nel68

Thank you for all the feedback and opinions on my last post "My husband thinks its a matter of will power". This is what I believe ...I believe that alcoholism is a disease. I believe people are predispose to addiction. My husband said it is will power...I believe it does take some will power to keep sober... but not that alcoholism is all..." a matter of will power" like he thinks. I'm on day sober 10!! Thank you again for all the support

Freedom1990

Congratulations on your 10 days! I also believe in the disease concept.

sugarbear1

Keep moving forward!

DayTrader

I remember having lots of "issues" with the disease concept...is it a disease, is it not, why did the AMA say it was, why did they "really" say it was, on and on. The other one you mentioned, is it genetic? are we predisposed? Did I have any choice in becoming alcoholic or not? etc....

Now though, I honestly don't even think about those things. The hours I spent pondering those things never helped me get or stay sober...nor did they help me when it came to helping others. As much as I didn't want to at first, I finally learned to set those debates (in my own head and with others) aside. Anymore, I just don't care what the "real" answer is......whatever it is, however I got it, I've GOT it and I've got a program to treat it. I try to stay focused on that. So long as I do, things tend to go pretty well.

stubbs

Hello daytrader,
I am 1 hour new to this wonderful forum.Have seen a few posts of yours,you seem to have a grip on it.Can I ask what your program is to stay sober?Thanks and hope to be in touch.

P.S and congrats nel68 on 10 days!

Dee74

We close threads from time to time for various reasons Nel.
Just wanted to make it plain it wasn't a reflection on you or your original question

I didn't realise you had more to say though - I sent you a PM

I hope everyone will leave the a-fussin' and a-feudin' back in the last thread.

D

midgetcop

Nel - Sorry your first thread got hijacked and locked. Even alcoholics can't agree on these things.

The most important thing is your sobriety and your happiness, all arguments and semantics aside. Of course, someone as close to you as your hubby would do you (and himself) some good if he could be somewhat on the same page as you. Any chance of him being open to Al-anon or something similar?

DayTrader

Stubbs.... I was dragged, pretty much against my will, to AA - the last place I ever wanted to be, to recover from something i didn't think I had, with ppl I didn't believe in or even like.....by a judge who didn't really "know" me. (heh, turns out he knew me better than I did at the time - lol).

I was too full of hate, distrust, and ego to actually DO anything in the program other than attend meetings - that doesn't do much good at all. I did (not by chance) get placed in a court ordered therapist's office who had 10yrs or so recovery, was a woman (I didn't trust anyone back then but i REALLY didn't trust women....at ALL), was a liberal (hated liberals - lol), and was a 12-step monster. It didn't hurt that she was smart as hell and was able to "trick" me into working the program without really having to force me. (back then, I resisted all pressures, forces, guidance and direction.... somehow she got me to think her ideas were my own so that I'd be willing to give them a try). She also loaned a set of videos from a local Michigan guy (Mike Johnson) who did these lectures on the 12 Steps. That therapist and those videos saved my ass....and I didn't even know I needed saving. All we talked was 12-step process, 12-step action, God and recovery from alcoholism and everything else that was kicking my butt. Figures....in one fell swoop about a half dozen long-term beliefs got smashed.