Missouri District 16 Area 38
The Doctors Opinion
We believe that the reader will be interested in the medical
estimate of the plan of recovery utilized by Alcoholics Anonymous.
Convincing testimony must surely come from medical men 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 regard as 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 them that 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 may well 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.
©Reprinted from Alcoholics Anonymous, page
xxiii,
with permission of A.A. World Services Inc.
As you are aware, the AMA
(American Medical Association) recognizes alcoholism as a disease.
While there is continuing controversy concerning the disease concept
of alcoholism, the fact remains that the Fellowship of Alcoholics
Anonymous provides an effective approach to ending problem drinking.
Millions of Alcoholics (problem drinkers) have stopped (recovered)
from their downward spiral of drinking. Why debate the question? If
a treatment regimen works, why not use it?
We of AA want to help your patients that suffer from alcoholism to
recover from their disease and be restored to their place in
society. If you have a patent that has a drinking problem and wants
to stop drinking have them call our answering service number
636-239-0855 or direct them to an open AA meeting that can be found
in the "Directory" at the bottom of this page. If your medical group
or society is interested in learning more about resources available
from AA contact the Public Information/ Cooperation with the
Professional Community (PI/CPC) Committee at 636-239-0855. We can
provide literature for your office and AA speakers for groups or
individual meetings.
Send mail to
Webmaster@aamodistrict16.org
with questions or comment about this website.