The Doctor's Opinion

We of Alcoholics Anonymous believe that the reader will be interested in the medical esti - mate of the plan of recovery described in this book. Convincing testimony must surely come from medicalmen who have had experience with the sufferings of our members and have witnessed our return to health. A well-known doctor, chief physician at a nationally prominent hospital specializing in alcoholic and drug addiction, gave Alcoholics Anonymous this letter: To Whom It May Concern: I have specialized in the treatment of alcoholism for many years. In late 1934 I attended a patient who, though he had been a competent businessman of good earning capacity, was an alcoholic of a type I had come to regardas hopeless. In the course of his third treatment he acquired certain ideas concerning a possible means of recovery. As part of his rehabilitation he commenced to present his conceptions to other alcoholics, impressing upon themthat they must do likewise with still others. This has become the basis of a rapidly growing fellowship of these men and their families. This man and over one hundred others appear to have recovered. I personally know scores of cases who were of the type with whom other methods had failed completely. These facts appear to be of extreme medical importance; because of the extraordinary possibilities of rapid growth inherent in this group they may mark a new epoch in the annals of alcoholism. These men maywell have a remedy for thousands of such situations. You may rely absolutely on anything they say about themselves. Very truly yours, William D. Silkworth, M.D. 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 torturemust believe—that the body of the alcoholic is quite as abnormal as his mind. It did not satisfy us to be toldthat we could not control our drinking just because we were maladjusted to life, that we were in full flightfrom reality, or were outright mental defectives. These things were true to some extent, in fact, to a consider-able extent with some of us. But we are sure that our bodies were sickened as well. In our belief, any picture of the alcoholic which leaves out this physical factor is incomplete. The doctor’s theory that we have an allergy to alcohol interests us. As laymen, our opinion as to its soundness may, of course, mean little. But as ex-problem drinkers, we can say that his explanation makes good sense. It explains many things for whichwe cannot otherwise account. Though we work out our solution on the spiritual as well as an altruistic plane, we favor hospitalization forthe alcoholic who is very jittery or befogged. More often than not, it is imperative that a man’s brain becleared before he is approached, as he has then a bet- ter chance of understanding and accepting what we have to offer. The doctor writes: The subject presented in this book seems to me to be of paramount importance to those afflicted with alcoholic addiction. I say this after many years’ experience as Medical Director of one of the oldest hospitals in the country treat-ing alcoholic and drug addiction. There was, therefore, a sense of real satisfaction when I was asked to contribute a few words on a subject which is covered in such masterly detail in these pages. We doctors have realized for a long time that some form of moral psychology was of urgent importance to alcoholics, but its application presented difficulties beyond our concep-tion. What with our ultra-modern standards, our scientificapproach to everything, we are perhaps not well equippedto apply the powers of good that lie outside our synthetic knowledge. Many years ago one of the leading contributors to this book came under our care in this hospital and while herehe acquired some ideas which he put into practical application at once. Later, he requested the privilege of being allowed to tell his story to other patients here and with some misgiving, we consented. The cases we have followed through havebeen most interesting; in fact, many of them are amazing. The unselfishness of these men as we have come to knowthem, the entire absence of profit motive, and their community spirit, is indeed inspiring to one who has laboredlong and wearily in this alcoholic field. They believe in themselves, and still more in the Power which pulls chronic alcoholics back from the gates of death. Of course an alcoholic ought to be freed from his physica craving for liquor, and this often requires a definite hospital procedure, before psychological measures can be of maxi-mum benefit. We believe, and so suggested a few years ago, that the action of alcohol on these chronic alcoholics is a manifesta-tion of an allergy; that the phenomenon of craving is limitedto this class and never occurs in the average temperate drinker. These allergic types can never safely use alcoholin any form at all; and once having formed the habit andfound they cannot break it, once having lost their self-confidence, their reliance upon things human, their prob-lems pile up on them and become astonishingly difficultto solve. Frothy emotional appeal seldom suffices. The message which can interest and hold these alcoholic people musthave depth and weight. In nearly all cases, their idealsmust be grounded in a power greater than themselves, ifthey are to re-create their lives. If any feel that as psychiatrists directing a hospital for alcoholics we appear somewhat sentimental, let them standwith us a while on the firing line, see the tragedies, the despairing wives, the little children; let the solving of theseproblems become a part of their daily work, and even of their sleeping moments, and the most cynical will not wonder that we have accepted and encouraged this move-ment. We feel, after many years of experience, that wehave found nothing which has contributed more to the rehabilitation of these men than the altruistic movementnow growing up among them. Men and women drink essentially because they like the effect produced by alcohol. The sensation is so elusive that, while they admit it is injurious, they cannot after a time differentiate the true from the false. To them, their alco-holic life seems the only normal one. They are restless, irritable and discontented, unless they can again experience the sense of ease and comfort which comes at once by tak- ing a few drinks—drinks which they see others taking withimpunity. After they have succumbed to the desire again, as so many do, and the phenomenon of craving develops, they pass through the well-known stages of a spree, emerg-ing remorseful, with a firm resolution not to drink again. This is repeated over and over, and unless this person canexperience an entire psychic change there is very little hopeof his recovery. On the other hand—and strange as this may seem to those who do not understand—once a psychic change has occurred, the very same person who seemed doomed, who had somany problems he despaired of ever solving them, suddenlyfinds himself easily able to control his desire for alcohol, the only effort necessary being that required to follow afew simple rules. Men have cried out to me in sincere and despairing ap- peal: “Doctor, I cannot go on like this! I have everything to live for! I must stop, but I cannot! You must help me!’’ Faced with this problem, if a doctor is honest with him- self, he must sometimes feel his own inadequacy. Althoughhe gives all that is in him, it often is not enough. One feelsthat something more than human power is needed to pro-duce the essential psychic change. Though the aggregateof recoveries resulting from psychiatric effort is consider-able, we physicians must admit we have made little impression upon the problem as a whole. Many types donot respond to the ordinary psychological approach. I do not hold with those who believe that alcoholism is entirely a problem of mental control. I have had manymen who had, for example, worked a period of months onsome problem or business deal which was to be settled ona certain date, favorably to them. They took a drink a dayor so prior to the date, and then the phenomenon of cravingat once became paramount to all other interests so that the important appointment was not met. These men were not drinking to escape; they were drinking to overcome a crav-ing beyond their mental control. There are many situations which arise out of the phenomenon of craving which cause men to make the supreme sacrifice rather than continue to fight. The classification of alcoholics seems most difficult, and in much detail is outside the scope of this book. There are, of course, the psychopaths who are emotionally unstable. We are all familiar with this type. They are always “goingon the wagon for keeps.’’ They are over-remorseful andmake many resolutions, but never a decision. There is the type of man who is unwilling to admit that he cannot take a drink. He plans various ways of drinking. He changes his brand or his environment. There is the typewho always believes that after being entirely free from alcohol for a period of time he can take a drink withoutdanger. There is the manic-depressive type, who is, per-haps, the least understood by his friends, and about whoma whole chapter could be written. Then there are types entirely normal in every respect except in the effect alcohol has upon them. They are oftenable, intelligent, friendly people. All these, and many others, have one symptom in com- mon: they cannot start drinking without developing the phenomenon of craving. This phenomenon, as we havesuggested, may be the manifestation of an allergy whichdifferentiates these people, and sets them apart as a distinctentity. It has never been, by any treatment with which weare familiar, permanently eradicated. The only relief wehave to suggest is entire abstinence. This immediately precipitates us into a seething caldron of debate. Much has been written pro and con, but amongphysicians, the general opinion seems to be that mostchronic alcoholics are doomed. What is the solution? Perhaps I can best answer this by relating one of my experiences. About one year prior to this experience a man was brought in to be treated for chronic alcoholism. He hadbut partially recovered from a gastric hemorrhage andseemed to be a case of pathological mental deterioration. He had lost everything worthwhile in life and was only living, one might say, to drink. He frankly admitted and believed that for him there was no hope. Following theelimination of alcohol, there was found to be no permanentbrain injury. He accepted the plan outlined in this book. One year later he called to see me, and I experienced avery strange sensation. I knew the man by name, andpartly recognized his features, but there all resemblanceended. From a trembling, despairing, nervous wreck, hademerged a man brimming over with self-reliance and con-tentment. I talked with him for some time, but was notable to bring myself to feel that I had known him before. To me he was a stranger, and so he left me. A long timehas passed with no return to alcohol. When I need a mental uplift, I often think of another case brought in by a physician prominent in New York. The patient had made his own diagnosis, and deciding hissituation hopeless, had hidden in a deserted barn deter-mined to die. He was rescued by a searching party, and, in desperate condition, brought to me. Following his physical rehabilitation, he had a talk with me in which hefrankly 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. His alcoholic problem was so complex, and his depres- sion so great, that we felt his only hope would be throughwhat we then called “moral psychology,’’ and we doubtedif even that would have any effect. However, he did become “sold’’ on the ideas contained in this book. He has not had a drink for a great many years. I see him now and then and he is as fine a specimen ofmanhood as one could wish to meet. I earnestly advise every alcoholic to read this book through, and though perhaps he came to scoff, he may re-main to pray. William D. Silkworth, M.D.