The Phenomenon of "Craving"
Choosing Life
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Montana
Posts: 1,435
The Phenomenon of "Craving"
We've been talking a lot in AA lately about what is referred to in the Big Book as "the phenomenon of craving." Basically, it means that once you take that first drink, something happens in your brain that "flips a switch" and makes you want more and more and more. In other words, it's the first drink that gets you drunk, not the 3rd or the 10th or the 20th.
I've been thinking about this a lot lately, especially in regards to the idea of moderation. My husband recently went back out after almost 60 days of sobriety, but this time he thinks it will be "different." In other words, he thinks he knows it all now, and he knows what he needs to do differently .... he thinks he can enjoy "just a couple" and be satisfied. After doing what he's doing 1001 times myself, I have learned that this is never the case. One drink will set off a chain reaction that will leave me wanting 10 or 20 more until I pass out/black out. There is no such thing as "moderation" for this alcoholic.
What happens to you after the first drink? Is it enough? Or does it release the brakes on the runaway train, and then it's off and running?
I've been thinking about this a lot lately, especially in regards to the idea of moderation. My husband recently went back out after almost 60 days of sobriety, but this time he thinks it will be "different." In other words, he thinks he knows it all now, and he knows what he needs to do differently .... he thinks he can enjoy "just a couple" and be satisfied. After doing what he's doing 1001 times myself, I have learned that this is never the case. One drink will set off a chain reaction that will leave me wanting 10 or 20 more until I pass out/black out. There is no such thing as "moderation" for this alcoholic.
What happens to you after the first drink? Is it enough? Or does it release the brakes on the runaway train, and then it's off and running?
Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Cleveland Ohio
Posts: 133
Your husband doesn't have a drinking problem. He has a thinking problem. His thinking keeps on getting him drunk. No alcoholic that ever lived has had a drinking problem. If your husband is indeed an alcoholic he has 3 choices and 3 choices only
1 sobriety
2 insanity / prison
3 death
I sit on this board and read post after post from kids who think they have a drinking problem, it make me sad because they not not even close to a clue. The mind that creates the problem is not the mind that can fix the problem.
1 sobriety
2 insanity / prison
3 death
I sit on this board and read post after post from kids who think they have a drinking problem, it make me sad because they not not even close to a clue. The mind that creates the problem is not the mind that can fix the problem.
Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Indianapolis, IN
Posts: 889
I'm not a Dr. but the chemical that makes us crave is called acetone. It passes through a normal drinker much more rapidly than an alcoholic. Also, it's compounding. Meaning, you want the 2nd more than the 1st, the 5th worse than the 4th, and the 10th worse than the 9th... The reason is, as we drink more and more alcohol we have more and more acetone in our body. The more acetone we have, the more we crave booze. The more we drink to satisfy the craving, the more we actually contribute to the craving. It's insane really...
This would explain since the age of 17 I have always drank longer than others I drank with. I would always come home after a night of drinking and partying and have a few shots and beers. It's an unquenchable desire. All I can control not taking the 1st drink.
Check out this link...
The Phenomenon of Craving
This would explain since the age of 17 I have always drank longer than others I drank with. I would always come home after a night of drinking and partying and have a few shots and beers. It's an unquenchable desire. All I can control not taking the 1st drink.
Check out this link...
The Phenomenon of Craving
instant
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 5,711
Mine had progressed to me getting a whole body burning feeling, this could be brought on by reminders and triggers etc. It would be worse when I tried moderate drinking and drive me to distraction.
I don't get it now. I know it will come back if I drink.
I don't get it now. I know it will come back if I drink.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Between Meetings
Posts: 8,997
I have this guy in my homegroup celebrating 50 years in AA this year....He went to AA when he was 24. He said the one line that really stuck with him he heard from one of his early sponsors..(He outlived a couple of them.)...was "If I don't ever have a drink...I'll never need a drink."....Makes sense and it's so simple.
12 Step Recovered Alcoholic
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 6,613
Thanks Reggie, for your explanation about acetone. It appears modern science has supported Dr Silkworth's opinion after all. The phenomenon of craving is the single factor that distiguishes alcoholics of my type, because it never occurs in any other class of drinker.
If I didn't have that, I could still be a drunk, but by choice, not complusion. The difference between a drunk and a real alcoholic is the alcoholic would quit if he could, where the drunk could quit if he would.
If I didn't have that, I could still be a drunk, but by choice, not complusion. The difference between a drunk and a real alcoholic is the alcoholic would quit if he could, where the drunk could quit if he would.
Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: springfield, va
Posts: 1,385
I heard in an AA meeting that once your drinking progresses you turn from a cucumber into a pickle. There is no turning back from a pickle to a cucumber with the disease of alcoholism. It made perfect sense to me!
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