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The 24-hour plan not to drink

There are several presentations of 24-hour plan not to drink in the literature of Alcoholics Anonymous. For now choose two extracts.


First, the prospectus This is AA :

solemn promises do not, do not say we're not going to drink "never." Instead, try to follow what we call in the AA "24-hour plan." We concentrate on to stay sober during those 24 hours. Simply try to pass the days, one by one, without drinking.

Second, the book Living in Sobriety ( catalog AA literature), from which we quote a few paragraphs of chapter 24 hours. Both texts recommend buying at the offices of AA in the respective countries or groups of AA literature they have available for sale.

"In our drinking days we had bad times as often swore," never again. "We made promises in terms so long as a year or someone who promised him we would not touch the liquor for three weeks, or three months. And of course, we tested the complete abstention and restraint for various periods of time.
(...)
Yet despite our good intentions, the result was almost inevitably the same. Eventually fading the memory of the vows and oaths and all the suffering they had caused. I went to drink and we were suddenly enveloped in very difficult situations. Our time of abstention, that "never again", was too short.
Some of those who made such promises, we held a private reserve: We told ourselves that the promise not to drink and applied only to "strong drink", not beer or wine.
(...)
is true that others of us were able to completely abandon the alcohol and keep their promises right up to the date they had set a limit. Then the drought gave way to a great flood of drink and were again in trouble, but in this occasion, with the additional burden of a new sense of guilt and remorse.
With such battles in our past, we try to avoid AA expressions "entirely abstemious" and "take an oath." We remind all our failures.
Although we understand very well that alcoholism is a permanent and irreversible condition, our experience has taught us not to make long-term promises about remaining abstinent. We know it is more realistic and more successful to say simply, "Just for today I will not drink."
Even if we drank yesterday, we decide not to drink today. Maybe tomorrow go back to drinking? Who know whether we live? But during these 24 hours, we decided not to drink. No matter what the temptation or provocation, we are determined to go to any lengths necessary to avoid drinking today.
(...)
If constantly renewed, this plan avoids the weakness inherent in methods such as making promises or vows of abstention. A period of continence and a promise may eventually have some success, as planned, and therefore we feel free to drink again. But today is always within reach. Everyday life is, today is all we have, and any person may stay a day without drinking.

First of all, try to live in the present to stay sober. This works beautifully. Once the idea has become a vital part of our thinking, we see that life in segments of 24 hours is also an effective and satisfactory to handle many other issues. "

Copyright © 1993

Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.

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