Powerlessness and Authority

AA states that alcoholics and addicts must recognize that they are powerless against their addictions. Alcoholism is a disease that can no more be cured by willpower than can cancer. James, however, refuses to accept the idea that he must surrender. He believes that he chose to become an addict and that he deserves to suffer the consequences of those addictions. The idea of surrendering control over his life to any system of belief is unbearable to James. Rather, he continues to place the responsibility for his addictions squarely on his own shoulders, and to believe that he can beat this addiction by refusing to be powerless to it. The Clinic staff has seen such stubbornness lead to relapse over and over again, and they try futilely to convince James to work the twelve steps.

However, James's refusal to submit to any form of authority, be...