Treatment Centers Versus the Actual Program of AA – Jerry J.

About This Speaker Tape

Jerry J. maps out the wreckage of a high-powered Dallas lawyer whose life was a series of illusions and failed tests of will. He recounts the 'controlled drinking' experiment suggested by his wife Billy B. which only served to highlight his total powerlessness

. Through a gritty metaphor of a bulldog named Patches who refused to let go of a boar hog Jerry illustrates the mental obsession that drives an alcoholic back to the bottle. He traces his path from a desperate half-hearted prayer on January 2nd to finding a lifeline in a home group and a sponsor named David D.

Jerry dismantles the facade of the 'manly' stoicism he inherited from his father eventually finding freedom in the honesty of the steps. He contrasts two moments of grief—drinking through his mother's first cancer scare and remaining the strength of his family during her final days—as concrete evidence of a spiritual awakening.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Jerry J. introduces himself and shares a lighthearted update on Wino Joe.
• 2:15 Laughter: Jerry tells a joke about the treatment of lawyers in Texas.
• 5:10 Jerry discusses the history of the Big Book and the contributions of Dr. Silkworth and Carl Jung.
• 10:45 The Patches the Bulldog metaphor: Jerry describes the obsession of the alcoholic through a dog's fight with a boar hog.
• 16:20 Jerry describes his 'controlled drinking' experiment and the mental battle with the bottle.
• 22:10 Jerry recounts his last drink on December 31, 1972, and his initial struggle to quit alone.
• 27:40 Jerry describes his first interactions with AA and his initial disdain for the 'fools' who hugged and kissed.
• 33:15 Jerry shares a pivotal moment at a Baptist retreat where a dying woman's peace changes his perspective on self-pity.
• 38:50 Step 4: Jerry discusses self-centeredness and his behavior on the Dallas freeways.
• 43:10 Jerry dismantles the 'be a man' myth and the unrealistic standards of stoicism he learned from his father.
• 48:20 Jerry contrasts his reaction to his mother's first cancer diagnosis with his sobriety during her final days.
• 54:10 Closing metaphor: The Canadian geese flying in a V-formation as a symbol of fellowship and mutual support.