For what is this fire-water good? It burns the throat and the stomach; it makes a man like a bear who has lost his senses. He bites, he growls, he scratches and he howls. He falls down as if he were dead, fire-water does nothing but harm. We do not want it.

Crow

But there was always the curious mental phenomenon that parallel with our sound reasoning there inevitably ran some insanely trivial excuse for taking the first drink. Our sound reasoning failed to hold us in check. The insane idea won out. Next day we would ask ourselves, in all earnestness and sincerity, how it could have happened.

Big Book  pg. 37

Reprinted with permission A.A.W.S.

The alcoholic is like a tornado roaring his way through the lives of others. Hearts are broken. Sweet relationships are dead. Affections have been uprooted...

Big Book  pg. 82

Reprinted with permission A.A.W.S.

The less people tolerated us, the more we withdrew from society, from life itself.

Big Book  pg. 151

Reprinted with permission A.A.W.S.

Great Mystery remove this obsession to drink, grant me sanity.