There is no reason we drink other than we are alcoholics - IMO. What do you think?
For me - I had to let go of all the excuses completely and look alcoholism square in the eye for what it was. A disease that looked for ANY excuse to live. I used to say I drank because of PTSD and finding the suicide victim (my boyfriend of 2 yrs) with his head blown off. But what I believe now is that I would have become an alcoholic no matter what - yes this PTSD may have accelerated it... but I was born this way - and rain or shine - I would go out drunk if it weren't for AA.
An illness of this sort - and we have come to believe it an illness - involves those about us in a way no other human sickness can. If a person has cancer all are sorry for him and no one is angry or hurt. But not so with the alcoholic illness, for with it there goes annihilation of all the things worth while in life. It engulfs all whose lives touch the sufferer's. It brings misunderstanding, fierce resentment, financial insecurity, disgusted friends and employers, warped lives of blameless children, sad wives and parents - anyone can increase the list.
We hope this volume will inform and comfort those who are, or who may be affected. There are many.
BB pg 18
I know I could increase that list....That illness did everything to me but kill me....And I can honestly say....Had I not found the doors of AA....It would have.
Very interesting post Tasha. I read something about this the other day and have been reflecting on it ever since.
It appears that not everyone who exhibits alcoholic type drinking is necessarily an alcoholic, at least not of my type. Some people drink to blot out a specific event in their lives or perhaps to deal with feelings arising from a repressed memory. There was the case of the elderly man who drank alcoholically for many years. Turns out he was abused as a child and when this was discovered and treated, his drinking moderated or stopped altogether. Many people drink to deal with trauma of one from or another but usually it is a temporary thing, kind of self medicating, and they can fix the drinking by dealing with the traumatic event.
For the real alcoholic, trauma may well be part of the picture and will make matters worse. But treat those issues alone and the drinking will continue. That's because the drinking is not caused by the trauma, its caused by the disease of alcoholism, the obsession of the mind, the allergy, the spiritual malady. Treat the spiritual malady and we straighten out physically and mentally. But we most probably will still need separate treatment for the trauma to recover fully.
In my case I suffered from no external cause/trauma, much as I tried to find something to blame. But no, I'm just a dull old alcoholic who drank because I had a disease.
I agree, Tasha. There were the usual excuses -my father hated me, my first wife left me and so on, but in the end it was just me and the bottle. I had to live with that. My past, well, it remains just that -a distant memory, but today is bright and sunny and A.A. has a lot to do with that. I hope others agree.
I agree, Tasha. There were the usual excuses -my father hated me, my first wife left me and so on, but in the end it was just me and the bottle. I had to live with that. My past, well, it remains just that -a distant memory, but today is bright and sunny and A.A. has a lot to do with that. I hope others agree.
I agree also Tasha ... ... ... My early attempts at recovery were based on 'excuses' ... I drank because ' ??? ' happened in my life or I drank to loosen up because of this situation or that, nerves, etc. ... I had a ready excuse to drink more and more 'til oblivion ...
My 1st son was born with a genetic disorder and would remain a 5 year old (mentally) for life ... and the horrible episodes of his childhood crushed me emotionally ... THAT was the excuse I used for many many years to drink to the blackout stage ... oh, I had a million 'other' excuses, but this was my 'go to' excuse ... I wanted 'pity' rather than help ...
Thank God and AA that I kept 'coming back' to AA until the 'light' finally was switched 'on' ... ... ...
__________________
'Those who leave everything in God's hand will eventually see God's hand in everything.'
I read that story yesterday, and it was one of those moments where I say, "There but for the grace of God go I". She died at the age of 43, I got sober at the age of 46.
All I can do is thank God for my sobriety and pray for the consolation of her family and friends.
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The sway of alcohol over mankind is unquestionably due to its power to stimulate the mystical faculties of human nature, usually crushed to earth by the cold facts and dry criticisms of the sober hour. ---William James
Mahalo Nui Tasha; Thanks alot as I for another day take this same awareness with me out there. I am alcoholic like I am also tuberculic. I was born this way...my tuberculosis doesn't do near as much damage as my alcoholism. It centers in my lungs and breathing system and is just...there. I don't smoke anymore nor do I put my lungs in situations where they will be stressed again which includes drinking alcohol. Did you know that the disease of tuberculosis exist on the presence of alcoholism. Children of alcoholics are born with weak or disabled breathing systems so therefore... I did my research, part of my deep 4th steps which went beyond moral only. I went to college and came away with many answers one being the "Genetic Affect" of generational alcoholism. I was also predisposed and was forever changed mind, body, spirit and emotions at my first drink of cultural wine by my Grandmother. Studies also revealed up until a week ago that alcohol and drug use and surely the isms are thousands of years old...how bold I would be to make statement that I am impervious to it even insite of my history of being under the influence of it. I will die alcoholic and because of the same AA program that you work so dilligently chances are less that I will not die inebriated. I will always be alcoholic; under the influence; for every AA meeting I walk into and for every post I read here and for all of the information in literature I gather for my sobriety and for every moment I live this program reveals to me that I am. Thank you for carrying the message here and hopefully outside of here. Having found out what we have found out it is our responsibility to bring it to others.
Blessings...thank you for making your journey transparent. ((((hugs))))
