Join Wayne Giles as he reads and expands on the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, offering deeper understanding and practical advice for those on their recovery journey. In this Step 1 AA session, Wayne explores the idea of alcoholism as an illness, a concept introduced by the founders of AA long before it was widely accepted by the medical community. He discusses how alcoholism affects those around us in ways that other illnesses do not, causing deep hurt and resentment among loved ones.

“An illness of this sort—and we have come to believe it an illness—involves those about us in a way no other human sickness can. If a person has cancer, all are sorry for him, and no one is angry or hurt.”

Wayne emphasizes that understanding alcoholism as an illness is not an excuse for harmful behavior, but rather a reason to seek deep ...