Page 154 - The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous

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THE FAMILY AFTERWARD 133
each family play together or separately, as much as
their circumstances warrant. We are sure God wants
us to be happy, joyous, and free. We cannot subscribe
to the belief that this life is a vale of tears, though it
once was just that for many of us. But it is clear that
we made our own misery. God didn’t do it. Avoid
then, the deliberate manufacture of misery, but if
trouble comes, cheerfully capitalize it as an oppor­
tunity to demonstrate His omnipotence.
Now about health: A body badly burned by alcohol
does not often recover overnight nor do twisted think­
ing and depression vanish in a twinkling. We are con­
vinced that a spiritual mode of living is a most power­
ful health restorative. We, who have recovered
from serious drinking, are miracles of mental health. But
we have seen remarkable transformations in our
bodies. Hardly one of our crowd now shows any mark
of dissipation.
But this does not mean that we disregard human
health measures. God has abundantly supplied this
world with fine doctors, psychologists, and practition­
ers of various kinds. Do not hesitate to take your
health problems to such persons. Most of them give
freely of themselves, that their fellows may enjoy
sound minds and bodies. Try to remember that
though God has wrought miracles among us, we
should never belittle a good doctor or psychiatrist.
Their services are often indispensable in treating a
newcomer and in following his case afterward.
One of the many doctors who had the opportunity
of reading this book in manuscript form told us that
the use of sweets was often helpful, of course depend­
ing upon a doctor’s advice. He thought all alcoholics