The vicious cycle.

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For me, recovery involved realising that I was a,'real alcoholic' not just a heavy drinker or even alcohol dependent but as Dr.Silkworth said in ,'The Doctor's Opinion' in the ,'Big Book' someone who suffered a physical and mental allergy to alcohol that has now been shown to effect a limited number (8%) of the population. In real terms it simply means that my body does not, like a ,'normal social drinker' digest alcohol at the rate of 1oz per hour but instead the acetone in my body reacts at a much slower rate on the carbohydrates from the alcohol I have consumed, thus sending messages to the brain saying,"Give me some more" thus setting off the vicious circle until I pass out, leaving this free to carry on until I wake up, and start all over again. Of course critics will say but what happens if you just stop drinking, well the craving won't start, however a 'real alcohlic' will,'once more want the sense of ease and comfort' brought about by the first drink. The illness is Alcohol-ISMS, no -ISMS, no desire for the,'sense of ease etc.' therefore it is essential that either in very rare cases a ,'spiritual experience' takes place as happened to Bill W. or a spiritual education, as happened to Dr.Bob happens, remembering the latter was a very religious man, big difference between religion and spirituality. All these things are in the opening and first 164 pages of the book,'Alcohics Anonymous' which was written, not just by Bill W. but the first 100 people, check it out, so they can't all be wrong! Of course the science bit, acetone etc., came much later but Dr.Silkworth was on the right track. Everything I've said here can be enlarged on but that is fundementally what Recovery means to me, ACCEPTANCE.