He Gave Me the Shirt Off His Back

My name is Bill and I'm an alcoholic. Before I had my last drink in July 1986, it was necessary for me to try every form of self-deception and experimentation that the Big Book refers to. I found myself in and out of Alcoholics Anonymous for about eight years. I became familiar with the program and could recite large portions of the Big Book from memory. Even so, I kept right on drinking. My unsuccessful attempts at the AA way of life led me to believe I was doomed to a miserable future of drinking that surely would end in tragedy.