Anoronha

So I don't believe alcoholism can be cured. Once an alcoholic always an alcoholic. I do believe in the term recovering alcoholic.

I have a friend who has 9 years of sobriety and has never worked the steps. He has seen a lot of tragedy deaths in his family since getting sober and he has never taken a drink and has no desire to do so. He says he is cured he thinks.

I was just wondering what everyone thought whether alcoholism can be cured. Is it necessary to work the steps? I know lots of people in my AA group that are happy and sober longer than me and don't work the steps

I personally need the steps and the full AA program and a sponsor. I am on step 10 right now.

Dee74

I don't believe there's a cure, no.

I believe if I ingest alcohol again exactly the same things that used to happen to me will happen again.

Is there only one way to get sober? No, but there's no one type of drinker, or one type of personality either. It makes sense there is more than one approach.

AA wasn't my way...but why should my way have any impact on your way or anyone else's way Anoronha?

Find what works for you & give it your all - that's the secret to lasting recovery and happiness I think

D

Black Bird

I do not think there is a cure. If I drink I will fall immediately into alcoholic behavior. I think any recovery that is keeping the person sober, happy, and healthy is the perfect recovery. For me that is AA, steps, Sponser, and all that comes with it.

RobbyRobot

Speaking for myself as a recovered alcoholic, a cure is not required or desired. Knowing my alcoholism illness is arrested and essentially spiritually dead to me, is a far better scenario then to believe I have need of a physical cure. A sober mind created from the ashes of an alcoholic mind is more than enough to satisfy me for a lifetime.

Working the steps is really a subjective expression of a personal experience within AA sobriety. One persons example of working the steps is not required to be identical to anyone else's example: comparisons of such workings are not usually helpful I think.

Since sobriety is such a completely personal journey and experience for all individuals it makes sense to hold respect for others in kind who also make their own way in their own time with their own experiences. Not to say those experiences never equate on many levels, just saying working the steps is really a personal journey within a collective fellowship. In even then, people still just quietly embrace their own understanding on the most part. Most do not detail their inner understandings in a public manner. Most simply do what they do and get on with their sobriety.

If people are happy and responsible with their sobriety, and they have experience to back up their claims, then they are doing the right thing as far as I care about their business. It doesn't bother me whatsoever if people want to be recovered, or recovering, or cured for that matter - as long as they are not drinking and they live successful sober lives.

Grungehead

I don't believe that anyone is ever "cured" from alcoholism. I do know that after I completed the steps I recovered from a hopeless state of mind and body. I also believe that in order to stay recovered I have to maintain and grow in my spirituality. I do that by practicing steps 10, 11, and 12 on a daily basis. Congratulations on reaching step 10 Anoronha!

tomsteve

what he said.

I am not cured of alcoholism. I have a daily reprieve contigent on the maintainence of my spiritual condition.

deeker

what he said That's my buddy

Boleo

Your friend does seem to have excellent recovery if he has no desire to drink. However, "cured" is a dangerous word to use use for it. I call myself "recovered" but I use it like someone who is recovered from a gun-shot wound.

IT DOES NOT MAKE ME BULLET PROOF!

Soberpotamus

No matter if I choose to consider myself recovered, recovering, or alcoholic... I know that if I start drinking again, I will be drinking alcoholically and will behave accordingly. I have tried for about 9 years to figure out if I can manage drinking, and I cannot. And it seems that a majority of problem drinkers won't be able to ever manage their drinking.

And no, I do not think it is necessary to work the steps. How would those who've managed to maintain sobriety explain that they've never worked the steps then? My grandfather is one of those. He never even had a lapse or relapse... and he's been going strong for over 40 years sober.

LadyinBC

When I think of cured, I think that it means one can drink again. This I cannot do, so I am not cured.

I know for me that I didn't get this screwed up overnight so it will take a long time for me to get unscrewed so to speak.

I try not to think of it as daunting, but a lifetime of changing myself, my thoughts and the way I think and do things. Thinking outside of the box I guess. Not always easy to be positive about it, but I do try.

BarbieKen

I believe that my disease of alcoholism lies within me always. In my short 9 months of recovery, the quote you choose to share here on SR, brings me much comfort. Thank you. Bobbi

EndGameNYC

After all the hard work I put into getting sober, there better not be a "cure."

DoubleBarrel

I believe that I am recovered.

Just like a diabetic cant eat sugar, if I don't consume alcohol, I'm ok.

Certainly I have a condition that doesn't allow me to drink, but as long as I don't, I am recovered.

As for the steps, I think it is good for all sentient humans to work towards a better understanding of their place in the world, to try and be kind, and grow as a person. It is one of the keys to a worthwhile existence IMHO.

This I believe is independent of alcoholism.
I find some of the tenants of AA interesting in that there seem to be some common issues that develop when we are using, but honestly, most people could benefit from them.

I think a lot of step work is just common sense ways to just be a decent person, for instance, when wrong, promptly admitting it, being honest, acknowledging our part in disputes, that sort of thing.

Lets be honest, some of AA is taken DIRECTLY from religion. Like confession in the Catholic Church is the 5th step, verbatim.

These are old traditions, which have helped many people. I have no problem with it if it works.

But as for a cure, I know as sure as I sit here that I cannot drink again and expect different results.

Like the adage says, you can turn a cucumber into a pickle, but you cannot turn a pickle back into a cucumber.