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The Dark Promises

 

There are twelve "Dark Promises" found in the first 164 pages. Unfortunately my computer crashed and I lost this info. Can anyone help me with these?
Thank You;
Tim Lokey
Addictions Counselor
Tony Rice Center
 

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She is sometimes identifiable by what recovering alcoholics call the ¡°dark promises,¡± symptoms of alcoholism that are detailed in Alcoholics Anonymous' Big Book: ¡°We were having trouble with personal relationships, we couldn¡¯t control our emotional natures, we were prey to misery and depression, we couldn¡¯t make a living, we had a feeling of uselessness, we were full of fear, we were unhappy, we couldn¡¯t seem to be of real help to other people.¡± (Susan Cheever)


The quote is from "We Agnostics", p.52




------ Original Message ------
From: tlokey@...
To: [email protected]
Sent: Thursday, 16 Jul, 20 At 15:38
Subject: [AAHistoryLovers] The Dark Promises

There are twelve "Dark Promises" found in the first 164 pages. Unfortunately my computer crashed and I lost this info. Can anyone help me with these?
Thank You;
Tim Lokey
Addictions Counselor
Tony Rice Center
 
Edited

I've actually never heard that quote called that, doesn't mean it isn't accurate, it only means I haven't heard of it. In the various parts of the country and world that I've been to and honored ti attended meetings in, that section of the book is always called something similar to or equal to "the bedevilments".

That being said, the book is, however, littered with promises that are indeed ominous; warnings and promises of what will happen to us if we don't do certain things (because those things are what had happened to them of course; it is a book of experience after all). I've never made a list of these on their own (yet?) but I do know that they're there. Could that be what you're referring to? Or are you referring to this passage on page 52?

Best,

Thom R.
Moderator,? AAHL on groups.io
 

Page 66 - A BB workshop I went to referred to 7 "death threats" between the 3rd & 4th columns of the Resentment Inventory. Along with what I also call "the bedevilments" on p. 52 -- Is this part of what you're referring to?

I think there may be more than 12, although that # is in keeping with the recurrence of the # 12 in the BB.?
[email protected]
 

I started a meeting a few years ago in CA with sponsees meeting is called, "Promises Prayers Instructions and Warnings" (and have since started one here in Myrtle Beach).? Originally Warnings was Black Promises (we thought that was original).? We study from 0 (the blank page to 160 two paragraphs at a time identifying and hiliting PPI&W's .
As Thom mentioned and I can confirm the first 164 is chock full of Black Promises (read Warnings; also full of Promises Prayers and Instructions).
--
SW John
 
Edited

So, why don't we search the book together and find them all? :) We can use this thread to do it or I can create a chat for it.

Actually, it's exactly that this kind of thing the chats could be best used for in my opinion. I'm going to create a chat for it. Let's have some ummmmm... "ominous" fun with this ;-)

Best

Thom R.
Moderator, AAHL on groups.io
 

My sponsor pointed these "Dark Promises" out to me several years ago. He pointed out to me that these promises are also vital to recovery...they have to happen first in order for most alcoholics to be "beaten into that state of reasonableness." or being "pretty badly mangled". Page numbers are in parenthesis.

  1. You will pass into a state where the most powerful desire to stop drinking is of absolutely no avail. (24)
  2. You will place yourself beyond human aid. (24)
  3. Your life will become impossible to manage. (25)
  4. No real alcoholic will ever control the desire to drink. (30)
  5. Over any considerable period of time you will get worse never better. (30)
  6. You will reach that jumping off place, you will wish for the end. (152)
  7. You will have no effective mental defense against that first drink. (43)
  8. You will suffer from a hopeless, helpless state of mind and body.? (20)
  9. You will deal with incomprehensible demoralization. (30)
  10. You will know loneliness as few men do. (152)
  11. You will be unable to picture life with, or without alcohol. (152)
  12. You¡¯ll come to know those hideous four horsemen, Terror, Bewilderment, Frustration and Despair. (151)
 

Thanks Tim,

Beaten into that state of reasonableness.? That's what it took for me.

Be well.

Mark Enyart
12-24-96
Tacoma Washington

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