The Depth and Weight of One Alcoholic with Another – Theresa F.

About This Speaker Tape

Stockholm Convention - 2009

A deep dive into the 'Doctor's Opinion' of the Big Book where Theresa F. breaks down the difference between 'frothy emotional appeals' and the 'depth and weight' required to reach an alcoholic. She uses the analogy of the lifelong smoker versus the non-smoker to illustrate why only someone who has suffered the same obsession can offer a real solution. The narrative shifts from the physical allergy of the body to the mental obsession exploring the 'wild card' nature of drinking and the 'phenomenon of craving.' Theresa F. describes the internal wreckage of being 'restless irritable and discontent' and the terrifying realization that only a 'psychic change'—something spiritual and beyond her own mental control—could stop the cycle of sprees and remorse. She concludes by examining the classifications of alcoholics identifying with the 'emotionally unstable' and those who endlessly plan ways to drink without getting caught.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Opening Serenity Prayer and introduction to Step One.
• 2:15 Laughter: Story about telling a man to open a brothel to avoid his wife's 'frothy appeal'.
• 5:40 Discussion on the 'frothy appeal' using the example of non-smokers vs. former smokers.
• 11:20 Theresa F. discusses the 'depth and weight' found in the rooms of AA.
• 16:10 Detailed breakdown of the 'effect produced by alcohol' and the feeling of being 'restless, irritable, and discontent'.
• 21:00 Analysis of the 'phenomenon of craving' and the 'wild card' nature of drinking.
• 25:30 Discussion on the 'psychic change' and the failure of mental control/affirmations.
• 28:45 Comparison of alcoholism to diabetes and the necessity of accepting the diagnosis.
• 32:10 Review of the different classifications of alcoholics from the Big Book.