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Alcoholism

AA is for quitters!!
In all seriousness I’ll be the first to admit I’m an alcoholic. I’ve had 4 uncles and a grandpaw to die from alcohol.
Back in 2010 I found myself in a dark hole. Drinking hard everyday at every time I had a chance. Blew up to 230lbs nothing but a beer gut. One day the neighbor said “ I don’t believe I’ve ever saw Kyle (me) w/o a beer in my hand. Not to brag but I could drink anyone and everyone under the table and then drive home. It is family curse. It does run in the blood. But thanks to the good Lord and savior he took the taste out of my mouth and I quit cold turkey for 10/11 yrs…. Then COVID hit. Wife was at home for 6 months w/o a job (she’s a dental hygienist) and I started drinking again. Now I can take it or leave it but I still enjoy a good drink. I do not drink in front of my kids. I’ll pour it in a cup. But the urge and addiction is still there. I’ll admit it. At the same time I hurt like hell from work and everyday life and the way I see it I could be doing a lot worse things then a glass of bourbon to help me sleep. But still. Once an alcoholic always a alcoholic
It’s a battle.
 
Alcohol is mind/mood altering drug

Alcohol affects the brain by interfering and or destroying communication pathways impairs judgment, memory, and coordination. Long-term alcohol use leads to brain damage, cognitive decline, liver and kidney damage/failure and conditions like Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome.

Most alcoholics drink to lower inhibitions (and it does) and excuse the resulting behavior they think "... it makes me a little bit more talkative. It makes me more social, makes me calmer and relaxes me...." but as they drink more — and they don’t need to drink that much more — eventually, the enzymes that break down the alcohol get saturated. So, the alcohol builds up then, they start having poor muscle coordination and slurred speech memory issues and processing issues that lead to poor choices, bad behavior, a blackout, loss of consciousness, coma or death.

Alcoholics are medicating themselves some do it effectively most of them do not

(AMA) defines a successful treatment as one that effectively addresses a patient's medical condition, improving their health and quality of life while being evidence-supported and necessary. This involves a partnership between the patient and physician to ensure the treatment is appropriate and beneficial for the individual.
Alcohol

alcohol /ăl′kə-hôl″, -hŏl″/

noun​

  1. Any of a series of hydroxyl compounds, the simplest of which are derived from saturated hydrocarbons, have the general formula CnH2n+1OH, and include ethanol and methanol.
  2. A colorless volatile flammable liquid, C2H5OH, synthesized or obtained by fermentation of sugars and starches and widely used, either pure or denatured, as a solvent and in drugs, cleaning solutions, explosives, and intoxicating beverages.
  3. Intoxicating beverages containing ethanol considered as a group.
    "the national consumption of alcohol."

AA does not have a business model charge or profit from meetings almost all leaders are volunteers the 12 step process is about getting to know yourself - from the website

Alcoholics Anonymous doesn’t really have rules, nor is there an AA rule book. AA recognizes that there’s no one way to go about sobriety. Instead, AA has the 12 Steps, the 12 Traditions, the 12 Prayers, and over a hundred AA slogans which are used to guide members through their alcohol addiction and into recovery. Members are encouraged to use all of these resources as best serves them, which could include mixing and matching.

However, that’s not to say that there’s no structure at all. It’s highly recommended that participants work through the 12 Steps in order, even if they feel stuck on it. The Big Book and other AA literature provide plenty of guidance on the best way to think about alcoholism and recovery and to make progress. And remember that AA doesn’t have a strict ‘my way or the highway’ approach with rules that members must abide by.
 
If you met an alcoholic you’ll know they don’t have any control. I have a thread on here about my buddy. He almost died from drinking. Was on life support and they pulled the plug but he hung on. That was 9 months ago, and he’s still ****ed up. He’s a doctor, and he hasn’t been to work since January.

People throw the word around like they do with psycho or narcissistic. It’s essentially anyone who doesn’t conform to their beliefs. So a person who drinks infrequently or not at all sees someone who drinks more then they do then that person must be an alcoholic.

If you’ve ever seen an alcoholic in action then you’ll know they will always be an alcoholic even after 30 years of being sober.
 
GeauxLSU GeauxLSU , my ex-wife had a problem, turned her life around and has been sober almost 8 years. She and all the others at AA still introduce themselves as “alcoholics.” Every once in awhile, I’ll hear, “recovering alcoholic” but have never heard anyone refer to themselves as a “recovered alcoholic.” I guess it’s to remind them that the threat is always there maybe?
 
Timber Cruiser said:
GeauxLSU GeauxLSU , my ex-wife had a problem, turned her life around and has been sober almost 8 years. She and all the others at AA still introduce themselves as “alcoholics.” Every once in awhile, I’ll hear, “recovering alcoholic” but have never heard anyone refer to themselves as a “recovered alcoholic.” I guess it’s to remind them that the threat is always there maybe?
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They realize they're only one drink away from back to square one. Don't agree with AA, but it seems to work for those who need it, and work the program.
 
BIKER13 said:
Went to 1 AA meeting.Convinced myself only I could quit.Its a personal choice. Came home one day opened a Bud and told em this is it.Nobody gave me much of a chance but 33 years last January.
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Totally agree sir. Personal choice. I quit smoking cold turkey in March 2003. Kept a pack of Winstons laying beside me for over a year without opening them. In my mind it was my way of showing I was stronger than the addiction.
 
tas6691 said:
" the AA people are a cult . I had to sit through their program when I got a DUI. I'm glad it works for some people but they are definitely gloom and doom if you try to leave. Their whole business model is to break you down to the point where you are helpless without them. I can't get on board with that."

You know absolutely nothing about AA then.
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I certainly did not intend to offend anyone about it. And if it has worked for you or someone close to you then that's obviously a good thing. My only point was that they constantly drill it into your head that without them you will never make it. To ME that's a bit much.
But again if it's helped anyone here then by all means keep doing whatever works for YOU.
 
Timber Cruiser said:
GeauxLSU GeauxLSU , my ex-wife had a problem, turned her life around and has been sober almost 8 years. She and all the others at AA still introduce themselves as “alcoholics.” Every once in awhile, I’ll hear, “recovering alcoholic” but have never heard anyone refer to themselves as a “recovered alcoholic.” I guess it’s to remind them that the threat is always there maybe?
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I completely understand that. And every situation is unique I'm sure. It just seems some who are able would be willing to declare victory. But absolutely whatever works and keeps people between the lines.
Congrats to your wife!!!
Like most I guess, I have a few family members that will never get to the other side because they refuse to even acknowledge it.
 
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