From the books ... Alcoholics Anonymous (Big Book) and Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions (12 & 12)
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... unless at
once followed by a strenuous ...
BB p.64,
How It Works
Though our decision was
a vital and crucial step, it could have little permanent effect unless at once followed by a strenuous
effort to face, and to be rid of, the things in ourselves which had been blocking us.
2.
Unless each
A.A. member follows to the ...
12&12 p.174,
Tradition Nine
Unless each A.A. member follows to the best of his ability our suggested Twelve Steps to recovery, he almost certainly signs his own death warrant.
3.
... unless he
carries the A.A. message.
12&12 p.130,
Tradition One
4.
... unless he
gives it away.
12&12 p.130,
Tradition One
5.
... unless he
has first accepted his devastating ...
12&12 p.21,
Step One
We know that little good can come to any alcoholic who joins A.A. unless he has first accepted his devastating weakness
and all its consequences.
6.
... unless he
has his family back.
BB p.99,
Working With Others
7.
... unless he
has seen it and wishes ...
BB p.92,
Working With Others
8.
... unless he
has to do these things ...
12&12 p.24,
Step One
No, the average alcoholic, self-centered in the extreme,
doesn't care for this prospect -- unless he has to
do these things in order to
stay alive himself.
9.
... unless he
is in a dangerous physical ...
BB p.90,
Working With Others
The family may object to
this, but unless he is in a dangerous physical condition, it is better to
risk it.
10.
... unless he
is now willing to work ...
12&12 p.50,
Step Four
By now the newcomer has probably arrived at the following conclusions: that his character defects, representing instincts gone astray, have been the primary cause of his drinking and his failure
at life; that unless he is now willing to work hard at the elimination of the worst
of these defects, both sobriety and peace of mind will still elude him; that all the
faulty foundation of
his life will have to be torn out and built anew on bedrock.
11.
... unless he
is ugly and the family ...
BB p.90,
Working With Others
12.
... unless he
is violent.
BB p.91,
Working With Others
13.
... unless he
passes on to other alcoholics ...
12&12 p.133,
Tradition Two
Alone now, he reflects that he may not be able to stay sober, or even alive, unless he passes on to other alcoholics what was so freely given him.
14.
Unless he
took some drinks, he might ...
BB p.154,
A Vision For You
Unless he took some drinks, he might not have the courage to scrape an acquaintance and would have a lonely week-end.
15.
... unless I
accept life completely on life's ...
BB p.417(449),
Acceptance
Until I could accept my alcoholism, I could not stay sober; unless I accept life completely on life's terms, I cannot be happy.
16.
... unless I
could assure him, which no ...
BB xxxi(xxix),
The Doctor's Opinion
Following his physical rehabilitation, he had a talk with me in which he frankly stated he thought the treatment a
waste of effort, unless I could assure him, which
no one ever had, that in the future he
would have the "will power"
to resist the impulse to
drink.
17.
... unless it
will serve some good purpose.
BB p.92,
Working With Others
Doctors are rightly loath to tell alcoholic patients the
whole story unless it will serve some good purpose.
18.
... unless locked
up, may die or go ...
BB p.24,
There Is A Solution
When this sort of thinking
is fully established
in an individual with alcoholic tendencies,
he has probably placed
himself beyond human aid, and unless locked up, may die or go permanently insane.
19.
Unless one's
family expresses a desire to ...
BB p.83,
Into Action
Unless one's family expresses a desire to live upon spiritual principles we think we ought not to urge them.
20.
... unless some
good and useful purpose is ...
BB p.125,
The Family Afterward
So we think that unless some
good and useful purpose is to be served, past occurrences should
not be discussed.
21.
... unless the
doctor thinks his mental condition ...
BB p.114,
To Wives
If he is already committed to an institution, but can convince you and your doctor that he means business, give him a chance to try our method, unless the doctor thinks his mental condition too abnormal or dangerous.
22.
... unless the
family watches for these tendencies ...
BB p.131,
The Family Afterward
This means trouble, unless the family watches for these tendencies in each other and comes to a friendly agreement about
them.
23.
Unless the
reason is understood, there may ...
BB p.134,
The Family Afterward
24.
... unless there
is a group.
12&12 p.130,
Tradition One
The moment this Twelfth
Step work forms a group, another discovery is made -- that most individuals cannot recover unless there is a group.
25.
Unless there
is approximate conformity to A.A.'s ...
12&12 p.174,
Tradition Nine
Unless there is approximate conformity to A.A.'s Twelve Traditions, the group, too, can deteriorate and die.
26.
Unless they
actually need protection from their ...
BB p.115,
To Wives
Unless they actually need protection from their
father, it is best not to take sides in any argument he has with them
while drinking.
27.
... unless they
can again experience the sense ...
BB xxviii(xxvi),
The Doctor's Opinion
They are restless, irritable and discontented, unless they
can again experience
the sense of ease and comfort which comes at once by taking a few drinks -- drinks which they see others taking with impunity.
28.
... unless they
develop much more of this ...
12&12 p.70,
Step Seven
Nearly all A.A.'s have found, too, that unless they develop much more of this precious quality than may be required just for sobriety, they still haven't
much chance of becoming truly happy.
29.
... unless they
have hit bottom.
12&12 p.24,
Step One
The answer is that few people will sincerely try to practice the A.A. program unless they have hit bottom.
30.
... unless this
person can experience an entire ...
BB xxix(xxvii),
The Doctor's Opinion
This is repeated over and
over, and unless this person can experience an
entire psychic change there is very little hope of his recovery.
31.
... unless we
accepted many things on faith ...
BB p.47,
We Agnostics
That was great news to us,
for we had assumed we could not make use of spiritual principles
unless we accepted many things on faith which seemed difficult to believe.
32.
... unless we
are sure he would approve.
BB p.125,
The Family Afterward
Another principle we
observe carefully is
that we do not relate intimate experiences
of another person unless we are sure he would approve.
33.
... unless we
clearly see what it is.
12&12 p.58,
Step Five
34.
... unless we
could find a means of ...
12&12 p.76,
Step Seven
35.
... unless we
give it away.
12&12 p.151,
Tradition Five
It is the great paradox of
A.A. that we know we can seldom keep the precious gift of sobriety unless we give it away.
36.
Unless your
friend wants to talk further ...
BB p.95,
Working With Others
Passages from the Big Book Alcoholics Anonymous
and the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions
are reprinted with permission of A.A. World Services, Inc.
The A.A. Preamble, copyright ©
The A.A. Grapevine, Inc., is reprinted with permission.
Permission to reprint does not in any way imply affiliation with or
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