Redmayne

Looking at next weeks,TV listings, here in the UK, I noticed that there's to be a documentary on a well known ex footballer, who at one time, literally had the world at his feet in regard to his footballing (soccer) skills and abilities. Obviously,here he'll remain anonymous for obvious reasons.

His fall from grace and descent into alcoholism, together with the resultant episodes with which we're all familiar.Incidents of violence and assaults, some domestic, followed the breakup of his marriage break, repeated and failed attempts to recover in rehab, have all been well documented by the media.

Reading the blurb, highlighting the program was this quote from him that struck me with some force!

"I don't know why I'm an alcoholic, I wish I wasn't, but I am," I think all those both in and out of recovery could at some stage or other, echo those words.

However what struck me,was that in the opening line of Chap. 3 of,'Alcoholics Anonymous', 4th Ed. we first see the use of the term,'real alcoholic'....

For myself, I'd seen this many times and despite the fact that the whole chapter,'More about Alcoholism' is devoted to it, never really understood what it meant, in particular to me...

Since which time,with the indirect assistance of a long time sober member of AA, who knew how I was struggling, and one day passed me a set of 'bootleg' cd's recorded at a 'Big Book Study', run by Charlie and Joe...

I learned that the term,'real alcoholic' referred to that 8 per cent of those generally referred to as alcoholics, who by cause of their genetic make up have a digestive system that doesn't digest alcohol as the same rate as a 'normal' drinker, about 1oz per hour.

I does so at a much slower rate, causing the alcohol or drug, to remain in the body and because it's a drug, it sends messages to the brain saying,'Give me some more!'

Thus starting that well known cycle we're all familiar with,which invariably leads to a descent into oblivion...and ultimately worse.

The other thing I learned from this and other sources is that there is no rehab for 'real alcoholics' no matter how many times it's undertaken. Because, as I know in myself, they will always want to drink, no matter how long they've been sober. The only option, once gained to their sobriety, in their mind and in my case my spirituality...

For myself I adhere to simple christian beliefs,enhanced by fundamental Buddhist philosophy/psychology. Same thing really, for as the Dalai Lama said,'Buddhism is not a religion .It is the science of the mind'.

It seems to me,as many psychologist would agree, that the answers always lie in the mind, and Dr. Silkworth was right in the,'Big Book' when he talked of alcoholism being a,'physical allergy' and the need for a psychic or spiritual experience.

For just as much, for myself until I took on board the opening line of Chapter 5 of the ,'Big Book', How It Works, 'Rarely have we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our path.' I made no progress in my recovery, until I did...

I can only hope that truism is brought to the attention of the guy I referred to in the opening of this thread, one day...