Quote:
Originally Posted by paulmh  It would really help me in this thread if people could give some idea of how long they've been sober. I think that's the great arbiter of whether something works or not. I know this sounds like an invitation to pull sober rank, but I think it's dead important when we're discussing something like this that we get an idea of not just what people's beliefs are but how well those beliefs serve them.
I spent most of my drinking career arguinbg that alcoholsim wasn't a disease and that ppowerlessness was a load of bunk, and my drinking got worse.
Five years and eight months ago I accepted that I was powerless over alcohol - that I had a disease, for want of a better word - and I took responsibility for the unmanageable mess that my life had become. I haven't had a drink since. I've had the craving removed - or certainly it's gone.
There are newcomers reading this thread. They may be swayed by the opinions here. So let's just put it out there - disease model has served me well for more than five years. How about you? |
This is a classic AA argument used to try to invalidate newcomers views and enforce Big Book ideology.
IMO there are generally 2 types of people who obsess over alcohol, those trying to look for a solution and people in AA (who the majority support the disease theory). Therefore this is reflected in respondents to this thread
I have found people who recover from alcoholism who don't go to AA (which is the majority of alcoholics) generally don't make alcohology there hobby they forgot about alcohol and just accept they can't drink. Whereas a people in AA tend to obsssess over it and quite few (minority but dominant guru types) in AA think reading the big book and long term sobriety makes them an expert on alcoholism. Which means supporting the disease theory of alcoholism.
I do understand where you are coming from with your acceptance paul but I think peoples replies on this thread are very balanced, nobody has given the impression that they don't have a disease therefore they can drink normally.
I'm in the camp of thinking its not a disease anymore than smoking is but I am well aware that I am powerless over alcohol once I pick up that first drink.
I will say calling it a disease has its benefits and drawbacks as people have mentioned.