Weight Maven

I don’t think I knew that Roger Ebert was an alcoholic. Many years after cancer had made drinking a pretty unlikely occurrence for him, he wrote a lengthy post about his experience with A.A., largely to reach out to others:

You may be wondering, in fact, why I’m violating the A.A. policy of anonymity and outing myself. A.A. is anonymous not because of shame but because of prudence; people who go public with their newly-found sobriety have an alarming tendency to relapse. Case studies: those pathetic celebrities who check into rehab and hold a press conference.

In my case, I haven’t taken a drink for 30 years, and this is God’s truth: Since the first A.A. meeting I attended, I have never wanted to. Since surgery in July of 2006 I have literally not been able to drink at all. Unless I go insane and start pouring booze into my g-tube, I believe I’m reasonably safe. So consider this blog entry what A.A. calls a “12th step,” which means sharing the program with others. There’s a chance somebody will read this and take the steps toward sobriety.

I’ve been one of those folks he mentions who are critical of 12-step programs. I’ve dabbled in O.A. in the past, but have resisted both the first step (admitting powerlessness) and the second and third (the whole higher power thing).

But perhaps unsurprisingly, Ebert has a way of writing about A.A. (or at least his experience) that makes it sound like a place well worth attending.

Me, I’ve softened a bit towards 12-steps as I learn more about ancestral health. No one really knows why it works (when it does). Perhaps it is that for those who don’t go in with major league resistance and/or boundaries, the social aspect of it may provide a community of sorts that we’re wired to need/want. Ebert writes:

I came to love the program and the friends I was making through meetings, some of whom are close friends to this day. It was the best thing that ever happened to me.

Rest in peace Roger!

HT Steve Parker for the pointer (via his blog).