Deaf and Recovery

By Gregory H. Lawrence

See all Articles by GregorySee Gregory's Expert PageGet Updates on 12 Step ProgramsGet Updates on Gregory Lawrence

What happens in the physical world when a Deaf or hard of hearing person enters an AA room: Everybody else seems to be connected and that makes us feel even more isolated than normal. It is frightening that we understand nothing that is going on around us. When we do catch a phrase or idea expressed every body else seems to understand it in some other way. It seems that it isn’t even English that we don’t understand. We are here because we have hit a bottom and we are desperate. The fear intensifies because we know our lives may very well depend upon our beginning recovery. At least our marriage, perhaps freedom from jail and job or school depends upon our beginning recovery. And, we don’t understand anything and we feel for certain that we are not part of it or connected to it in any way. So we sit and endure the hour if we can, get up and leave when it is over, go out and suffer some more until we hit another deeper bottom or die.

What happens in the spiritual dimension when a Deaf or hard of hearing person enters an AA room: A group of souls has come together with a common single intention, to recover from alcoholism. The spiritual beings are mixed and connected to each other so that you can’t tell where one stops and the other starts. The energy level rises as all are giving energy and receiving more than they give. Occasionally an ego does something to stop the whole process but the process starts again as soon as the ego stops acting. Some meetings have more than their share of egos acting but the process of energy sharing is always trying to start again. The spiritual beings are not communicating by voice and it makes no difference if we are hearing, Deaf or hard of hearing. The “Big Book” mentions the “language of the heart”. That is the form of communication here.

According to the CCDHH web site (http://www.ccdhh.org) there are 107,000 deaf and hard of hearing people in Sarasota and Manatee counties, Florida. My friend Darleen Gomez Zangara developed a prevention program several years ago entitled “Me Too” and stated statistics that 1 in 4 deaf and hard of hearing people suffered some form of substance abuse. That means there are over 25,000 deaf and hard of hearing people in this area who are alcoholics or drug addicts. In the general population (hearing world) about 3% of alcoholics stay in a 12 step program of recovery long term. That means that if there were equal access for deaf and hard of hearing people, there would be over 750 people attending meetings regularly. There are 2 people attending meetings regularly. There is almost no access to AA meetings in this area for deaf and hard of hearing. In many areas, Ft. Myers is an example, there is no access and therefore no deaf or hard of hearing people in AA.

In my book How It Works, is a solution. The solution for individuals is posted as an excerpt on the web site: How It Works. There is also a solution for AA and the other 12 step recovery programs in the book. You have read this far, so you must have some interest. Please participate in the solution that will end the suffering of thousands of people. We are all successful communicators or we wouldn’t be here. Communicate the solution in every way you can.