"doctor" in the Big Book

A doctor came with

Best of all, I met a kind doctor who explained that though certainly selfish and foolish, I had been seriously ill, bodily and mentally.

For a moment I was alarmed, and called my friend, the doctor, to ask if I were still sane.

The good doctor now sees many men who have such experiences.

Strangely enough, wives, parents and intimate friends usually find us even more unapproachable than do the psychiatrist and the doctor.

Why can’t he?’’ “Why don’t you drink like a gentleman or quit?’’ “That fellow can’t handle his liquor.’’ “Why don’t you try beer and wine?’’ “Lay off the hard stuff.’’ “His will power must be weak.’’ “He could stop if he wanted to.’’ “She’s such a sweet girl, I should think he’d stop for her sake.’’ “The doctor told him that if he ever drank again it would kill him, but there he is all lit up again.’’ Now these are commonplace observations on drinkers which we hear all the time.

If a sufficiently strong reason—ill health, falling in love, change of environment, or the warning of a doctor—becomes operative, this man can also stop or moderate, although he may find it difficult and troublesome and may even need medical attention.

Perhaps he goes to a doctor who gives him morphine or some sedative with which to taper off.

So he returned to this doctor, whom he admired, and asked him point-blank why he could not recover.

He begged the doctor to tell him the whole truth, and he got it.

In the doctor’s judgment he was utterly hopeless; he could never regain his position in society and he would have to place himself under lock and key or hire a bodyguard if he expected to live long.

Let us tell you the rest of the conversation our friend had with his doctor.

The doctor said: “You have the mind of a chronic alcoholic.

He said to the doctor, “Is there no exception?’’ “Yes,’’ replied the doctor, “there is.

This hope, however, was destroyed by the doctor’s telling him that while his religious convictions were very good, in his case they did not spell the necessary vital spiritual experience. *For amplification—see Appendix II.

The doctor intimated strongly that he might be worse than he realized.

Perhaps our doctor or psychologist will be the person.

Approach through a doctor or an institution is a better bet.

Let the doctor, if he will, tell him he has something in the way of a solution.

When your man is better, the doctor might suggest a visit from you.

If his own doctor is willing to tell him that he is alcoholic, so much the better.

Sometimes you will have to call a doctor and administer sedatives under his direction.

Maybe the doctor has been called in, and the weary round of sanitariums and hospitals has begun.

A good doctor or psychiatrist can tell you whether these complications are serious.

If he is already committed to an institution, but can convince you and your doctor that he means business, give him a chance to try our method, unless the doctor thinks his mental condition too abnormal or dangerous.

When they become too dangerous, we think the kind thing is to lock them up, but of course a good doctor should always be consulted.

A doctor said to us, “Years of living with an alcoholic is almost sure to make any wife or child neurotic.

Try to remember that though God has wrought miracles among us, we should never belittle a good doctor or psychiatrist.

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 depending upon a doctor’s advice.

There should be no hesitancy in consulting a doctor or psychologist if the condition persists.

I well remember the shock I received when a prominent doctor in Chicago told me of cases where pressure of the spinal fluid actually ruptured the brain.

The matter of physical treatment should, of course, be referred to your own doctor.

We suggest you draw the book to the attention of the doctor who is to attend your patient during treatment.

We hope the doctor will tell the patient the truth about his condition, whatever that happens to be.

We are greatly indebted to the doctor in attendance there, for he, although it might prejudice his own work, has told us of his belief in ours.

Every few days this doctor suggests our approach to one of his patients.

The doctor proved to be able and exceedingly anxious to adopt any workable method of handling the situation.

And with such good effect that the doctor agreed to a test among his patients and certain other alcoholics from a clinic which he attends.