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Should someone's "type" of alcoholism influence their recovery path?



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Should someone's "type" of alcoholism influence their recovery path?

Old 06-08-2013, 07:26 AM
  # 21 (permalink)  
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I think the more categories there are the more opportunities people have to do the number one newcomer mistake "Oh I'm nowhere as bad as so and so" and then the newcomer continues to drink because he/she is not as bad as so and so and therefore he/she can't be an alcoholic.

I feel as rehabs, detoxes, and self help book revenues go up, the more complicated things get. I miss the days when things were simple. If your drinking is causing negative side affects, if you have to ask yourself if you have a problem, and if when you try to stop drinking you can't stop despite the negative consequences such as legal, financial, and health problems then you need to quit drinking.

I know it might seem over simplified, but when dealing with the addict brain which is most of the times not able to grasp reality because of all the lies we tell ourselves to protect our addiction..sometimes the more straightforward the approach the less excuses and comparing the newcomer does.

When people ask whether they have a drinking/substance abuse problem sometimes I want to say well give it up for half a year and if you can't then you have a problem. People that don't have a substance problem don't struggle not to use/drink when it is obvious that drinking/using is causing problems in any aspect of their lives never mind in multiple aspects.
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Old 06-08-2013, 07:38 AM
  # 22 (permalink)  
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I'm not sure categorizing alcoholics would have positive benefits. We're all nuts enough without trying to figure out if we're type A and need one thing, or type B and need another. And forget about the discussions I can imagine regarding others, "Well, you're only a type A. If you were a type B like me then you'd understand...". I also think it's real easy to shift from one type to another.

I think people who seek treatment should be given an objective overview of all that's available to them, and then they should make their own choice. I think there are also 2 keys to getting sober, regardless of the method someone chooses. Desire, and willingness. Lack of either one of those is what I hear coming out of most people who don't ever attain long term sobriety. Either they're not sure they want to stay away, or they're unwilling to really try what's put in front of and suggested to them. They stick their toe in the water and say, nope, that won't work for me. I think it takes months of a really open mind and solid commitment to something to see if it really is or isn't a fit. For most people in active alcoholism the cure isn't going to look or feel like a fit, until it actually does the job it needs to. Our alcoholic selves will fight what will help us to the grave, which is it's goal.

But getting back on topic, categorizing alcoholics could also cause all kinds of problems in AA, especially regarding the only requirement for membership. Next would come people saying, "Hi, I'm Joe, a type B alcoholic"... which could instantly lose the interest of a room full of type As.

Thems are the first thoughts that came to mind on all this, for me.
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Old 06-08-2013, 08:07 AM
  # 23 (permalink)  
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Also, I think such a system would just proliferate endlessly - there's probably as many types, sub-types, combined types, types with features of other types, as there people with alcohol issues...
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