LoftyIdeals

I have been coming to this site for about 3 weeks now, and have noticed a striking similarity among most, if not all, of the folks whose posts I've read. The thoughts are almost always extremely well-articulated; there are very few typos, misspellings, and grammatical flaws; and the depth of thinking is far beyond what I would consider that of a "normal" person.

I'm not sure what to make of this. I know I am a serious person, relative to my contemporaries, and a deep thinker by nature. In fact, I've been accused of overanalysis, and analysis paralysis, both of which have been true, even today.

I'm not sure of the reason for this post, or that it has one. But, I do know that, now in my fourth week of sobriety, I am regaining some thought patterns and thinking sense that have eluded me during my drinking career, especially most recently. In fact, I am quite certain that my brain wiring works entirely differently now than even a month ago. It's pretty awesome that the human body and mind can snap back like it does when not mistreated. I've heard a lot about the "pink-cloud" effect, which is a new one to me. I suppose it is a "honeymoon" period where we ride a restoration of our beginners luck in life before life slaps us in the face. But, what I am addressing here, I think, is something different. It is the restoration of sanity and logic in our lives, and of understanding which surpasses that of many normal folks. It is also, perhaps, the realization of the promises.

In this way, alcoholism might even be considered a gift. Not that anyone wants it, but I, at least, feel blessed for the insights I've experienced, and for those that have been shared on this site. It is a positive affirmation of the disease, as well as the hope of recovery.

CarolD

Welcome to our Alcoholism Forum....
thanks for the kind words and interesting topic.

Glad to know you are here and moving forward

bellakeller

I don't know about anyone else, but I spent a lot of time rationalizing, justifying, minimizing, and otherwise thinking about my drinking when I was drinking. To accomplish living in denial of one's alcoholism, one must stretch one's mind to fit a parallel reality so we can buy our own BS. Takes a lot of work to do that.

So, I imagine that thinking for most of us becomes complex when we are still using alcohol and trying to justify our abuse in the face of a glaring reality. We're really well-practiced, at least I am. Had 20 years of defying logic and suspending reality in a myriad of creative ways. I used to think I was cunning, baffling, powerful - not alcoholism.

CarolD

Just wanted to share about the "pink cloud" idea

For me...it's not been a fleeting euporic "condition"
rather a deep sense of knowing I am now making sane decisions
that benefit myself and others.

I've been keeping it sailing for a long time....
I'm a big fan of pink clouds.

OutlawHacker

I too have wondered at this. Many AA's I meet are very bright and deep thinkers. Perhaps there is some tendency towards alcoholism in the nature of such people. The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 1: 18 "For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increases knowledge increases sorrow."
Maybe there is such a connection in some people's compulsion to drink.

Genjen

I think too much...really I all I want to do is slow down and focus on the here and now. Something I have to learn to do naturally now =)

doggonecarl

There is a band I like called Jennyanykind. A line in one of their songs goes:

"I've tried thinking, now I'm trying drinking..."

And that's what I did. Don't know what it says about my smarts.

Boleo

Call them promises. Call them gifts. Call them results.

I call them Satori, Moksha and Nirodha. They get better and better, not so much with time as with experience.

MrDavid

There's hope for us yet...isn't there. Is that grammatically correct? I’m kidding. Welcome......

LaFemme

Compared to other online forums this one does seem to attract a very high caliber of people....except for my autocorrect phone which messes up almost every one of my posts;-p

laurie6781

Over the years of my sobriety I have come to believe not only because of all the sober alkies and addicts I know but a lot of reading of various 'papers' etc that we A's are usually of above average intelligence and extremely sensitive folks.

Now I have come to my own personal conclusion that many of us used Alcohol and/or drugs to 'numb' some of that sensitivity and to help us to deal with other folks 'not caring' and sometimes stupid mistakes or comments.

I don't know, other than most of the A's I know are definitely above average IQ (and that does not necessarily mean college educated) and very sensitive to others.

Does it happen more with us A's than with the rest of the population, I M H O I believe it does. Can I prove it"? Nope, just my opinion based on what I personally have experienced these past almost 30 years in recovery.

Love and hugs,

Jfanagle

There have been numerous studies and countless debates over the occurrence of alcoholism among American writers in particular. There don’t seem to be any definitive answers, but the prevalence exists to enough of a degree that the question has been raised.

I have more than a sneaking suspicion that those who choose to ponder life's complexities often become lost in the room of "loose ends" that such examination reveals. In other words, we look for too much sense to a rather random world. Alcohol allows the perfectionist to be imperfect for awhile. It grants rest to the restless and it will remove much of the criticism from the self critic, again for a while. The respite is brief and less and less satisfactory as time goes by. Hence more and more alcohol needs be applied to the problem.

I do believe that when we begin to suspect or actually notice that we are "drinking too much" we are disappointed in ourselves before others even get started on us, and we drink more to escape the guilt and self loathing. The term "vicious circle" is not applicable to an alcoholic's demise; in fact it is a DOWNWARD SPIRAL with a tornado shape that gets faster and faster at the end of the funnel.

Are we smarter, more sensitive, and creative than the average non-alcoholic? The world may never know as the minds that alcohol clouds and destroys are far too often lost. If you can get and stay sober, I think it is incumbent on each of us to use whatever mind returns in the service and to the benefit of those around us and perhaps to help another suffering alcoholic.

One alcoholic helping another? I bet there is the making of a fellowship in there somewhere.

Just my thoughts,
Jon

azureseas

What an interesting topic. You inspired me to do some googling and I came across this book that explores the concept of creativity and addiction.

Its called 'Witness to the Fire: Creativity and the Veil of Addiction' and 7/7 five star reviews on Amazon. As a creative professional myself I'm hoping my library has a copy.

Amazon.com: Witness to the Fire: Creativity and the Veil of Addiction (9780877735885): Linda Schierse Leonard: Books

Here is one review:
Should be mandatory reading in any drug/alcohol counseling course. I've read this book 2x and have savored it completely each and every time. I've gained new insights into myself. I finally understood the reaons for which I drank and how barren and empty my soul was for spirit. How badly I wanted to be "drunk" with spirit. And in my inability to replicate that experience, which fed my frustrations and in turn, lead me to drink. Understood the "voices" in my head that were there to punish me for every imagined infraction. Those harmful "parental voices" mocking approval and throwing tibits of love at me. My need to feel the connection to the spirit and the easy road that I took as a young adult. Every time I have re-read a page or two out of this book has always led me to create some form of art in some way.

skg

"Alcoholics are borderline brilliant, above average thinkers." Something you'll never hear outside recovery rooms...
Alcoholics think a great deal of themselves: "A simple program for complicated people," but it's hard to prove when their head's in the toilet. Egomaniacs with inferiority complexes, one and all.
I would be too, but I'm different...

LoftyIdeals

Thank you all for your responses. I've learned tremendously!

FrothyJay

We are not special. We only think we are.

recycle

Lofty, the drunken philosopher is almost an archetype. Aldous Huxley wrote an essay (in his pre-peyote days) on drugs as an expression of a desire for self-transcendence. It is a little verbose, but it rings true for me.

As far as the grammar and typos go... whale, ewe right gud two.

LaFemme

I was actually struck by the number of creatives on this site. It seems disproportionate. Additionally if you look at artists and addiction you can't help but see a common thread. The magazine "high times" posts a yearly article for best colleges for drugs....the art schools are always well represented in the top 10.

SomethingBetter

It takes some thinking to be an alcoholic, drink counting, carefull planning, get stocked up before a deadline... The list goes on and we got better at it than we would of ever thought in the beginning.

We can even understand why non alcoholics cant understand us...

becoming

Hi LofyIdeals - I too in a way feel fortunate to me an alcoholic. I think my experience has given me deep insight into who I really am and a priceless appreciation for what really matters in life. I have also noticed that many on this site seem wise beyond there years.

See you back on the bus = )