Can you go from recovering alcoholic to RECOVERED alcoholic?
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Can you go from recovering alcoholic to RECOVERED alcoholic?
Thanks y'all for your patience w all of my questions. There's a lot of wisdom here and clearly I'm taking advantage 
. You have no idea how helpful this is for me as someone so new to recovery.
So, I think I understand that alcoholism is a symptom of a greater problem. What I don't understand is why many will always refer to themselves as a recovering alcoholics? Why never a recovered person FROM alcoholism? Why is there absolutely no turning back? Can't we be healed from the things that led to problem drinking, in time? What am I not getting here? Thanks!
. You have no idea how helpful this is for me as someone so new to recovery. So, I think I understand that alcoholism is a symptom of a greater problem. What I don't understand is why many will always refer to themselves as a recovering alcoholics? Why never a recovered person FROM alcoholism? Why is there absolutely no turning back? Can't we be healed from the things that led to problem drinking, in time? What am I not getting here? Thanks!
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izzy, what is the difference in your mind? I mean, what is the sticking point that you are on? Are you feeling that 'someday' you'll be able to take a drink? Or do you just feel the title is disabling in some way? I don't really understand your question, but I would like to.
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The AA Big Book is clear on this issue. One of its early titles was Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How Many Thousands of Men and Women Have Recovered from Alcoholism. Only later was it known as the AA Big Book.
The Big Book also tells us that we are recovered from a hopeless state of mind and body, and from the obsession to drink. And how do we recover? By working through the AA Big Book Twelve Steps.
This is sometimes a superficially controversial topic, though, as above, the AA Big Book is entirely unambiguous on this issue.
The Big Book also tells us that we are recovered from a hopeless state of mind and body, and from the obsession to drink. And how do we recover? By working through the AA Big Book Twelve Steps.
This is sometimes a superficially controversial topic, though, as above, the AA Big Book is entirely unambiguous on this issue.
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Hi Izzy, I'm taking it as your asking if you would always give yourself the title of recovering alcoholic, I'm not sure but in my case either one would be preferable to some of the many other labels I have been given in life when I was drinking! I personally would like to say i'm a recovered alcoholic one day, but I know that if I pickup a drink I will then not need a preface to what I am! Hope this is helpful. Stay strong and Well ! Bobby
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I would say no for myself, if I had a drink now, I wouldn't have 1 beer or 1 glass, I'd have a case of beer or the whole bottle, drink till I passed out tonight into bed!!
That would seem to suggest that there must be something hardwired in my genetics that even after a period of Sobriety, my relationship with alcohol wouldn't be any different if I returned.
I can't see any middle ground for myself, or healing of the situation, it's alcoholic or Sober, 1 or the other, I don't get too hung up though on all the phrases or labels, "not drinking today" is what I'm doing, whatever anyone else calls it, it's up them!!
That would seem to suggest that there must be something hardwired in my genetics that even after a period of Sobriety, my relationship with alcohol wouldn't be any different if I returned.
I can't see any middle ground for myself, or healing of the situation, it's alcoholic or Sober, 1 or the other, I don't get too hung up though on all the phrases or labels, "not drinking today" is what I'm doing, whatever anyone else calls it, it's up them!!
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Binimi- yes, I do think the title is disabling. If there are underlying emotional/spiritual/mental issues that lead to the problem, even if I didn't want to take a drink bc of all the pain it's caused, shouldn't I be able to not be afraid of alcohol or labeled indefinitely bc of a past struggle that was overcome?
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Thx purple knight. It is hard wired in my genetics, that's for sure. But if I never took a drink, or it never became a problem - even though I'm genetically predisposed this way, I wouldn't be considered an alcoholic, right?
I'm not trying to be argumentative, really - just trying to understand.
I'm not trying to be argumentative, really - just trying to understand.
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I wouldn't worry about the labels, the important thing is having a "normal" rather than a "problem" relationship with alcohol.
Sure people may drink more during tough times and then they go back to being able to have 1 pint after work then home, but I drank for no reason, I drank because I was awake, because I passed the liquor store on a sunny day, on a rainy day, didn't matter if it was a Friday evening or a Monday evening, I drank because I was addicted, I didn't need people either, the party was usually for one in my house.
Now to me, that didn't sound "normal", I had a problem, and that is the type of drinking I would go back to if I went out now and visited the liquor store!!
I would say in theory you would still be an alcoholic if you didn't pick up a drink, before I did drink, my dad was an alcoholic, so I was convinced I probably had a similar tendency to be alcoholic, unfortunately I opened the door to testing that theory out!! . . . but again the labels are not the important thing!!
Sure people may drink more during tough times and then they go back to being able to have 1 pint after work then home, but I drank for no reason, I drank because I was awake, because I passed the liquor store on a sunny day, on a rainy day, didn't matter if it was a Friday evening or a Monday evening, I drank because I was addicted, I didn't need people either, the party was usually for one in my house.
Now to me, that didn't sound "normal", I had a problem, and that is the type of drinking I would go back to if I went out now and visited the liquor store!!
I would say in theory you would still be an alcoholic if you didn't pick up a drink, before I did drink, my dad was an alcoholic, so I was convinced I probably had a similar tendency to be alcoholic, unfortunately I opened the door to testing that theory out!! . . . but again the labels are not the important thing!!
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Originally Posted by izzy8 
Binimi- yes, I do think the title is disabling. If there are underlying emotional/spiritual/mental issues that lead to the problem, even if I didn't want to take a drink bc of all the pain it's caused, shouldn't I be able to not be afraid of alcohol or labeled indefinitely bc of a past struggle that was overcome?
"Alcoholic" is a tough pill to swallow. No pun intended. I don't introduce myself to new people as an alcoholic, and I don't use, "I'm an alcoholic" (or recovering/recovered) to explain why I'm not drinking - unless I feel like it. In an AA meeting everyone is an alcoholic, so I'm not worried about it in there...
My family likely knew before I did - so they can call me whatever they want.
Once denial for the condition is gone, it's all a matter of semantics and not picking up that first drink.
The underlying psychological issues need their own healing. Just not drinking doesn't miraculously heal my emotional problems. They take a different type of work: work that cannot be completed while drinking. If they are not dealt with properly, it threatens my sobriety.
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Whether someone chose to call themselves recovering or recovered it does not matter. As sober alcoholics, we might have stopped the compulsion and arrested our alcoholism but we can never drink safely again and we can never pick up the first drink.
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Originally Posted by izzy8
Thx purple knight. It is hard wired in my genetics, that's for sure. But if I never took a drink, or it never became a problem - even though I'm genetically predisposed this way, I wouldn't be considered an alcoholic, right?
I'm not trying to be argumentative, really - just trying to understand.
I'm not trying to be argumentative, really - just trying to understand.
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Join Date: Nov 2013
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That's a very interesting question. Alcoholics usually have some kind of mental sickness and denial issues, and some would say spiritual problems. But if that person completely straightens out, learns to face reality and becomes healthy and functional then why would can't they drink normally? I don't know the answer, but it does seem that once an alcoholic, there will never be the possibility of being a moderate drinker.
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