RE: Alcoholism
June 11, 2010 at 2:35 am
(This post was last modified: June 11, 2010 at 2:37 am by Oldandeasilyconfused.)
Is alcoholism a disease or learned behaviour?
Again with the nature nurture dichotomy.
A recovering alcoholic (7 years 11 month 1 week 4 days) I really don't know. The issue is far from resolved, with literally hundreds of learned articles arguing each side. The notion of the addictive personality also remains controversial.
It took me nearly 20 years before 'I 'had a problem' yet my maternal grandfather and an aunt were hard core alkies from their first drink IE one drink and they HAD to drink until they passed out. My grandfather died from alcoholism. My aunt got sober after ten years and stayed sober until she died ,45 years later.
My perception is that some people seem to have a genetic predisposition to alcoholism. That does not mean they will necessarily become alcoholic.
I'm pretty well convinced that alcoholism is a disease for some people.What percentage I have no idea.Once a person is in the grip of an addiction, the cause is irrelevant and the prognosis for breaking most addictions remains poor.
I have some issues with the disease model, which is used by AA. My observation is that some alcoholics I've met seem to use 'it's a disease' as an excuse to avoid personal responsibility.
Recovering from alcoholism has been hard for me. Will power wasn't much of a factor in the first month of my sobriety, I was too ill,and just did what I was told. After that,to this day,willpower is central to my sobriety:The powerful desire and determination to stay sober. "I could have a drink" most days " I feel like a drink" about once a week , "I REALLY want a drink" about once every 3 months. So far so good.
I lack the arrogance of AA or others to claim I understand even my own alcoholism. My concern today is with the what and the how. I assert only I'm sober through total abstinence. I make no claims about my approach as a principle.I assert only that it has worked for me so far with odds of over 20:1 against.
Again with the nature nurture dichotomy.
A recovering alcoholic (7 years 11 month 1 week 4 days) I really don't know. The issue is far from resolved, with literally hundreds of learned articles arguing each side. The notion of the addictive personality also remains controversial.
It took me nearly 20 years before 'I 'had a problem' yet my maternal grandfather and an aunt were hard core alkies from their first drink IE one drink and they HAD to drink until they passed out. My grandfather died from alcoholism. My aunt got sober after ten years and stayed sober until she died ,45 years later.
My perception is that some people seem to have a genetic predisposition to alcoholism. That does not mean they will necessarily become alcoholic.
I'm pretty well convinced that alcoholism is a disease for some people.What percentage I have no idea.Once a person is in the grip of an addiction, the cause is irrelevant and the prognosis for breaking most addictions remains poor.
I have some issues with the disease model, which is used by AA. My observation is that some alcoholics I've met seem to use 'it's a disease' as an excuse to avoid personal responsibility.
Recovering from alcoholism has been hard for me. Will power wasn't much of a factor in the first month of my sobriety, I was too ill,and just did what I was told. After that,to this day,willpower is central to my sobriety:The powerful desire and determination to stay sober. "I could have a drink" most days " I feel like a drink" about once a week , "I REALLY want a drink" about once every 3 months. So far so good.
I lack the arrogance of AA or others to claim I understand even my own alcoholism. My concern today is with the what and the how. I assert only I'm sober through total abstinence. I make no claims about my approach as a principle.I assert only that it has worked for me so far with odds of over 20:1 against.
