Then why do you call it alcoholism??? Perhaps I'm a compulsive gambler, but I just don't know it because I don't gamble, and gambling doesn't have terrifically much to do with that particular ism either? When you replace alcohol with any other addictive substance or activity, it sounds ridiculous. Why does alcohol get awarded this superstitious, magical quality?
SoberKnitter,
"alcoholism" might not be what we'd call it today if we were to name it now.
i'm thinking now of what we call "eating disorders", and how we don't call that "foodism", because we know that it isn't about the food. it plays out around food.
so, in a similar manner, my alcoholism played/plays out around alcohol, but isn't exactly ABOUT alcohol.
does that show better what i mean?
nothing to do with awarding alcohol any qualities, magical or otherwise.
please do remember what i keep saying also: that i didn't start out seeing it that way at all; the way i see and understand it now took a long time and much grappling with things i didn't really want to look at, namely what i call "the choice-thing". i didn't want to be an alcoholic, SK, i would have rather had an alcohol addiction. much more straightforward.
and once again, i've responded without reading past your post, and i'd imagine someone else will have pointed out that aa does not require belief in god.
and there is a huge difference between a belief in god (you mean this as in "faith"?) and a tool: a tool is something we use that is designed to help us attain a certain result/goal.
faith is its own end. not there for a purpose of achieving something else.
does that clarify for you where i'm at/how i see things? p[lease keep asking if it doesn't and you want to; i enjoy it.