Alcoholics, Drug Addicts, and Long-Term Poverty: I Alcoholics and Drug Addicts

This first essay deals with alcoholism and briefly touches on drug addiction. The second essay will discuss commonalities and similar roots of these afflictions and long-term poverty and suggest possible solutions for some of the people trapped in long-term poverty.

Brief History of Alcoholics Anonymous

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) was the result of a long association of two alcoholics Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith. In the AA tradition they were called Bill W. and Dr. Bob. Dr. Bob had his last drink on June 10, 1935 and it is considered by AA members as the founding date. Wilson wrote Alcoholics Anonymous (known as the Big Book by members). It contained the famous 12 Step Program for alcoholics to follow in recovering and the 12 Traditions used to govern AA. Please read a history of AA here.

Following are the 12 Steps of AA and the 12 AA Traditions. Please read these, as they are very powerful and will have a permanent influence on the serious reader.

Alcoholics Anonymous 12 step program

THE TWELVE STEPS OF ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS

1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these Steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

Copyright _ A.A. World Services, Inc.
Rev.5/9/02 source.

THE TWELVE TRADITIONS OF ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS
(SHORT FORM)
1. Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon A.A. unity.
2. For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority—a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern.
3. The only requirement for A.A. membership is a desire to stop drinking.
4. Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or A.A. as a whole.
5. Each group has but one primary purpose—to carry its message to the alcoholic who still suffers.
6. An A.A. group ought never endorse, finance, or lend the A.A. name to any related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property, and prestige divert us from our primary purpose.
7. Every A.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.
8. Alcoholics Anonymous should remain forever nonprofessional, but our service centers may employ special workers.
9. A.A., as such, ought never be organized; but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve.
10. Alcoholics Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the A.A. name ought never be drawn into public controversy.
11. Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio, and films.
12. Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our Traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities.

Copyright _ A.A. World Services, Inc. Rev.5/9/02 source

Principles of the AA 12 Step Program in Other Areas

Twelve-step methods have been adopted to address a wide range of substance abuse and dependency problems. Over 200 self-help organizations–often known as fellowships–with a worldwide membership of millions, now employ twelve-step principles for recovery. Narcotics Anonymous was formed by addicts who did not relate to the specifics of alcohol dependency.[3] Similar demographic preferences related to the addicts' drug of choice has led to the creation of Cocaine Anonymous, Crystal Meth Anonymous and Marijuana Anonymous. Behavioral issues such as compulsion for, and/or addiction to, gambling, food, sex, hoarding, debting and work are addressed in fellowships such as Gamblers Anonymous, Overeaters Anonymous, Sexual Compulsives Anonymous, Clutterers Anonymous, Debtors Anonymous and Workaholics Anonymous. Auxiliary groups such as Al-Anon and Nar-Anon, for friends and family members of alcoholics and addicts, respectively, are part of a response to treating addiction as a disease that is enabled by family systems. source.

Arguments for and Against Legalizing Illegal Drug Use

Many people argue that by legalizing illegal drug use, more addicts would have safe drugs, the government could control the supply and quality of drugs, and the government could tax the drugs to raise additional revenue. They also argue that by legalizing illegal drugs the dealers and pusher criminals’ profits would disappear and thus crime would be reduced. Furthermore, drug addicts wouldn’t engage in as much burglary, theft, robbery, prostitution, and murder, so there would be additional reductions in crime. Most people would favor safer drugs and less crime. Fewer might support additional taxes to pay for the drugs and the drug addicts. Other than alcohol, there are few quantitative studies on the legalization of drugs in America.

Others argue that illegal drugs are dangerous, harmful, and it is morally wrong for society to legalize drugs and profit from the misery and wasted lives of millions. They also argue that the government shouldn’t establish or raise any more taxes. Furthermore, whether the legalized drugs were distributed by the government or tax free organizations living off government subsidies and grants, the taxpayer would still be stuck for almost all of the costs. The most powerful argument the anti-legalization side uses is the example of legalizing alcohol. They point to the millions of deaths, wasted lives, accidents, children born with birth defects from legal alcohol, and other human tragedies and tax payer supported costs. source.


Commonalities of Addictions

As discussed above there are a great number of commonalities between alcoholics and drug addicts. Therefore, we should support and encourage similar organizations and treatment methods that have been shown to work. As will be shown in the second post, this means abandoning the model of government run entitlements and shifting to private charity-driven organizations and solutions. Key to success will be the acceptance of long-term welfare by able bodied people to be a sin, parasitism, and that sin can be overcome just as other addictions are.

Personal disclosure by the author

I have recovered, via the method of “going cold turkey” from alcohol and tobacco addictions. This method works for some, but is far less successful than methods such as those of AA. I have also brought my way out of poverty through recognition of personal responsibility and shame, via hard work and continuing education through the post graduate level. This is not bragging. These words here are the first time I have publically acknowledged my background of addictions and poverty. I have always been ashamed of these things and always will be.

However, there are some things in which I take great pride. First is the personal recognition that I alone was responsible for overcoming my poverty, although I couldn’t have succeeded without an understanding and steadfastly loyal and helpful wife. We did it together. Second was the recognition of the harm of alcohol and tobacco and the evil of my indulgence in them. The recognition and my ability to overcome these sins renewed my faith in God. Third is the fact that in spite of hard times, I never accepted charity or welfare. No unemployment, food stamps, or any other welfare.

These admissions are not meant to be confessions (those happened in private) but as a demonstration of experiences in these areas; experiences that enable me to offer some possible solutions in the next essay.