Why do we drink alcohol?
Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 2,126
"...the 75% success rate in AA before. Could you please site the resources you used to come up with this percentage?..."
I can't speak for the OP, but those numbers are in the foreward to the second edition of the book Alcoholics Anonymous (pg. xx).......................:
"...Of alcoholics who came to A.A. and really tried, 50% got sober at once and remained that way; 25% sobered up after some relapses..."
Well, there's your 75%, if you choose to believe them.
(o:
NoelleR
I can't speak for the OP, but those numbers are in the foreward to the second edition of the book Alcoholics Anonymous (pg. xx).......................:
"...Of alcoholics who came to A.A. and really tried, 50% got sober at once and remained that way; 25% sobered up after some relapses..."
Well, there's your 75%, if you choose to believe them.
(o:
NoelleR
Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 3,293
Please correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't the second edition written around 1955? If this is true, than anybody using those stats now to to show how effective AA is now, 59 years later is very misleading, unless the person using those stats also states that the 75% success rate was taken back in 1955. Now that would be an honest statement.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 3,677
Welcome to the 21st century!
It would not matter if the Big Book came out with a new edition this morning. It is not a quotable source of scientifically-arrived-at-statistics. Unless the statement is followed by a citable source. The ONLY sources of statistical information recognized in any United States college or university are from peer reviewed scientific journals.
Of course, internet discussion boards have no such requirement, which means do NOT believe anything anyone says on the internet unless you know their source! And then, look it up!
If you want to quote the Big Book and be taken seriously, you just quote it as a lay publication, not a source of provable information.
Or, better still, "It has been said that men are 50% more likely to get a traffic ticket than women ......," would work, except quote your heart out about whatever it is you've heard someone say. Doesn't matter if they are DEAD WRONG. Somebody said it, didn't they?
Says who?
(add professional student to my signature below)
It would not matter if the Big Book came out with a new edition this morning. It is not a quotable source of scientifically-arrived-at-statistics. Unless the statement is followed by a citable source. The ONLY sources of statistical information recognized in any United States college or university are from peer reviewed scientific journals.
Of course, internet discussion boards have no such requirement, which means do NOT believe anything anyone says on the internet unless you know their source! And then, look it up!
If you want to quote the Big Book and be taken seriously, you just quote it as a lay publication, not a source of provable information.
Or, better still, "It has been said that men are 50% more likely to get a traffic ticket than women ......," would work, except quote your heart out about whatever it is you've heard someone say. Doesn't matter if they are DEAD WRONG. Somebody said it, didn't they?
Says who?
(add professional student to my signature below)
Guest
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 480
Originally Posted by matt4x4 
We have an Allergy of the Body and an Obsession of the mind.
The phenomenon of craving is what sets us alcoholics apart from "normies"
This explains why at the end of the night, you are puking your guts out, past out, can barely walk, can barely talk, but you want more boooooooooooze. Normal people, have a drink or 2, feel whoozing and stop. They say "Hey now, I am feeling a little light headed, let me pour out this full glass of wine and go to bed. We alcoholics tell ourselves, what a waste of alcohol, that person is not normal, what crazy person pours out a full glass of wine. The alcoholic mind set, our drinking has nothing to do with our problem. Its our thinking.
So back on topic, Why do we drink alcohol?
Because we are alcoholics, we drink alcohol to change the way we feel.
We are restless, irritable, and discontent.
We drink for the effect produced by alcohol.
We do not metabolize alcohol the same way a nonalcoholic does.
What must we do?
Firstly we must put down the bottle, put the plug in the jug.
Complete abstinance, no ingestion of alcohol in any form once-so-ever. This means no alcohol in deserts, no alcohol in our foods, no more near-beer (alcohol that is rated at 0.5%), no candy with alcohol in it, no more food that is cooked with alcohol in it, nor no more food that is "flamed" off in the cooking process because it just intensifies the alcohol content. And really why have an alcoholic mindset that tells you "Oh its all burnt off". Ya we alcoholics are funny that way. Put it to ya this way, if we die from Chromium-2000 instantly from a micro-gram of that stuff, and we use Chromium-2000 in our foods, but someone somewhere states "Oh its burnt off" and there is a $12/hour head chef at the helm. I will pass on the burnt off poison each and every time, that is what alcohol is.........a poison. Literally.
How are we to achieve this goal of ours? Of complete and utter abstinane.
Well, just putting down the bottle and putting the plug in the jug is never enough. This has been proven a million times over, countless times. Some PHD nerds from fancy dancy Univercities have stated that "Just Keep Busy", or "Love will be enough" or perhaps something like SMART Recovery might help, where you write out some pros and cons, and do some other work. All I know is the main guy for my region, does AA as well. I have tried most things, tried keeping busy, tried just going to meetings and nothing else, tried relationships and love, tried hobbies, tried this that and the other thing. Nothing could hold down a significant amount of time, and here is the kicker, with a significant amount of peace, serenity and contentment then AA did.
There are many roads to recovery from alcoholism. All I know is that AA, if done properly it will yield the highest success rate of any other program. More then 75% recovery rate from a hopeless state of mind and body. Those are odds I am willing to bet on, day after day, year after year, decade after decade. The other thing I have heard is this thing called Addictive Voice, I dont know but for me a conscience play-by-play, or playing the tape through didnt completely work for me. I still got drunk. My alcoholic tendacies are subconscience, a drink was put in front of me and I didnt even think about it. I didnt even play the tape through, or listen to my inner child, nor did I listen to my addictive voice. I have achieved sobriety today from help from a Higher Power of my own understanding, no human power could keep me sober. So today, if I do not grow, enlarge my spirituality, help other people, If I dont do those simple little things, I am doomed an alcoholic death. I realize today that I have 2 options in life. Live life on a spiritual basis, or die an alcoholic death. And for this alcoholic, I questioned what my 2 options were when my sponsor asked me that question. What are my options again, I didnt want to hear it, I thought there was an easier softer way, I thought there could be half-measures involved.
I have recovered.
And for all the people struggling, I only wish the best for you.
In this zoo of life, trying to find a solution to the problem, with all the confusion around, with all the misinformation around, with all the half @#$ around. I can only wish you the best, you do not have to dig deeper, there is no bottom you have to hit. People recover from alcoholism in their penthouse drinking expensive poison and people recover who are in the ditch drinking Listerine and Rubbing Alcohol.
When is enough going to be enough?
The phenomenon of craving is what sets us alcoholics apart from "normies"
This explains why at the end of the night, you are puking your guts out, past out, can barely walk, can barely talk, but you want more boooooooooooze. Normal people, have a drink or 2, feel whoozing and stop. They say "Hey now, I am feeling a little light headed, let me pour out this full glass of wine and go to bed. We alcoholics tell ourselves, what a waste of alcohol, that person is not normal, what crazy person pours out a full glass of wine. The alcoholic mind set, our drinking has nothing to do with our problem. Its our thinking.
So back on topic, Why do we drink alcohol?
Because we are alcoholics, we drink alcohol to change the way we feel.
We are restless, irritable, and discontent.
We drink for the effect produced by alcohol.
We do not metabolize alcohol the same way a nonalcoholic does.
What must we do?
Firstly we must put down the bottle, put the plug in the jug.
Complete abstinance, no ingestion of alcohol in any form once-so-ever. This means no alcohol in deserts, no alcohol in our foods, no more near-beer (alcohol that is rated at 0.5%), no candy with alcohol in it, no more food that is cooked with alcohol in it, nor no more food that is "flamed" off in the cooking process because it just intensifies the alcohol content. And really why have an alcoholic mindset that tells you "Oh its all burnt off". Ya we alcoholics are funny that way. Put it to ya this way, if we die from Chromium-2000 instantly from a micro-gram of that stuff, and we use Chromium-2000 in our foods, but someone somewhere states "Oh its burnt off" and there is a $12/hour head chef at the helm. I will pass on the burnt off poison each and every time, that is what alcohol is.........a poison. Literally.
How are we to achieve this goal of ours? Of complete and utter abstinane.
Well, just putting down the bottle and putting the plug in the jug is never enough. This has been proven a million times over, countless times. Some PHD nerds from fancy dancy Univercities have stated that "Just Keep Busy", or "Love will be enough" or perhaps something like SMART Recovery might help, where you write out some pros and cons, and do some other work. All I know is the main guy for my region, does AA as well. I have tried most things, tried keeping busy, tried just going to meetings and nothing else, tried relationships and love, tried hobbies, tried this that and the other thing. Nothing could hold down a significant amount of time, and here is the kicker, with a significant amount of peace, serenity and contentment then AA did.
There are many roads to recovery from alcoholism. All I know is that AA, if done properly it will yield the highest success rate of any other program. More then 75% recovery rate from a hopeless state of mind and body. Those are odds I am willing to bet on, day after day, year after year, decade after decade. The other thing I have heard is this thing called Addictive Voice, I dont know but for me a conscience play-by-play, or playing the tape through didnt completely work for me. I still got drunk. My alcoholic tendacies are subconscience, a drink was put in front of me and I didnt even think about it. I didnt even play the tape through, or listen to my inner child, nor did I listen to my addictive voice. I have achieved sobriety today from help from a Higher Power of my own understanding, no human power could keep me sober. So today, if I do not grow, enlarge my spirituality, help other people, If I dont do those simple little things, I am doomed an alcoholic death. I realize today that I have 2 options in life. Live life on a spiritual basis, or die an alcoholic death. And for this alcoholic, I questioned what my 2 options were when my sponsor asked me that question. What are my options again, I didnt want to hear it, I thought there was an easier softer way, I thought there could be half-measures involved.
I have recovered.
And for all the people struggling, I only wish the best for you.
In this zoo of life, trying to find a solution to the problem, with all the confusion around, with all the misinformation around, with all the half @#$ around. I can only wish you the best, you do not have to dig deeper, there is no bottom you have to hit. People recover from alcoholism in their penthouse drinking expensive poison and people recover who are in the ditch drinking Listerine and Rubbing Alcohol.
When is enough going to be enough?
Do you really believe this?
30yrdrunk
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 89
I feel very fortunate to be 6 months sober today. Personally, I think there are many paths to sobriety. I'm lucky to have never become a daily drinker; however alcohol and getting drunk had been a huge part of my life for 30 yrs. It ruled me and cost me many opportunities in life.
I finally gave myself a chance. Hit the right combination of incident, education and motivation to stop. Education has been a huge key. I had re-wired by brain through 30 yrs of heavy drinking. I associated pleasure with drink. Didn't think I could enjoy life without drink. I can now say I enjoy being sober more than being drunk. Just needed to stop long enough to find this out. The incident was a drunken fight with my wife which would have ended our family together all because of the distortion of being inebriated. The motivation is my wife and kids. The realization of being true to myself. The reality of opportunities lost.
I finally gave myself a chance. Hit the right combination of incident, education and motivation to stop. Education has been a huge key. I had re-wired by brain through 30 yrs of heavy drinking. I associated pleasure with drink. Didn't think I could enjoy life without drink. I can now say I enjoy being sober more than being drunk. Just needed to stop long enough to find this out. The incident was a drunken fight with my wife which would have ended our family together all because of the distortion of being inebriated. The motivation is my wife and kids. The realization of being true to myself. The reality of opportunities lost.
Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
