January 24

January 24 – AM          Page xxvi, The Doctor’s Opinion

      The physician who, at our request, gave us this letter, has been kind enough to enlarge upon his views in another statement which follows.  In this statement he confirms what we who have suffered alcoholic torture must believe—that the body of the alcoholic is quite as abnormal as his mind.  It did not satisfy us to be told that we could not control our drinking just because we were maladjusted to life, that we were in full flight from reality, or were outright mental defectives.  These things were true to some extent, in fact, to a considerable extent with some of us.  But we are sure that our bodies were sickened as well.  In our belief, any picture of the alcoholic which leaves out this physical factor is incomplete.
The doctor’s theory that we have an allergy to alcohol interests us.  As laymen, our opinion as to its soundness may, of course, mean little.  But as ex-problem drinkers, we can say that his explanation makes good sense.  It explains many things for which we cannot otherwise account.

January 24 – PM          Page 90-91, Working With Others, Chapter 7

      If he does not want to see you, never force yourself upon him.  Neither should the family hysterically plead with him to do anything, nor should they tell him much about you.  They should wait for the end of his next drinking bout.  You might place this book where he can see it in the interval.  Here no specific rule can be given.  The family must decide these things.  But urge them not to be over-anxious, for that might spoil matters.
Usually the family should not try to tell your story.  When possible, avoid meeting a man through his family.  Approach through a doctor or an institution is a better bet.  If your man needs hospitalization, he should have it, but not forcibly unless he is violent.  Let the doctor, if he will, tell him he has something in the way of a solution.