Bill Wilson co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous talking on the singleness of purpose 1957 now
we're running into what we call the dual purpose group and we're running into this question of what
we're going to do with people who have related problems I've got a hell of a queer sex problem
like they are we go to the horse problem or we got a narcotic problem or we got a gambling
problem or we're too fast or we're nervous we've got an erotic problem well around in a a we got
people with all those problems I guess I got all of my shell however I am a drunken you're
a jock doll the breakage of the primary basis of my identification is view at the hell the
time I had break it and the wonderful time I've had getting all which had involved however was
dealing with some of the younger line problems which we already have so now as you know there
have been a great many sort of obvious or copies of a a some faithful bank demolition not too much
Joe we have neurotic phenomena gamblers anonymous Maddox Anonymous Narcotics Anonymous into or stays
anonymous and we have some organizations that deal with metal cases like recovery incorporated and we
are not alone by day and suddenly people begin to the very well under there for now some of our
members go over to these other people to help them entity now and that is fun but now again
comes the old problem that we had with the club with the family with the education now we want
to be married so let's say I'm an accountant is well well we got around in a a lot of people had
trouble not only with pills that was morphine I mean the genuine addict they identified with us
they joined it because they were also alcohol but naturally having had the addiction problem
true they know the awful agony of that they want to carry this message to the Cure straight at so
in some cases they've tried to bring those people to a a meeting and bring them into full membership
right away the wheels begin decline because are we going to take on all of the world's problem
and can anybody with the problem join hey no we decided long ago hey which for a drug no matter
what complications of drug said and how many other problem we don't care anything about that the only
thing we want to know if these drugs you won't get over and then we'll stick to that but now
comes the dry would return the chronic problem he comes today a group and you go I want to borrow
well under group economy this group can really go out if you'd like you can you can take them
well we only deal with alcoholic here all you can say - and we'll look you can comment it at
an open meeting and maybe you'll find if you find around who've also has a narcotic problem who can
help you start in a college group or maybe we're going to put you up on the platform and let you
give a narcotic testimony and we're going to put you on the committee and we're going to take you
is well this last mentioned court judge doesn't work for you because it's not a straight necrotic
latex page did the company a member he had to be capable of doing a 12-stepper he has to be
capable of doing a a committee work and he has to be capable and I get an a a page from a platform
and how the hell can he if he's a narcotic began so that it is my hope that were there a good
sized open meaning that a a member who them felt have had a narcotic experience I wish the worth
of narcotics should certainly be permitted to bring these people and visitors together with
the idea that they may be able to start their own growth but I don't see how we can go any further
with that and the group is the last word on the country totally the group can do what at like
now then the question comes if you brought in an institution where you got a peculiar condition
where they can't have a one meeting a week via a group and here are a lot of narcotic people
and here are people at the plane crime problem and other problem and they see these drunk did
so much better emotionally and say how do you do it and you're the warden and maybe the group
wrote the warden and pistol can't these other people come to army or can't they have separate
meetings they can't we help my warden says no you can't have separately you just have one basically
I would be great if you do they have these people and or I'm telling you I wouldn't - okay don't
income the guy with it such a problem with the narcotic problem or the burglary problem honey
or whatever it is and he sits down with the a Negro thin to me well I say well the only thing
that that group mustn't do is to say we're the a a neurotic group or we are the a a burglary Brooklyn
if that group is going to be lifted in the director is in a a group these other people
have gotta be visible then when they go out there is many guarantee that you're going to receive a
guy who is just a plain yeah good never drank any cry maybe it would be receive is an open meeting
maybe not I don't know I think they talk to each cruel I see there are these borderline cases which
are not matter so shifting the a tradition around is just a reasonable application and again it's
just middle court you can take the course will have nothing to do with anything whatever put a
drop a pure drunk well in the first place or you can take the attitude is gone save the world let's
bring mall now how do you apply the a tradition of the single purpose of a a and the no endorsement
idea of a a and the group autonomy idea they a if you take two or three three tradition you
can work out fair application which will make what we know available to the other situation
that group and at the same time not yet as married and compromise which might ruin our
because I think that it is a fundamental running all through government and through all forms shot
that your first function is to preserve your own sanity well it first preserve our politics
and honor then next let up as individual we'll do what we can for the world around