Writings of Recovery

In the Doctor’s Opinion, Dr. Silkworth writes…’This man and over 100 others appear to have recovered…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 may well have a remedy for thousands of such situations. You may rely absolutely on anything they say about themselves.‘ -Alcoholic’s Anonymous Big Book pgs. xxv -xxvi

‘This man and over 100 others appear to have recovered…‘ The awareness that this part of the origin story of the 12 steps. That there were only 100ish people who had recovered at this point. And that one doctor took notice and was curious and intrigued to look into it more.  What if he had dismissed it and not lent his name to give it a professional credence?

‘These facts appear to be of extreme medical importance…‘ 

FACTS – he addresses these as facts, something that to him is no longer theoretical. It works.

EXTREME – the highest degree. The highest importance.

MEDICAL – He places this as priority for consideration in the scientific medical community for other doctors to consider as well.

‘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 may well have a remedy for thousands of such situations.’

At the time of writing The Doctor’s Opinion, there were 100ish people recovered through the AA 12 Step program. Today, the ripple effect is uncomprehendable, but I will attempt to grasp a few of the numbers…

Wikipedia lists 34- 12 step groups that model after AA, addressing different kinds of recovery.  There are also 10 additional groups that are partially patterned after AA 12 Steps.

• AA – 2021 numbers 1.9 million with 120,000 groups across the world
• OA- 2017 54,000 members with 6,000 meetings in 75 countries , and these OA numbers were before Zoom!!

I am grateful to Dr. Silkworth for taking notice.  Look at what he helped start.

‘You may rely absolutely on anything they say about themselves.’  

This medical doctor leveraged his professional opinion and reputation for the opportunity of the 12 step program to gain a foothold in the medical recovery field. And the world will never be the same.

I am coming to believe…there of only two kinds of people in the world…those who are in recovery and those who will be someday…hopefully.