QAADRANT No 78 Summer 2015 Quaker Action on Alcohol & Drugs

QAAD an independent Quaker charity since 1852 QAADRANT No 78 Summer 2015 Quaker Action on Alcohol & Drugs ‘Restless, Irritable and Discontented’ – and recovery pages 2-3 QAAD at Yearly Meeting page 4 Women and alcohol a perspective pages 6-7 1 known as AA’s ‘Twelve Steps’ after review reach of recovery, our debt is quite beyond by 100 recovering alcoholics and 300 non- calculation or repayment.” (The Language of Restless, Irritable and alcoholics. Bill Wilson gave credit to his own the Heart © 1988, pages 297-298.) doctor, Dr. Silkworth for Step 1: It is one alcoholic talking to another as Discontented 1. We admitted we were powerless over equals that makes AA unique. There are Dan, a member of AA and a Quaker, receptors also links with, and may underlie, alcohol—that our lives had become no gurus, experts, ministers, supervision shares his insights the ‘restless, irritable and discontented’ unmanageable. or government of any kind. There is only feelings that Silkwood describes, which I feel one alcoholic sharing his or her experience, (Dr. Silkworth had confirmed to Bill that My name is Dan and I am an alcoholic. I were at the root of my alcoholism. I consider strength and hope with other alcoholics that medical science could do nothing for him, have come to the view that alcohol did not myself as having inherited this condition is the foundation for our ‘daily reprieve that he need a personality change to stay itself ‘cause’ my alcoholism. I grew up in from both my mother’s side (her father died (from alcoholism) based on the maintenance sober.) beautiful circumstances, was quite successful of cirrhosis of the liver) and my father’s side of our spiritual condition.’ in school, and was not attracted to alcohol (his brother died of bleeding ulcers caused And Bill gave credit to psychologist William I went to my first AA meeting on Pearl for the first 24 years of my life. However, by a lifetime of drinking alcohol). By joining James for Step 12: Harbor Day 1976 and took my last drink starting in my university days and the first AA, I have been able to successfully treat the 12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the the next day. I am now sober in AA over three years thereafter, I became increasingly condition in me, ‘one day at a time’ for over result of these steps, we tried to carry this half my life. I also draw spiritual sustenance ‘restless, irritable and discontented’ and 38 years. message to alcoholics, and to practice these from two other movements started by people slowly turned to alcohol to give me the sense What became Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) principles in all our affairs. who were dissatisfied, who were in some of ease in life that I thought others had. started on 10 June 1935 when the other Ebby had given Bill Wilson a copy of James’ manner ‘restless, irritable and discontented’: The quotation comes from Dr. William man credited with co-founding AA, Dr. “The Varieties of Religious Experience” Médecins Sans Frontières started 44 years Duncan Silkworth M.D., who treated Robert Holbrook Smith, M.D. (known as which stated that to recover, a mentally ago by medical doctors and journalists in 1 thousands of alcoholics at Towns Hospital Dr. Bob) took his last drink in Akron, Ohio depressive person needs a spiritual France dissatisfied with how humanitarian in New York City, including William two months after he and Bill Wilson were awakening. Famous psychoanalyst Carl movements at the time were treating victims Griffith Wilson (known as Bill W.), one of introduced to each other. Six months earlier, Jung later confirmed in letters to Bill Wilson of war, disease and natural catastrophe, and the two men credited with co-founding the in November 1934, a former drinking buddy that medical science is powerless over the Quakers started 365 years ago by people movement 80 years ago that became known of Bill’s, Edwin “Ebby” Throckmorton alcoholism, that a spiritual experience is an in England dissatisfied with religion and as Alcoholics Anonymous. In the past two Thacher had visited Bill hospitalized for alcoholic’s only recourse. government at the time. to three decades, modern medicine has his fourth and last time at Towns Hospital All three movements…AA, MSF, and the cast light on Dr. Silkworth’s analysis with in New York City. Ebby, who had become Where does AA come in? Quakers…provide me communities of like- research tools not available to him. a raging alcoholic, had stopped drinking Well, as Bill Wilson wrote when AA was 20 minded people that help me to be honest with through the spirituality of the Oxford Groups, The neurotransmitter dopamine (sometimes years old, “…it was not until I met Dr. Bob myself, to discover my skills, talents, and a Christian revivalist movement in the U.S. known as the ‘reward pathway’ because (in May 1935) that I knew that I needed him motivation, and to be of service to others. then led by Rev. Sam Shoemaker of Calvary it is involved in feelings of pleasure and as much as he could ever need me. This was And for that I am grateful. Episcopal Church in New York City. satisfaction) is activated when alcohol and perfect mutuality, this was full brotherhood. This was the crucial and the final answer. [1] Editors’ note – see, for example, Striatal D2 dopamine other drugs are taken. Studies indicate The movement preached four principles for receptor binding characteristics in vivo in patients with alcohol alcoholics often have lower levels of ‘D2’ ‘release from hopelessness’: self-survey, The missing link was then fully forged and dependence. Hietala J1, West C, Syvälahti E, Någren K, Lehikoinen P, Sonninen P, Ruotsalainen U. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 1994 receptors for dopamine, which it is now restitution, outgoing helpfulness to others, somehow we knew this at once….To those Nov;116(3):285-90. thought to be a factor in their increased and prayer. These principles were adapted wonderful friends (such as Dr. Silkworth, alcohol intake.[1] The interesting thing to me and expanded upon in Steps 2 through 11 Rev. Shoemaker, William James, and others) is how this chemical evidence of fewer D2 drafted by Bill Wilson in what became who thus brought Dr. Bob and me within 2 3 Faith and commitment… NEWSUPDATE NEWSUPDATE NEWSUPDATE NEWSUPDATE Serendipidity OECD report org/health/tackling-harmful-alcohol-use- Michele Evenstar of Exeter personal accounts brought a very real sense By a strange coincidence, the week after 9789264181069-en.htm of the pain misuse of alcohol and drugs can Yearly Meeting Gathering was held, a new Quaker Meeting reflects bring to some of us – and to close friends and report called ‘Tackling harmful alcohol use’ Whither Minimum Unit Pricing? on QAAD’s Special Interest families. was published by the OECD. The evidence Scotland legislated to introduce MUP in it sets out relates to some of the points that 2012 but it has not yet been adopted in Such an emotive topic can easily draw a Meeting at Yearly Meeting we discussed in QAAD’s Special Interest practice. The European Union’s Court of My first Britain Yearly Meeting, my first visit meeting away from its focus but Helena Meeting. Justice is currently hearing a case that was gently steered participants back to the subject to Friends House for that matter…. as someone The report finds common evidence from brought against it by the Scottish Whisky of minimum unit pricing and worked to keep who has dithered at the perimeter of the many countries that the majority of alcohol Association. In the meanwhile, the Health the debate open to everyone. Both Helena Quaker organisation for many years, unclear is drunk by the heaviest-drinking 20% of Minister for Northern Ireland has signalled about my faith and wary of commitment, I had and several of those who had been affected the population - but also that approximately his intention to consult on MUP this year, surprised myself by deciding to attend Yearly by alcohol problems stressed that although four in five drinkers would decrease their risk and Wales also seems to be moving towards a Draft Bill. The outcome of the legal Meeting. And at first I was overwhelmed by Minimum Unit Pricing may not make much of death by cutting their alcohol intake by challenge will be very significant, therefore, the size of Friends House, the busy-ness of difference to those who are already addicted, it one unit per week. One of the many points and we gather that a decision might be it (at what must be one of its busiest times), would be a strong preventative measure. Cheap of interest is found in a section on specific countries, where it considers England. The forthcoming soon. Successive Westminster the number of Quakers - organising, greeting, alcohol is one of the factors that enables ‘at authors note: ‘In England, both men and governments of all colours have considered chatting, bustling to and fro… But despite risk’ drinking to escalate. women with high education are more likely MUP but so far drawn back from adopting it. the overloading of my senses I felt among F/ By the end of this lunchtime session I felt I had to be hazardous drinkers than their less a better understanding of the background to friends from the start – as indeed I was. educated counterparts.’ On the positive side, Plain packaging for tobacco So, among all the other decisions to be made minimum unit pricing, some of the evidence it reports a fall in binge-drinking in England In March 2015, a measure enabling standardized ‘plain’ packaging for cigarettes (which main sessions to attend, when and in its favour and an awareness of some of the over the last few years.

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