"quit" in the Big Book

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.

But try and get them to see it!* As we look back, we feel we had gone on drinking many years beyond the point where we could quit on our will power.

Whether such a person can quit upon a nonspiritual basis depends upon the extent to which he has already lost the power to choose whether he will drink or not.

He made up his mind to quit drinking altogether.

If, when you honestly want to, you find you cannot quit entirely, or if when drinking, you have little control over the amount you take, you are probably alcoholic.

First of all, we had to quit playing God.

Then let his family or a friend ask him if he wants to quit for good and if he would go to any extreme to do so.

If he is not communicative, give him a sketch of your drinking career up to the time you quit.

He wants to quit drinking and you want to help him, even if it be only a matter of good business.

You ask, because many alcoholics, being warped and drugged, do not want to quit.