RufusACanal

Recovering men and women surely shortchange themselves if they do not seek through their Higher Power to have the obsession removed. In my view, those who drink again are not done drinking, because they hold on to the idea that a drink is still a possibility. By working the Steps, turning my complete will over to the care of God, I am free. God removes the obsession; I work to insure that His will for me to be free of the obsession stays in effect through my continued personal work and the work with other Alcoholics.

Zoomer,

You mentioned that "I had triggers beyond my control." Of course we all do, we are powerless. The beauty of personal powerlessness is that we are free to accept the power of something greater. Triggers depend on my control and my power and if I give up control and power, triggers no longer effect me.

nandm

Quote:

Originally Posted by SalesGuy

I highly doubt the desire to drink ever goes away entirely for those that abused it for many years - maybe for those that got sober very early in life, but for those that abused booze 10+ years, I have doubts. I hear people in AA refer, even brag, that they no longer have the desire to drink like its some badge of courage. Seems to be a common theme in these meetings, where everyone tries to "one up each other". Just my opinion.

In my humble opinion many people confuse the compulsion to drink with the thought of drinking. The defining difference being the thought can be fleeting for example; I am having a really bad day, the sun is out, the weather is warm and the thought comes to my head that an ice cold beer would taste really good right now. But that thought goes away fairly promptly once I play the tape through and remember where that first drink takes me. The compulsion to drink is very different from that. A compulsion is something that takes over your thoughts, you can't seem to get it out of your head until you feed that compulsion. For example, why do people that know smoking causes cancer, emphysema, and many other health issues continue to smoke and have such difficulty quitting although they may really want to? Simply because the compulsion drives them, takes over their thoughts until they pick up that cigarette. Alcohol can create the same obsession.

I lost the obsession or compulsion to drink before I was 6 months sober. It has not returned. I also quit smoking at the same time as I quit drinking and have not had that compulsion/obsession return. I drank and smoked for over 20 years. I was smoking 3 - 4 packs a day and drinking two 30-packs of beer with a pint of 100 proof hot damn a day at the end of my drinking. I was chugging 5ths of whiskey by the time I was 21, spent many an evening drinking moonshine, and out drank the men I knew by the time I was 19. So I would not classify myself as a light drinker or a short term drinker. I have to say though that for me it took a lot of AA meetings, learning to listen to others rather than be thinking about what I was going to say if called on, working the steps, practicing rigorous honesty with myself and others, learning how to take what I could use from what others said and not worry or judge the rest, learning acceptance, and working with others.

Jfanagle

AA made sense to me the day that I realized that "I didn't have to drink" as opposed to my early days in the fellowship when all I knew about AA was that if you "belonged" YOU COULDN'T DRINK.

After a few years sober I have always responded to the question about drinking as follows;

DO I SOMETIMES WANT A DRINK? (Yes, on rare occasions), DO I NEED A DRINK? (a resounding NO). To me, there in lies the "removal of the compulsion to drink."

Jon

bugsworth

pgreer3708...You asked...."I am not sure if this is making sense but just wondering if there is a difference in the compulsion to drink verses the wanting to drink? Does this ever go away?"

I think your questions make perfect sense. I also believe it is very hard to answer.

For me I know longer have a compulsion to drink, an obsession if you will, but thoughts do enter my mind. I drank for 15 years....it is natural to remember how we once enjoyed alcohol...similar to remembering the good times in a romantic relationship that eventually turned bad. There was a time I enjoyed drinking...my mind likes to remember that more than the hell alcohol brought me too. For a time it feels as if we mourn the loss of a drink, but eventually with behavior changes and a firm commitment to sobriety the thoughts when they arise are simply that, thoughts, nothing to ponder or debate, no internal struggle ensures the compulsion leaves. Constant vigilance to the initial commitment is essential, no matter which path you choose.

It gets better...wishing you success!

Dean62

That would make a good sig. Thanks.

RufusACanal

Good idea Dean!

TTOSBT

I am new in recovery but today I do not have an obsession to drink. For me it is not a question on whether I would like to have a drink, for me it is a question of whether I want to get drunk today because I know me and I know that I would never have just one drink. I would get smashed.
So today when I ask myself if I want to get drunk today, the answer is no, thanks to this program and the steps.

AW2486

The obsession was lifted the day I made complete surrender. Almost 2 months sober, I was in a situation where I had to make a decision.. take a drink or leave. somehow I left. My thinking changed that day, and my obsession was lifted. Spiritual experience or miracle .. what ever it was .. I am grateful it happened.

Hang in there salesguy .. A lot of big ego's in AA.. But I learned if I can get past that .. I can hear what they are offering.

Tommyh

I asked God to help me stay sober,and I thanked God at night for my early sobriety.
Soon I took the 3rd step
My obsession to drink went away,God removed it,obsession,want and all.

I did not want to drink more than anything then.I was not mad because I was a alcoholic.I had abused the privalige of drinking for 20 yrs and I lost it.It was and is that simple for me

navysteve

Work the steps as they are in the Big Book and this will not be a problem

navysteve

I don't take credit for the obsession being lifted, the problem does not exist at this moment for me. God removed it. "I" had very little to do with it. I am sorry you found Big Book thumper meetings, they turn alot of folks away from the answers ( which are in the Big Book). I hope you find a way to remove the desire to drink.

I found my answers in the Big Book