Most of us were unwilling to admit that we were real alcoholics. For years, we tried to prove we could drink like other people—we set rules for ourselves, tried to drink only at specific times, switched types of drinks, or made solemn promises to abstain completely. But none of these plans worked, and we always ended up drunk. We learned that we had to smash the illusion that we were like other people, for we had completely lost the ability to control our drinking.

Crossing the Invisible Line.

When we came to Alcoholics Anonymous, we were relieved to understand that alcoholism is not a moral failure, a character defect, or a lack of will power. In fact, it is a real illness—a combination of a physical allergy and a mental obsession. We now understand that once a person has crossed the invisible line from heavy drinking to compulsive alcoholic drinking, they will always remain an alcoholic. Experience proves that there is no turning back to social or "normal" drinking. It is a progressive illness that can never be fully cured, but it can certainly be arrested.

The Chain Reaction of the First Drink.

Many of us believed that what got us drunk was the fifth, tenth, or twentieth drink. Only gradually did we realize the bitter truth: what caused the damage was always the first drink. The first drink is what triggers a destructive chain reaction of alcoholic thinking and an uncontrollable craving, leading to uncontrolled drinking. In A.A., there is a simple way to express this: "For an alcoholic, one drink is too many and a thousand are never enough.".

It was precisely out of total humiliation and the admission of defeat that we found victory. Admitting that we are powerless is the bedrock upon which a happy and meaningful life can be rebuilt. The moment we stopped fighting, we began to walk the path of freedom, sobriety, and peace.