CONDITION: Old-Timer's Disease

TIME OF ONSET: At any time during recovery. The disease has
been observed in its beginning stages as
early as a few months into recovery (when it
is sometimes referred to as THE-90-DAY-WONDER
CONDITION). It is, however, more common
among persons with many years sobriety.
Indeed, some researchers suspect that the
longer persons are in recovery the greater
the risk of the disease occurring.

SYMPTOMOLOGY: Among those who have contracted the disease,
certain behaviors and attitudes routinely
occur. Since no single one of them
necessarily indicates the presence of OLD-
TIMER'S DISEASE but may, instead, point to
some related or associated condition, the
following list should be used to diagnose
oneself rather than other persons.

Principal symptoms include:
-- infrequent attendance at A.A. meetings.
Examples of excuses offered for this include:
that meetings are not the way they used to
be, or are boring, or do not have good
sobriety because of the presence of so many
newcomers;
-- when speaking at meetings, reminding those
present of the length of one's sobriety.
Such reminders can be obvious or subtle.
While they may even be preceded by assurances
of gratitude to those who helped one to
achieve such sobriety, they often indicate a
smug self-satisfaction with one's
accomplishments;
-- resfual to get, or to use, a sponsor.
This is often explained by the observation
that no individual can be found whose
sobriety is longer than one's own--which
indicates a confusion between quality of
sobriety and quantity of sobriety;
-- complaints (privately expressed) that A.A.
is not as it used to be; or has been watered
down; or is in serious danger of becoming
ineffective, in part because of all the new
people who are coming in to the program.
This symptom is often accompanied by
-- the belief that one is the definitive
interpreter of and authority on the Big Book,
the Steps, and the Traditions and thus is the
savior of A.A. from its less enlightened
members;
-- preaching the message (often with the
index finger upraised) rather than sharing
experience, strength, and hope. This symptom
can show itself in a variety of ways; for
example, the frequent beginning of sentences
with "You should" or "You need to" instead of
"I did" or "I am doing"; knowing what other
people need to do with their lives and
informing them of one's recommendations even
when such advice has not been requested; in
severe cases, discussing other people's
failures during a meeting;
-- resentment if one is not called upon at a
meeting, and resentment against those who
have been called upon to speak. Special
resentment is reserved for the person
chairing the meeting;
-- referring constantly to one's past
struggles, defeats, and triumphs. Only in
the rarest of instances is there any
reference to present problems. Behind this
lies the belief that, granted one's years of
sobriety, one ought not to have any current
problems. There is, in addition, the fear
that admission that one's life is not always
wonderful and joyous might damage the
program's effectiveness in the eyes of
newcomers;

CAUSE OF DISEASE: Pride and fear.

TREATMENT: Depending on the severity of the
individual's case, one or more of the
following will probably prove effective:

-- frequent meetings: daily for one to
three months, if possible;
-- involvement with a strong, insightful,
available sponsor, especially one with
extensive experience working with
newcomers or potential relapsers;
-- reworking the Steps, beginning with
Step One, with special emphasis on Steps
Three and Eleven;
-- listening carefully at meetings. The
practice of listening is greatly enhanced
by the decision not to speak at meetings,
even if called upon, thus freeing one from
having to prepare what one wishes to say
while others are speaking;
-- volunteering for service, including
coffee-making, setting up and taking down
chairs, general cleaning up after
meetings;
-- making sincere efforts to bring the
symptoms of the disease to an end. For
example: resisting the tendency to remind
others of one's sobriety date; focusing on
oneself rather than on others; speaking
about "how it is" rather than "how it
was"; making a gratitude list; meditating
on the slogans, especially "Live and Let
Live," "Let Go and Let God," and "But for
the Grace of God"; asking those in one's
home group for their help and support in
one's struggle against OLD-TIMER'S
DISEASE.

PROGNOSIS: Left untreated, the disease can cause
serious problems in its victim's spiritual
life and in his relationships with other
people. As such, it is closely related
to, if not at times identical with, the
DRY DRUNK SYNDROME.

In extreme cases, the disease may lead to
a return to drinking and to death.

With treatment, the victim can be restored
to good spiritual health, characterized
by gratitude to a loving God for the
unearned and undeserved gift of recovery.
VERSION OF ABOVE SENT TO N.A. WAY:

CONDITION: Old-Timer's Disease

TIME OF ONSET: At any time during recovery. The disease has
been observed in its beginning stages as
early as a few months into recovery (when it
is sometimes referred to as THE-90-DAY-WONDER
CONDITION). It is, however, more common
among persons with many years in the program.
Indeed, some researchers suspect that the
longer persons are in recovery the greater
the risk of the disease occurring.

SYMPTOMOLOGY: Among those who have contracted the disease,
certain behaviors and attitudes routinely
occur. Since no single one of them
necessarily indicates the presence of OLD-
TIMER'S DISEASE but may, instead, point to
some related or associated condition, the
following list should be used to diagnose
oneself rather than other persons.

Principal symptoms include:
-- infrequent attendance at N.A. meetings.
Examples of excuses offered for this include:
that meetings are not the way they used to
be, or are boring, or do not have good
recovery because of the presence of so many
newcomers;
-- when speaking at meetings, reminding those
present of the length of one's time in the
program. Such reminders can be obvious or
subtle. While they may even be preceded by
assurances of gratitude to those who helped
one to achieve recovery, they often indicate
a smug self-satisfaction with one's
accomplishments;
-- refusal to get, or to use, a sponsor.
This is often explained by the observation
that no individual can be found whose
recovery is longer than one's own--which
indicates a confusion between quality of
recovery and quantity of recovery;
--complaints (privately expressed) that N.A.
is not as it used to be; or has been watered
down; or is in serious danger of becoming
ineffective, in part because of all the new
people who are coming in to the program.
This symptom is often accompanied by
-- the belief that one is the definitive
interpreter of and authority on the Basic
Text, the Steps, and the Traditions and thus
is the savior of N.A. from its less
enlightened members;
-- preaching the message (often with the
index finger upraised) rather than sharing
experience, strength, and hope. This symptom
can show itself in a variety of ways; for
example, the frequent beginning of sentences
with "You should" or "You need to" instead of
"I did" or "I am doing"; knowing what other
people need to do with their lives and
informing them of one's recommendations even
when such advice has not been requested; in
severe cases, discussing other people's
failures during a meeting;
-- resentment if one is not called upon at a
meeting, and resentment against those who
have been called upon to speak. Special
resentment is reserved for the person
chairing the meeting;
-- referring constantly to one's past
struggles, defeats, and triumphs. Only in
the rarest of instances is there any
reference to present problems. Behind this
lies the belief that, granted one's years of
recovery, one ought not to have any current
problems. There is, in addition, the fear
that admission that one's life is not always
wonderful and joyous might damage the
effectiveness of N.A. in the eyes of
newcomers.

CAUSE OF DISEASE: Pride and fear.

TREATMENT: Depending on the severity of the
individual's case, one or more of the
following will probably prove effective:

-- frequent meetings: daily for one to
three months, if possible;
-- involvement with a strong, insightful,
available sponsor, especially one with
extensive experience working with
newcomers or potential relapsers;
-- reworking the Steps, beginning with
Step One, with special emphasis on Steps
Three and Eleven;
-- listening carefully at meetings. The
practice of listening is greatly enhanced
by the decision not to speak at meetings,
even if called upon, thus freeing one from
having to prepare what one wishes to say
while others are speaking;
-- volunteering for service, including
coffee-making, setting up and taking down
chairs, general cleaning up after
meetings;
-- making sincere efforts to bring the
symptoms of the disease to an end. For
example: resisting the tendency to remind
others of one's recovery date; focusing on
oneself rather than on others; speaking
about "how it is" rather than "how it
was"; making a gratitude list; asking
those in one's home group for their help
and support in one's struggle against OLD-
TIMER'S DISEASE.

PROGNOSIS: Left untreated, the disease can cause
serious problems in its victim's spiritual
life and in his relationships with other
people.
In extreme cases, the disease may lead to
a return to using and to death.
With treatment, the victim can be restored
to good spiritual health, characterized
by gratitude to a loving God for the
unearned and undeserved gift of recovery.