Only through his own painful, closely observed experience could bill w. He found that physical sobriety is not enough to ensure mental peace in recovery. Website designed at homestead get a website and list your business. Emotional sobriety involves maintaining autonomy while maintaining togetherness. The next frontier alcoholics anonymous 12 step program 12 steps of aa akron ohio aa new york the big book of aa 2nd edition. Bill ws article in the grapevine recovery farmhouse. Emotional sobriety is what stage ii recovery is all about. In the first six months of my own sobriety, i worked hard with many alcoholics. Emotional sobriety i kindle edition by aa grapevine inc. My former sponsor since moved out of state had a copy and i believe i saw one at the akron a. Bill s most intimate talk, delivered on november 16, 1950, a very sad day for aa. The last page of the last story in the book alcoholics anonymous, 4th. Unpacking bill wilsons 1956 letter on emotional sobriety. They can produce a sense of ease and comfort and contentment.
Erich fromm stated, mature love is union with the preservation of integrity. The top 8 books on addiction and recovery sober nation. On the blog, my word like fire, author unknown, i found this reference to one of bill s lsd sessions with betty eisner. The book pass it on pio 387391 has a fairly full discussion. There must be at least a million stupid things that we can do to mess up recovery all of them selfdestructive. My stability came out of trying to give, not out of demanding that i receive. He bases his work on bill wilson s concepts, outlined in his 1958 aa grapevine article titled the next frontier. In fact, this was the first piece of literature that mentioned the concept of emotional sobriety.
Emotional sobriety ii paperback january 1, 2011 by aa grapevine author 4. Bill wilson was one of the founders of alcoholics anonymous. This book and its companion help define what emotional sobriety is. Berger expands on bill wilson s understanding of emotional sobriety. Bill wilsons letter in this part of the introduction, berger highlights a letter to the aa grapevine in 1958 by bill wilson yes, our bill wilson one of the founding members of aa. It was a letter that he had written to another old timer, mind you, an old timer, and it appeared in the grapevine and it was entitled the next frontier. Allen berger, author of twelve stupid things that mess up recovery as they continue the process of. Despite escaping his addiction and helping to establish aa, bill wilson suffered from bouts of depression. Bill wilson s fight with depression the pamphlet that bill had published on niacin therapy was a collection of articles by several doctors who had done research in the area. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. Bill wilson, emotional sobriety but if were correct that the spiritual malady is the real problem, and drinking, drugs, self. It wasnt a question of those alcoholics giving me anything.
Bill originally wrote about emotional sobriety in a letter he sent to a depressed friend in 1956. But if were correct that the spiritual malady is the real problem, and drinking, drugs, selfpity, self centered fear, demands for. As it turns out, emotional sobriety is bill wilson s fourth legacy. Perhaps they will be the spearhead for the next major development in aa, the development of much more real maturity and balance which is to say, humility in our relations with ourselves. When we are operating under the influence of our emotions verses the influence of our intelligence we are emotionally inebriate. Emotional sobriety unpacking bill wilsons letter part two. In this program, which was recorded live in santa clarita in 2018, these two pioneers define emotional sobriety and demonstrate how emotional dependency interferes with. Part two emotional sobriety monday, december 16, 2019 step eight. Bill wilsons struggle with depression recovery from. Emotional sobriety by bill wilson alcoholics anonymous. He first mentioned emotional sobriety in the twelve and twelve when discussing the effect of. This may be the best and most complete retelling of his story, and the most personal about his relationship wit.
Emotional sobriety the next frontier selected stories from the aa grapevine. Bill wilson s letter in this part of the introduction, berger highlights a letter to the aa grapevine in 1958 by bill wilson yes, our bill wilson one of the founding members of aa. Sidney cohen, who participated in at least two of the lsd sessions bill experienced in the late 1950s at the veterans administration. In this letter bill suggests that emotional sobriety should be the next frontier that aa should pursue.
In this collection of grapevine stories, sober women and men describe the transformations sobriety can bring as they practice the principles of aa in all aspects of their lives. This program is a recording of part of a live event at the esalen institute near big sur, california. He was telling us that emotional sobriety is our next frontier. Bill wrote that his basic flaw had always been dependency almost complete dependence on people or circumstances to supply me with prestige, security and the like. Bill wilson s fourth legacy was emotional sobriety. Alcoholism12 step support emotional sobriety by bill wilson this is the substance of a revealing letter which bill wilson wrote several years ago to. Eternal sobriety chapter two aa a process that works in the book as bill sees it, on page 95, bill wilson, a cofounder of alcoholics anonymous said we are only operating a spiritual kindergarten in which people are enabled to get over drinking and find the grace to go on living to better effect. I think that many oldsters who have put our aa booze cure to severe but successful tests still find they often lack emotional sobriety. Emotional sobriety the next frontier selected stories. I feel quite certain that this must have been something bill shared about in meetings but didnt write about it until he wrote the letter.
The individual needs to also develop emotional sobriety. Thus i think it can work out with emotional sobriety. In 1956 bill wilson wrote a letter to a depressed friend offering him assistance in understanding depression. Emotions produce euphoric and intoxicating effects. Some might think that it means being happy, joyous, and free, a common adage in 12step meetings, taken from aa literature. Emotional sobriety the next frontier selected stories from the aa grapevine aa grapevine on.
This book is the best resource i know for understanding emotional. However, all roads to recovery are different, and so are addictions, even though everyone experiences some kind of struggle. Emotional sobriety ada center for professional success. It also created traditions issues within the fellowship and caused a bit of an uproar. Simpson was just an exfootball player, a commentator, and a car rental spokesperson. Bill makes remarks about anne smith and other important root sources. Emotional sobriety i think that many oldsters who have put our aa booze cure to severe but successful tests still find they often lack. Bill wilson archives center for action and contemplation. Beyond 2012, was led by bruce damer and lorenzo hagerty. Bill asks us to note that this letter should occasion no concern as both bill and his friend are today in the cleared. He was 16 years sober at the time, and just about to turn 55. Countless books will talk about addiction and recovery, and how sobriety has changed someones life memoirs, psychology books, and so on. Emotional sobriety commenting that he had a bad episode of depression after 1955.
Here are the creative, heartfelt insights of several dozen sober seekers whose artic. Bill s letter on emotional sobriety i think that many oldsters who have put our booze cure. This broadcast is especially appropriate at this time when our nation and world tend to be emotionally dependent on our circumstances rather than. To better define emotional sobriety, i want to unpack a letter that bill wilson wrote to help a depressed friend. Eternal sobriety a spiritual site for the recovering. Emotional sobriety is a phrase coined by bill wilson founder of alcoholic anonymous in an essay, the next frontier. The language of the heart contains lots of niche resource materialwhere bill explains exactly where the twelve steps came from primarily from the teachings of rev. This specific recording took place on saturday morning, june 16th and consists of bruces deep dive into the mind of mckenna.
Based on the readily available reference material, bill wilson was the author of the chapter of the big book titled. William griffith wilson november 26, 1895 january 24, 1971, also known as bill wilson or bill w. Some books 12 smart things to do when the booze and drugs are gone, 2008, allen berger, hazelden emotional sobriety. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all. Emotional sobriety unpacking bill wilsons letter part. In january 1958, bill wrote a grapevine article titled the next frontier.
One was written by a young, optimistic bill wilson on the pink cloud of early sobriety. And bill talked about the issue of over dependence on other people. The two principal versions of the 12 steps are markedly different in history and in spirit. Betty the lsd researcher and aa cofounder bill wilson. The next frontier emotional sobriety by bill below you will find the substance of a revealing letter which bill wrote several years ago to a close friend who also had troublesome depressions. Archives, too, if memory serves correctly always questionable. The phrase has been used in various twelve step groups to indicate the next stage of recovery. Perhaps they will be the spearhead for the next major development in aa the development of much more real maturity and balance which is to say, humility in our relations with ourselves.
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