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Question about Alcohol

Old 08-08-2003, 06:04 PM
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Question about Alcohol

I've only ever done alcohol and pot in my life - I don't know about other drugs, but what is it that gets people addicted to alcohol?

I mean, between the two, I'd rather smoke any day over the week than drink. I just can't see what is so good about alcohol.

Can someone please explain it to me, so I can understand it? - It's informative to me, and I think it helps everyone to identify the root of their problem
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Old 08-08-2003, 09:07 PM
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Jinx,

Well I am sure you'll get various opinions on this and FOR ME I don't know. I assure you had I known what would have "got me addicted to alcohol" two decades ago I surely would have nipped it in the bud then! I didn't wake up one day and say I want to be an alcoholic and prefer this addiction over others. I too used to smoke pot. Somehow and I don't question why or how I "outgrew" it and turned to alcohol. I never craved pot. All I can say is simply why do some end up with addictions and some don't? Be it alcohol, drugs, cigerettes. I don't know the answer to that, be it genetic, upbringing, learned behavior, a disease and allergy many thoughts on this. The American Medical Association calls it a disease.

I do know I was powerless over alcohol and may never know the reason. Also IMO once I became mentally addicted I became physically addicted or maybe it's vice versa.

Fortunatly, I have learned to control it through the program of AA. Maybe the more time I have in recovery will reveal the reason behind my alcoholism maybe it won't. I am just glad to have a program to help me avoid that drink one day at a time for life!

If my DOC wasn't alcohol it may or may not be something else, I don't know.

Yours is a question that still baffles ME!
I'm not sure I should be even replying, just wanted to give you my 2 cents.
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Old 08-08-2003, 09:42 PM
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Smile Hello jinx

What makes one addicted to alcohol? The way it is processed in our system.

This is explained clearly in "Under The Influence" by Dr. J. Milam. You can buy it on Amazon for about $8.

I also used pot...uppers..LSD..peyote... Valium...etc along the way.
I never had a problem stopping or any withdrawal symptoms from drugs.

Alcohol was a whole diffrent deal for me.
I began drinking for the effect
At the end it affacted my mind body and soul.
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Old 08-08-2003, 11:32 PM
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I've never done any drugs. I went straight for alcohol. And when I went. I went hard. I liked drinking because it made me feel so at home, it felt so natural to be drinking.

But that started the spiral of addiction. It's like a bad chemical reaction inside my body whenever I drank. Something about my body didn't know how to handle alcohol the way most people can. And like Carol said, that book "Under the Influence" actually talks about alcoholics cells not processing alcohol the way the average person would. It's a very informative book.

Some people don't agree that alcohol is a disease, but all I can say is for me it WAS. I also feel that the tendancy to be drawn to alcohol can be strongly hereditary. Such as in my family. Neither of my parents have problems with it, but my Uncle died from it, my grandfather was an alcoholic, one of my cousins died from it also. Several of my cousins have alcohol problems now. And this is on BOTH sides of my family. Seeing such a strong trend of alcoholics in my family, I should have been more cautious, I suppose. All I know is it's one of those things that I'll never be able to use, because I don't know how to use it in moderation. Once I take that first sip it's like the alcohol just takes complete control of my actions and feelings. Like a puppet on a string. So, if I want control of my life, I can't let the alcohol into it. Anywho, That's my story!

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Old 08-09-2003, 12:01 AM
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I dug up

this from my files...

http://www.msag.org/BBCA/default.htm

If you go there look on the left...
for Disease Diagram
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Old 08-09-2003, 03:11 AM
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Hi Jinx,
The Big Book in the Dr.'s Opinion talks about craving, compulsion, and allergy. The Joe and Charlie tapes talk about the processing of alcohol by the body, the enzymes in the liver, etc.
Your question though had to do with addiction. Why does anyone become addicted to anything? It's my understanding that I became addicted to alcohol because when I took that first drink, it did something for me....not to me but "for" me. I changed in that instant inside to something or someone different. That's why I don't think it's important why we drank, what we drank, how much we drank, when we drank, or who we drank with. The important thing is what did the drink do for/to me whan I drank. This is the insanity I believe they talk about in the second step. That very first drink affected me in such a way that I spent years trying to duplicate that feeling. Sometimes I almost got it back but not quite, so I kept trying. Even when I was sick and hung over, in trouble with my wife...whatever, there was that thought in the back of my mind that told me that if I could only duplicate that original "feeling" everything would be ok.
Of course, I was never able to duplicate that feeling. What's nice is that now, today, I don't have to try to duplicate that feeling with booze 'cause I found a way to feel good just by being me. That's pretty cool. I guess booze helped me not to care who I was. Today I am who I am and 99% of the time I like who I am.
Take care Jinx and try not to waste any more time with this. Analizing paralizes.
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Old 08-09-2003, 07:11 PM
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Light bulb moment!

Thanks for that music. I keep reading your post and without realizing it realize that is why I drank too. I liked the feeling of being a happy drunk, more social, more self worth etc.
I'm still new am glad to learn about myself from others. I'll have to do some soul searching if this is why I became addicted. But not going to over analyze as you suggest! I am happy sober NOW and that's all that matters right?
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Old 08-09-2003, 07:13 PM
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Carol!

Your just a walking encyclopedia!!! Thanks!

Just visited that last site and it's very good, I like the info on the 4th step so helpful as that's where I am at. Gonna bookmark this one for sure!

Last edited by Chy; 08-09-2003 at 07:30 PM.
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Old 08-09-2003, 07:24 PM
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Music...
excellent description!

I chased the "high' for years, and never caught up with it.

Thsnx for the reply.
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