So this is a progressive condition?
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So this is a progressive condition?
I didn't know that until about a week ago. Before that, I thought that if we cut down or stopped our drinking, our bodies would go back to the way they were before. After reading and asking questions on this forum, it seems like that's not the case.
I think I actually prefer it this way because it means there's no room for me to try any "moderation experiments", which would be almost guaranteed to fail. It makes things a lot simpler the way I see it.
I think I actually prefer it this way because it means there's no room for me to try any "moderation experiments", which would be almost guaranteed to fail. It makes things a lot simpler the way I see it.
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Originally Posted by Jack465 
I think I actually prefer it this way because it means there's no room for me to try any "moderation experiments", which would be almost guaranteed to fail. It makes things a lot simpler the way I see it.
Start off with a little drink and end up once again with a lot.
Mountainmanbob
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Location: SE USA
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It seems that the majority of people that go back out report not only getting back up to speed with where they left off quickly, but also ending up much worse in a very short amount of time. Making up for lost time perhaps?
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Location: Atlanta
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It sure was progressive for me. I could be the poster boy for alcoholism.
Not only is it progressive, the alcoholic is very predictable. We come from all walks of life, but if you're a true alcoholic there is a pattern that is almost inevitable. Many tries to quit, and failing. Moderation. Switching from beer to vodka or the like. It goes on.
Alcoholism is also a chronic condition that can only be arrested with complete abstinence, for the true alcoholic.
I didn't need to read about this in a book, I lived it.
It took me many attempts to quit, and I tried them all. My alcoholic brain telling me, 'Man this Budweiser is killing me, I've got to switch to Miller'. That was it-it was the beer's fault.
I ended up drinking 40's of rot gut malt liquor And doing shooters of whiskey at 8am.
So yes, alcoholism is a chronic, progressive, and relapsing disease.
I'm living proof and I'm blessed those days are behind me. Today, anyway.
I take it ne day at a time.
Best to you.
Not only is it progressive, the alcoholic is very predictable. We come from all walks of life, but if you're a true alcoholic there is a pattern that is almost inevitable. Many tries to quit, and failing. Moderation. Switching from beer to vodka or the like. It goes on.
Alcoholism is also a chronic condition that can only be arrested with complete abstinence, for the true alcoholic.
I didn't need to read about this in a book, I lived it.
It took me many attempts to quit, and I tried them all. My alcoholic brain telling me, 'Man this Budweiser is killing me, I've got to switch to Miller'. That was it-it was the beer's fault.
I ended up drinking 40's of rot gut malt liquor And doing shooters of whiskey at 8am.
So yes, alcoholism is a chronic, progressive, and relapsing disease.
I'm living proof and I'm blessed those days are behind me. Today, anyway.
I take it ne day at a time.
Best to you.
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Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Colorado
Posts: 3,781
Alcoholism is also a chronic condition that can only be arrested with complete abstinence, for the true alcoholic.
Very powerful and true statement, Ghost!!!! And it's so much easier! I am powerless over alcohol! I can do anything I want I just can't drink or drug and I'm fine!!
Very powerful and true statement, Ghost!!!! And it's so much easier! I am powerless over alcohol! I can do anything I want I just can't drink or drug and I'm fine!!
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Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Nova Scotia
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I can not only attest to the progression when I relapsed in the past, even after 2+ years sober it seemed I had never stopped drinking when I picked up. I can't believe the power, in my case, one beer had. That is all it took in November of last year, finally came to my senses 36 days later, virtually no memory and lost everything, that to me was my final wake up call, never again.
On the flip side I can't remember feeling this good, happy, relieved, getting a pile of help and have the freedom to do what needs to be done to put and keep the AV at bay.
This forum helps me a lot, helping others, seeing new people come in and reading their stories, majority I can relate to as I made alcohol a 37 year career, retired from that madness and want to spend the rest of my life being productive which I am when I keep my stick on the ice.
Andrew
On the flip side I can't remember feeling this good, happy, relieved, getting a pile of help and have the freedom to do what needs to be done to put and keep the AV at bay.
This forum helps me a lot, helping others, seeing new people come in and reading their stories, majority I can relate to as I made alcohol a 37 year career, retired from that madness and want to spend the rest of my life being productive which I am when I keep my stick on the ice.
Andrew
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Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 3,163
I can only echo what others said -- many of us got cocky -- I got this no drinking thing, a can certainly do moderation.
The problem is that, and I cannot say this strongly enough -- ABSTINENCE IS NOT CONTROL.
Or we can't stop but we cannot moderate.
For me, I think the off switch was broken from the start, for others it happens over time, for others it never breaks (those are the non-alcoholics).
The Russian roulette thing about drinking is, which no-one tells us until its too late, it that non-one knows what camp they fall into until its too late.
The other thing I would say it that kindling is real -- so it will be harder each time you quit.
Net net, don't put yourself through it.
And for what??
The problem is that, and I cannot say this strongly enough -- ABSTINENCE IS NOT CONTROL.
Or we can't stop but we cannot moderate.
For me, I think the off switch was broken from the start, for others it happens over time, for others it never breaks (those are the non-alcoholics).
The Russian roulette thing about drinking is, which no-one tells us until its too late, it that non-one knows what camp they fall into until its too late.
The other thing I would say it that kindling is real -- so it will be harder each time you quit.
Net net, don't put yourself through it.
And for what??
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Hi Jack, alcoholism is a disease progressive in its nature that can never be cured but can be arrested by staying away from the first drink .
Alcohol is also cunning baffling and powerful its the only disease that tells you that you haven't got it conflicting examples ''I feel that if I don't have another drink I will die '' and '' If I continue drinking I am going to die '' .
Alcoholism comes in people not in bottles , if it came in bottles then everyone who drinks would become alcoholic .
Alcoholism is like an ''animal '' inside yourself that can lie dormant for an unknown period of time and it takes just one drink to activate it into life.
I was off alcohol for 20 yrs since 1975 till 1995 , and I took the first drink and carried on where I left off 20 years previously .
The 20 year period was like getting up off a bar stool in 1975 and walking round a corner and sitting down at the bar in 1995 , I immediately reverted back to what I was like before 1975 nothing changed period of abstinence made absolutely no difference I learned nothing and carried on till 2006 and I have been sober ever since .
Difference is I applied the AA program into my life and I have never needed or wanted to drink ever since .take care.
Regards . Stevie recovered alcoholic 12 03 2006.
words are easy music is a lot harder
Alcohol is also cunning baffling and powerful its the only disease that tells you that you haven't got it conflicting examples ''I feel that if I don't have another drink I will die '' and '' If I continue drinking I am going to die '' .
Alcoholism comes in people not in bottles , if it came in bottles then everyone who drinks would become alcoholic .
Alcoholism is like an ''animal '' inside yourself that can lie dormant for an unknown period of time and it takes just one drink to activate it into life.
I was off alcohol for 20 yrs since 1975 till 1995 , and I took the first drink and carried on where I left off 20 years previously .
The 20 year period was like getting up off a bar stool in 1975 and walking round a corner and sitting down at the bar in 1995 , I immediately reverted back to what I was like before 1975 nothing changed period of abstinence made absolutely no difference I learned nothing and carried on till 2006 and I have been sober ever since .
Difference is I applied the AA program into my life and I have never needed or wanted to drink ever since .take care.
Regards . Stevie recovered alcoholic 12 03 2006.
words are easy music is a lot harder
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Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: US
Posts: 544
Hey Jack
It's a crazy train always waiting in the station for you, and once you get back on, it's really hard to stop.
Like others, I stopped drinking for a few months thinking that I could go back and moderate. WRONG. Not only did I pick up where I left off, blackouts and all, but I ended up drinking MORE than before - almost like I needed to compensate for my dry time.
Please skip the ride, my friend.
It's a crazy train always waiting in the station for you, and once you get back on, it's really hard to stop.
Like others, I stopped drinking for a few months thinking that I could go back and moderate. WRONG. Not only did I pick up where I left off, blackouts and all, but I ended up drinking MORE than before - almost like I needed to compensate for my dry time.
Please skip the ride, my friend.
I'll never go back there again. You can have reasons, or you can have results, but you can't have both.
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Syracuse, NY
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After I caught a DWI in October, I was required to take a class on the disease of alcoholism and it was very informative -- lots more information that I ever received from my doctor, AA, or my own research.
This class introduced me to the "phases" of alcoholism. In earlier phases, many people can return to Phase 1 or nonproblematic drinking. But in the advanced phases (like most of us in this forum are), there ain't no going back and abstinence is the only way to return to health and happiness. In these later stages, permanent changes have occurred and we will not be able to drink in a "normal" way ever again.
Basically, if you find it difficult in the least to turn down a drink, I'd strongly suggest you pursue abstinence.
This class introduced me to the "phases" of alcoholism. In earlier phases, many people can return to Phase 1 or nonproblematic drinking. But in the advanced phases (like most of us in this forum are), there ain't no going back and abstinence is the only way to return to health and happiness. In these later stages, permanent changes have occurred and we will not be able to drink in a "normal" way ever again.
Basically, if you find it difficult in the least to turn down a drink, I'd strongly suggest you pursue abstinence.
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Originally Posted by Dropsie
The Russian roulette thing about drinking is, which no-one tells us until its too late, it that non-one knows what camp they fall into until its too late.
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We hear often of those who return to the drink.
Followed usually by a still worse relapse.
Man, did I see that played out many times!
I thought that those things could never happen to me, yet there I was.
Oh poor me
Oh poor me
Oh poor me another drink.
Mountainman
Followed usually by a still worse relapse.
Man, did I see that played out many times!
I thought that those things could never happen to me, yet there I was.
Oh poor me
Oh poor me
Oh poor me another drink.
Mountainman
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Originally Posted by Jack465
Yeah, I was going to ask about that actually - I wonder why there isn't more awareness about this. I'm 24, been allowed to drink since 18, and I drank for about 3 years before I realized I was doing possibly permanent damage to my body. If I had known in advance, I would have made more of an effort to not drink so much.
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Originally Posted by ScottFromWI
There's awareness of it here every day, and in most recovery communities. Our addiction just keeps us in denial of the obvious.
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Originally Posted by Jack465
That was definitely part of the reason, I just didn't know the changes to the body became permanent after a certain point.
I always thought I might be able to "get control" and moderate.
It hasn't been possible for me as I do have physical changes from drinking.
I gave it plenty of tries, but the "successes" were always followed by that
inability to know when I wouldn't be able to stop with just a few
and I ended up
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Problem is, people want to think that those who will become addicted are the exception, so they feel there is no need to give a general warning. -- This causes cancer. This is addictive and you won't know until you are too late if you will become addicted. And for some people, it is from the first drink.
Not sure if it would do any good anyway, because most folks start drinking at an age where danger is cool, but at least it would be honest.
Thanks for the good thread.
Not sure if it would do any good anyway, because most folks start drinking at an age where danger is cool, but at least it would be honest.
Thanks for the good thread.
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