HL>  ==> A hush fell over the room when Mhs:jane Kelley@1:138/155 said to
HL>  Joan Renne <==
HL>
HL>   JK> If you are still using alcohol, it is to directly affect your
HL>  brain
HL>   JK> and central nervous system.  Either your diet is faulty and can
HL>  be
HL>   JK> corrected by those who are knowledgeable about why addicts and
HL>  some
HL>   JK> folks with emotional problems don't eat properly, or there is
HL>  another
HL>   JK> reason besides the so called character defects which are
HL>  actually the
HL>   JK> first symptom of some nutritional problem.
HL>
HL>  So all we have to do is find our food allergies, eat right, take
HL>  vitamins, and our alcoholism will disappear?
Friend stayed overnight with me Sunday, brought along her copy of the first 
edition of the Big Book.  Right after the table of contents came this 
statement: "We of Alcoholics Anonymous believe that the reader will be 
interested in the medical estimate of the plan of recovery described in this 
book".  In the next paragraph, it mentioned that the doctor specialized in 
alcoholic AND DRUG ADDICTION.
The second page mentions: :The physician who, at our request, gave us this 
letter, has been kind enough to enlarge upon his views in another statement 
which follows.  In this statement he confirms what we who have suffered 
alcoholic torture MUST BELIEVE-THAT THE BODY OF THE ALCOHOLIC IS QUITE AS 
ABNORMAL AS HIS MIND.   It did not satisfy us to be told that we were 
maladjusted to life, that we were in full flight from reality, or were 
outight mental defectives.  These things were true to some extent, in fact, 
to a considerable extent with some of us.  BUT WE ARE SURE THAT OUR BODIES 
WERE SICKENED AS WELL.  IN OUR BELIEF, ANY PICTURE WHICH LEAVES OUT THIS 
PHYSICAL FACTOR IS INCOMPLETE."
The caps are mine.  And, this is part of the letters from Dr. Silkworth which 
are still in the Big Book but are today buried behind the forward and the 
prefeace thus negating the former importance put on them by those who 
published the first edition.
In 60 years those of us who have refused to believe that we are mentally ill 
and who have some knowledge of medicine have gone far beyond the allergy 
theory that was the beginning of a long search for the truth by the friend of 
Dr. Bob.
My first introduction into the world of the recovering friend of Dr. Bob was 
in a paper on dry drunks I found hanging in an Alano Club in Seattle.  Since 
then I have read many books, collected several filing cabinets full of 
papers, search for new information daily by computer, and have attended two 
full pages of seminars and workshops.
The mental health folks are beginning to catch up to the friends of Dr. Bob.  
Some of them actually are aware that the character disorders have a 
relationship to diet.
Dunno about where you live but around here we have very competent folks who 
run inpatient treatment centers and are more than willing to share with the 
rest of us any new information obtained any place concerning recovery.  This 
is done by lectures to the general public, folks who don't have the time or 
the resources to go to treatment.
I am sober because a counselor at Shadel Hospital in Seattle, the first 
tretment center around here, got me to work there in 1969.  I began to relate 
to the patients I was taking care of and did some heavy thinking and talking 
to the rest of the staff.  At that time my home phone was also under a grand 
jury tap and what I was going through is now in my federal file.  I would 
love to have a copy of that but at the going rate, it is much too expensive.
We have the technology today to identify kids at risk for alcoholism at birth 
and begin to feed them properly just as we identify and feed kids who test 
postive for PKU.   The Human Genome project is mapping the genetic makeup of 
humans, a ten year project.  When this is completed, we will understand much 
more about how our brains and body work.
WE CANNOT CURE ALCOHOLISM BUT WE CAN AND SHOULD PREVENT IT.
It is also very treatable and that means a complete overhaul of the physical 
body as well as a sprititual program of recovery.
Unless, of course, you know more than the folks who put Dr. Silkworth's 
letters at the beginning of the first edition, or the beginning of the First 
Step of the program.  
 
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