaviors. Uh…except for real alcoholics who are “beyond human aid”. Now these folks would have you believe that this may have been true back in the day – of Bill and Bob – but NOW they have made great strides and all that letting God crap is no longer the way to go! AA in now antiquated! They didn’t know back then what we know now! No. . . we are all just rats and pigeons and can be controlled similarly. Yeah right.

But alcoholism is not a behavioral problem. This is a simple fact that those who get paid to help folks change human behaviors really cannot afford to let be known. Heavy drinking might be “behavioral” but true alcoholism stems from a spiritual malady which when “fixed“; we straight out mentally and physically.

As a sponsor I have my work cut out for me in deprogramming these individuals from the non-spiritual tools they have been given to “work on” themselves. They have been taught to be WILLFUL. Their brains have been filled with so much crap designed to keep them looking toward the human solution rather that the God solution that it can be a daunting task unless there is enough desperation and realizing of true powerlessness – and true powerlessness is NOT what treatment center client comes away with. They come away with a false security shield of protection emblazoned with “I CAN DO IT” across it’s front that is pierced by the very first blow of the insane obsession to take a drink – unless that obsession has been divinely removed.

There’s a great little duet of lines in the Book that blows all this human will and right out of the water.

“We alcoholics are undisciplined. So we let God discipline us in the simple way we have just outlined.” (88:1)

And the way they have “just outlined” are the FIVE things we do throughout our day in the practice of Step Ten. (If you don’t know them – them you aren’t doing them.)

Back in Step Four we get an inkling of just how “Hands Off” we really let ourselves get in the molding of our own being when dealing with fears. It is then, in this inventory process that we are introduce to the “fear prayer” in which we are reminded to ask God to direct our attention to what He would have us be. – Not what WE would have us be.

The points being made is that we aren’t supposed to be forcing our behaviors into how we think they should be. We are to submit to God and let Him do all the changing FOR US. Anything less that that is still playing God.

We hold onto the old idea that “We must change” because God still seems a “flimsy reed” (28:1) to the fearfully faithless. But a new life has been given us – not “Gotten” by us.

The first lesson for me in turning my life (behaviors) and will (thinking) over to God’s care was to stop TRYING. Then let go and live as though God has the place in the new design for living He had all along.

Peace,

Danny S