I wish someone had told me this . . . . .

[43395]

I wish someone had told me that as the,'Big Book' (Alcholics Anonymous) says the mind and body of an alcoholic are different or as Dr.Silkworth said he believed those who suffer alcoholism have a physical allergy, apparently it has now known that alcohol is broken down by enzymes, but you all knew that. In a normal,'social drinker' the metabolism breaks down alcohol at the rate of 1oz. per hour, this doesn't happen in the case of alcoholics. Acetone which breaks down the alcoholic carbohydrates works at a much slower rate and as the acetone level rises it sends messages to the brain craving MORE alcohol, it also destroys tissue in the liver and pancreas greatly assisted by the aging process.
Equally so the problems of life make an alcoholic seek the ease and comfort brought by the first drink, so all that happens is that the process starts all over again in a vicious, life destroying circle. So the answer lies on Page 164 of the,'Big Book', a 'psyhcic change' brought on by a 'spiritual experience' or as Bill Wilson said,'spiritual education' is what is required.
I wish someone had told me this 30years ago when I first walked into an AA meeting instead of just getting me to wash the pots, but then may be thery do things different here in the UK.

[Carol Star]

Yep and now I am sober but love pasta and candy!

[CarolD]

Hi....

If you wish....
please do come share more of your experiences
in our Alcoholism Forum and our
Alcoholism 12 Step Support Forum.

Forward we go...side by side....

[FanofJoeMcQ]

I know I didn't have the information spelled out for me and I do know i was invited to spend at least one meeting a week studying the first 164 pages of the Big Book. And there are pamphlets that I read that provide that information as well. Hugs to you.

[Helene]

Michael, have you read the book "Under the Influence"? I think you will find that very enlightening. I wish you all the best and please keep coming back

[43395]

I'm afraid I haven't read the book you referred to, although I have read many spiritual books, before and after I got sober but to me the first 164 pages of the,'Big Book' are the best, they contain no lies but obviously these days advances have been made in the causes of our illness but you still need spirituality. Einstein said," First there was science, thern there is God, (of your understanding of course!) Michael W.

[bugsworth]

I am curious Michael...Do you have any medical documents regarding the metabolic breakdown of alcohol in alcoholics as opposed to "normal" drinkers? In addition what does spirituality have to do with this process?

[meditation]

So I wonder what they say about the breakdown of enzymes with addictions besides alcohol? A craving for something that you mentally know is bad for you but at the same time it feels so good when you are newly addicted. I often wondered why something that made me feel good could turn around and bite me so bad.
I don't see though with addictions to drugs or opiates how it could be so easily explained as an allergy. There is no acetone to breakdown.
I don't know that I really buy the allergy theory because it doesn't explain nicotine addictions or other addictions that are helped by recovery programs. I am sure someone out there may have an explanation.

I get the fact that if say wheat is something I am allergic to and I abstain from wheat then I am no longer bothered by the allergy. Recovery programs keep us away from the source of the supposed allergy.

[43395]

The allergy in those who suffer from alcohol-ISM is the fact that those individuals who consume alcohol do not digest at the same rate as a,'normal social drinker' e.g. approx. 1oz per hour, this causes a build up of acetone, which is in the body and is used to breakdown the carbohydrates in the alcohol sending messages to the brain for more of the stuff! This starts the vicious cycle, usually leading to oblivion, what happens along the way, as those who have swuffered this illnes will testify, varies, if you're lucky you get to wake up, if your not. . . . ..

Acetone also destroys tissue e.g. the liver and pancreas, e.g. cirrohsis of the liver, Errol Flynn and David Niven, who drank heavily called their shared home, 'Cirrohsis by the Sea'. Just thought I'd throw that in. On top of these facts you also have to take into account, the aging factor, you get older you don't eat or drink the same, those raw red hot peppers that youm used to gnaw on as a teenager don't go down so good when you get older, ask Bill Cosby, its in his book on growing older.

[43395]

Having described the physical process which affects those who suffer alcohol-ISM I will turn to the question that has been raised,'Where does spirituality come into all this?'

For those who are,'real alcoholics' (see Chap.3,'Alcoholics Anonymous') it is then necessary for the miond to ,'recover' as it is tormentede by the fact that one drink will bring about the sense of ease and comfort that it has, no matter what the circumstances it felt before, we humans repeat success, we do it in our everyday lives all the time, buy the same brands, go to the same shops that have provided a good service. Once a,'real alcoholic' takes a drink its effect is that it instantly makes everything AALLRRIIGGHHTT! It doesn't do that to normal social drinkers, the vicious cycle starts all over again!

So, the alcohol is but a symptom, it's the -ISMS, that are the problem and to deal with them you need to not only learn about but practice spirituality in your everyday life, a good place to start is in the,Big Book' and if, like I did expand on that. Fundemental Buddhism helped me a lot, but each to his own after all, as the Dali Lama says,'Buddhism, is the sciencfe of the mind.'

[bugsworth]

Thanks Michael...I thought you had information from a different source than the bb. Thanks anyway.

[TGFS]

I don't know what the origin of the disease is. All I know is that AA has kept me sober for 38 days. Some people call it a cult. I say if it is a cult than bring on the Kool-Aid cause it's keeping me sober and out of trouble.

[43395]

You are of course perfectly entitled to your point of view, and I take no issue with you or it I only wish you sobriety, serenity and spirituality found in the God of your understanding. . . . . .

[yeahgr8]

Yeah it makes a lot of sense, maybe in the future with the growing problem of alcohol abuse in the world, the powers that be might start investing money in medical studies like they do with most diseases. Seems quite a few people need proof that the earth is round and if you sail too far across the ocean you actually won't fall off the edge (there you go bugs, is a quip is as good as stats, no?;-) hehehe)...maybe in a generation or two hey?! There is a similar part in the NA BB i believe (my friend is in NA) wherein the brain does not break down cocaine etc as fast as normal people, somthing to do with the receptors...cue someone from NA to comment!