Seren

I thought it meant powerless over alcohol...as in, once an alcoholic takes that first drink, it is beyond their own will-power to stop. I don't believe it means that the alcoholic has no power to recover. They do. They just have to want it very, very much.

Personally, I don't care what road to recovery is taken by an addict. If it works for them, great!! I've always said that if my stepson wanted to use the 'pink grapefruit and bubblegum' recovery program, he really worked it, and it worked for him--I'd be behind him 100%.

My time here on SR has taught me one thing--even though many active addicts and alcoholics share certain traits, how they respond to the various recovery programs available is extremely individual. It seems to me that many folks have to try a variety of things or even mix and match in order to succeed.

Seren

I frequently read in the Newcomers to Recovery forum because it provides me with real insight into what the struggle is like. A current thread in that forum that is relevant to the 'powerless' issue over alcohol is entitled "I can never have just one...". I think this speaks directly to what happens once that first drink is consumed.

cookiesncream

No profound insights to add here as I'm coming from "the other side." I will say that your statement here resonates with me quite deeply "It is not that the A has no control, it is that he/she has not taken control." I'm currently listening to the audiobook "This is How" by Augusten Burroughs. If you're not familiar with the author he has written a number of books including a memoir about his alcoholism just to name a few. I'm currently listening to the chapter where he is talking about AA, a relapse and the sobriety that as of this writing has "stuck." The second time he quit drinking he took the approach of he DID have control and had the choice to consume alcohol or not. I'm of the opinion that whatever works for a person who am I to judge. However his approach and thought process resonates with me, coming from the other side.

Carpe Diem,

Cookies

LemonGirl

Wow! Thank you everyone for chiming in! I tend to agree with those of you who suggested that its possible to have different avenues to getting sober.

Also, I wanted to clarify something about the semantics going on here between helplessness and powerlessness sinv I said something about 'learned helplessness'... It is something that we refer to in child psychology about how a child can struggle to learn, but he/she has self doubt about his/her ability to learn. So this belief sets that child up for failure because then when the child tries, if the attempt fails, it validates the child's belief that he/she cannot do the task. It is a scaffolding effect. Eventually, the child has "proven" his/her self doubt to him/her self.
I found this similar to an alcoholic's 'inability' to control the drinking....