A hopeless Spiral of distruction?

researchrabbit · Dec 10, 2002

My SO is a recovering alcoholic and has 15 years of sobriety (after a good 20 years or more of drinking) and highly recommends AA.

sjoe · Dec 10, 2002

AA has the best track record of any treatment modalities and most other treatments include AA as a part, though personally I don't buy their basic premise--that alcoholism is a disease.

CliveUK · Dec 11, 2002

There are innumerable stories of people conquering alcoholism.

Here's a little something from AA: -

http://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org/default/en_about_aa_sub.cfm?subpageid=79&pageid=13

2banurse · Dec 11, 2002

Originally posted by CMERN
HI.. Iam new to this Forum..I am an E.R. nurse and deal daily with an array of Psyche issues..But as of in the past week I have been in contact with a person whom ..admittedly has an "alchohol Addiction"...I want to ask you nurses with first hand experience do you know of any positive outcomes of people who have battled this and WON ?...Is it even possible?...please give me some insight...as this person that I speak of does appear to have intelligence,and a good heart toward others??.. Thnk YOU all . :)

Of course it is possible BUT the most important is for the person with this addiction make the choice. It is not any easy choice by any means, especially if alcohol has been used to self-medicate other psychological problems. That is why counseling, either AA or private counseling, is needed. My dad is a recovering alcoholic for many years and it was he who ultimately had to make the decision. The positive outcome is that he's alive to see his grandson. If he had continued on his path, that would not have been possible.

Kris

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Dec 12, 2002

I'm a recovering alcoholic too, with very close to 11 years of sobriety (January 1st). I'm living proof that this disease can be controlled, if not conquered. But the sick person cannot even begin to control the disease until s/he recognizes there's a problem, and acknowledges that s/he needs help!

The hardest thing for anyone who cares for somebody like me is realizing that they can't MAKE the person want help. That's why Al-Anon is available to those who love and/or live with an alcoholic. Until the alcoholic is ready to ask for help, all the shouting, begging, pleading, moralizing, bargaining, crying, nagging, and ultimatums in the world are useless. If love alone were enough, most of us would never have become alcoholics, because most of us have loved and been loved, and yet the disease renders our loved ones powerless. Only we can stop the destructive spiral; the responsibility for achieving sanity is ours alone.

But it can be done, even if it's extraordinarily difficult. I will probably crave alcohol until the end of my days, but as the saying goes, one drink is too much, and a thousand are not enough. To drink again, knowing what I know about myself, would be to completely undo all the learning and growing that I've been able to do since I took my last drink on December 31, 1991. To lose the life I've built for myself and my family since that night, would truly be a fate worse than death.