Nurses don’t give alcohol to patients, you would have to be a bit dim to promote such a thing.

I would recommend a search. In their house in Ohio Bill has what they called “the spook room” here Bill would try and channel with a friend in attendance to take notes. They would also conduct seances, Lois reportedly mentioned they were able to levitate a table etc.

The book I would recommend is Ken Ragge’s myth of the 12 steps.

easily found online or thru Sharp Press.

http://www.morerevealed.com

Happened in here yesterday from a Google search regarding Bill Wilson’s experiences with taking LSD… glad to have found your site.

I missed the 2004 release of, and the Washington Post review of Susan Cheever’s book, so it was news to me that Bill Wilson had requested alcohol prior to his death, although it didn’t surprise me. What does surprise me is that so many assume that he remained completely abstinent from alcohol for those thirty-six challenging years.

Based on what I have come to know about addiction, and people, I would not be at all surprised if we were to ever learn that Bill Wilson drank again, either while Alcoholics Anonymous was spreading across the world, or on his death bed, which nurses and attendants may have wisely not recorded in their notes.

You asked: Does anyone think that the millions of people Bill Wilson’s program helped off of alcohol would go back to drinking upon hearing that he “gave in” once he was within inches of dying? Would it somehow have invalidated AA’s track record?

My never-humble opinion: No; the millions of people helped off of alcohol in A.A. would not go back to drinking if or had Bill Wilson drank again while on his deathbed–chances are, they would have prayed for him instead. Nor do I believe it would have invalidated AA?s track record, as they would have done with the information precisely what Ms. Cheever did: point to it as further evidence that alcoholism is an incurable illness characterized by an obsession and compulsion to drink: ?The idea that somehow, someday he will control and enjoy his drinking is the great obsession of every abnormal drinker. The persistence of this illusion is astonishing. Many pursue it into the gates of insanity or death.? - p.30 Alcoholics Anonymous

As others who have commented here, I too was once an active member of AA and NA–for fourteen years–but have stopped attending meetings a little over three years ago. I had also worked ?in the field? as a NYS credentialed alcoholism counselor for six years in 12-step based treatment programs, and was seven years abstinent from illegal drugs and alcohol when I found myself, nine years ago, planning my own suicide as childhood sexual abuse issues were surfacing. I am thankful today that I chose to pick up a drink again instead, and persisted in my recovery efforts, despite being pigeonholed by both my peers and treatment providers as having surrendered to ?the disease.?

I shall be forever grateful to AA and NA for opening the door to a new way of life for me, however, since I no longer fully subscribe to their beliefs and approach to addiction and recovery, I can no longer carry the twelve step message, and therefore no longer attend their meetings.

I still firmly believe there are benefits to self-help, and sharing with others… now just to find them… or hope they find me.