I'm
an
(double
vision)
alcoholic...0_o
As
an
AA
member
and
onetime
strong
atheist
I
thought
that
I
would
not
be
able
to
utilize
the
12
steps
as
part
of
my
recovery.
I
would
go
to
the
meetings
and
just
sit-in
and
not
participate
in
the
sharing.
I
thought
that
because
I
don't
work
the
steps
I
really
had
nothing
to
contribute
for
those
who
work
the
steps.
Because
my
coping
with
alcoholism
was
gleaned
from
a
psychological
therapy
modality
none
in
the
meeting
could
relate
to
my
share.
Over
time,
as
I
sat
through
numerous
meetings
I
started
to
soften
my
stance
on
spiritual
principals.
I
adopted
a
non-theist
view
as
a
Buddhist.
Still,
I
kept
silent
in
meetings,
choosing
to
keep
my
new
found
spirituality
private.
Eventually
I
stopped
going
to
meetings
and
went
to
college
in
an
effort
to
learn
about
alcohol
dependence
treatment
and
get
a
certificate
as
an
addiction
counselor.
That
would
be
my
program
for
staying
sober.
For
some
time
that
worked.
I
felt
that
my
life
had
a
purpose
and
was
happy
in
my
sobriety.
However
I
was
isolating
a
lot,
I
stopped
my
mental
illness
treatment
and
tried
to
face
many
stressors
alone.
I
also
quit
my
spiritual
practice
too.
I
went
out.
When
I
came
back
to
treatment
and
living
in
a
sober
boarding
house
I
went
back
to
AA
meetings.
Still
I
didn't
feel
apart
of
AA
but
thought
I
would
give
the
program
a
try.
I
found
a
copy
of
AA
Comes
of
Age
and
came
across
this:
AA
Comes
of
Age:
"A
minister
in
Thailand
wrote,
"We
took
A.A.'s
Twelve
Steps
to
the
largest
Buddhist
monastry
in
this
province,
and
the
head
priest
said,
`Why
these
Steps
are
fine!
For
us
Buddhists,
it
might
be
slightly
more
acceptable
if
you
had
inserted
the
word
`good'
in
your
Steps
instead
of
`God'.
Nevertheless,
you
say
that
it
is
God
as
you
understand
Him,
and
that
must
certainly
include
the
good.
Yes,
A.A.'s
Twelve
Steps
will
surely
be
accepted
by
Buddhists
around
here".
(p.
81)
I
could
accept
being
a
Buddhist
and
work
a
12
step
AA
program
that
has
helped
many
of
the
people
I
heard
share
in
the
meetings.
I
am
now
beginning
to
work
the
steps
with
my
understanding
of
a
power
greater
than
myself:
Good
or
as
I
like
to
call
it,
The
Higher
Power
of
being
beneficial
(good)
to
all
beings,
the
earth
and
myself.
I
relies
I
know
only
a
little,
but
with
that
I
can
participate
with
others
inside
and
outside
of
meetings
as
we
share
the
common
ground
of
seeking
and
practicing
a
spiritual
12
step
solution
to
a
spiritual
malady:
a
illness
called
alcoholism.
My
name
is
Will
and
I'm
an
(double
vision)
alcoholic.
Thank
you
for
being
here
with
me
today.
