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Old 02-24-2011, 08:42 AM
  # 13 (permalink)  
sailorjohn
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Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Baghdad
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Originally Posted by buttercream View Post
I've read tons of books on alcoholism, and there is still one concept that I cannot wrap my head around: if the alcoholic KNOWS alcohol will destroy his life, sees the damage it is doing, and professes that he wants to stop drinking...why won't he seek a program or treatment to try and address the problem when there are so many options available???

I just don't get it.
When I was newly sober I had those thoughts.

Why wasn't it so obvious to me when I was drinking?

It was so obvious to me when I was sober.

Have come to believe that it's probably a combination of things, important to realize that alcoholism is considered by many to be a primary mental illness, so you're dealing with someone that literally isn't in their right mind.

When I got sober, I continued in a very unhealthy relationship with an active addict/alcoholic for nearly 4 years, and was always chasing the why's.

My experience, the why doesn't matter, all you need to know is the what. I knew the what from the start, chasing the why didn't help me one little bit.

I'll leave the research about the why's to people that get paid to do it.
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