Alcoholism Support Group
Alcoholism is the continued consumption of alcoholic beverages, even when it is negatively affecting your health, work, relationships and life. If you think alcohol is causing you to lose control, it's time to seek help. Our group is a safe place to vent, check in, get back up if you fall, and reach sobriety.
it's the same disease: addiction. it's the drug of choice that differs; sometimes the behavior of choice:
-alcohol
-crack/cocaine
-heroin/opiates
-gambling
-sex
-marijuana
-pills
these are all addictions. look at AA. it's been adapted/modified to assist not only alcoholics, but narcotic addicts, sex addicts, gambling addicts, and food addicts. the twelve steps may differ from program to program, but the basis is the same.
i walked into an NA meeting once and walked right back out. i've stuck around for AA meetings. i've considered finding a home meeting. but alcohol has never been my first drug of choice.... until all my other drugs were taken away, that is.
why the different stigmas associated with alcoholics and other drug addicts? we've all heard the term 'functioning alcoholic'; most of us probably know one. how many of us really have seen 'functioning heroin addicts' in action? 'functioning meth addicts'? they exist, but the stigma is different. if you're a crack or heroin user, you're a junkie; you're in the gutter. if you're a cocaine user, you party too much and are high strung, possibly maintaining a job but not a full on junkie. if you're an alcoholic, you can run the gamut of in the streets to professional who puts on a great face.
so why do i identify more with alcoholics? is it because i grew up surrounded by alcoholics in denial and i'm familiar with the patterns? is it because it's my most recent addiction? is it because alcoholics are less judgmental than other addicts? or is it the 'clientele', so to speak. most alcoholics in recovery seem more mature, they seem more ready to take recovery seriously. they seem more interested in WORKING THEIR RECOVERY? is that it?
does that mean alcoholics and addicts of other drugs are NOT the same? should alcoholism be treated differently than other addictions? addictive behavior is addictive behavior: what is the difference that makes one addict pick crack, one pick meth, one pick alcohol?
-alcohol
-crack/cocaine
-heroin/opiates
-gambling
-sex
-marijuana
-pills
these are all addictions. look at AA. it's been adapted/modified to assist not only alcoholics, but narcotic addicts, sex addicts, gambling addicts, and food addicts. the twelve steps may differ from program to program, but the basis is the same.
i walked into an NA meeting once and walked right back out. i've stuck around for AA meetings. i've considered finding a home meeting. but alcohol has never been my first drug of choice.... until all my other drugs were taken away, that is.
why the different stigmas associated with alcoholics and other drug addicts? we've all heard the term 'functioning alcoholic'; most of us probably know one. how many of us really have seen 'functioning heroin addicts' in action? 'functioning meth addicts'? they exist, but the stigma is different. if you're a crack or heroin user, you're a junkie; you're in the gutter. if you're a cocaine user, you party too much and are high strung, possibly maintaining a job but not a full on junkie. if you're an alcoholic, you can run the gamut of in the streets to professional who puts on a great face.
so why do i identify more with alcoholics? is it because i grew up surrounded by alcoholics in denial and i'm familiar with the patterns? is it because it's my most recent addiction? is it because alcoholics are less judgmental than other addicts? or is it the 'clientele', so to speak. most alcoholics in recovery seem more mature, they seem more ready to take recovery seriously. they seem more interested in WORKING THEIR RECOVERY? is that it?
does that mean alcoholics and addicts of other drugs are NOT the same? should alcoholism be treated differently than other addictions? addictive behavior is addictive behavior: what is the difference that makes one addict pick crack, one pick meth, one pick alcohol?
My own experience is confined to alcohol so I dont know if alcoholics and people who are addicted to other drugs are the same. However, I have listened to quite a few people who were cross addicted and many of them stated that alcoholism was the most difficult addiction for them to deal with. They often managed to overcome other drug addictions on willpower alone but needed help with alcoholism.
I believe that I have an addiction prone personality and would probably have become addicted to any one or several of the other substances that you have listed if they had been as easily available as alcohol so I think that it is not the chemical that is the problem. I drank at first because I did not have the necessary skills for dealing with everyday life and I later drank more because I became addicted to alcohol. Removing the alcohol would not solve the living problem so I am thankful that those Twelve Steps that you mentioned offered a solution that addressed the causes and not just the symptoms.
As I have no experience I do not know if alcoholism should be treated differently to other addictions but in my opinion, recovery depends on dealing with the causes regardless of whatever the substance may be.
The demand to use is a demand of the body, Yes, the Twelve Steps have proved to be a Solution for every serious problem mankind has developed but the first requirement is that the person who is our of control understand their problem in their heart of hearts. The second surrender must then be to become a serious student of the Big Book and apply these directions to their daily life.
That being so necessary, a lot of people who were going to NA for their drug/narcotic problem realized they did better in recovery when they associated with those with a similar addiction. As time has passed, there are now over twenty Fellowships, each dealing with a diferent drug or narcotic. To that are over two hundred Felloships dealing with food, gambling, sex,co-dependency and on an on.
In 1958, Bill Wilson published an article in the Grapevine relating to the singleness of purpose of Alcoholics Anonymous. In part it read, "Sobriety - freedom from alcohol - through the study and prasctice of the Twelve Steps is the sole purpose of an AA Group." Failure for many in the Fellowsahip of Alcoholics Anonymous to h9onor our Singleness of Purpose is one of the reasons so very few are finding lasting sobriety.
Bill, Dr. Bob and the First One Hundred knew the truth. Our Fellowship would be much more successful if Members would honor the life saving Traditions
http://stavros69.blogspot.com/2013/09/reward-circuits-themesolimbic-dopamine_30.html
Whether its substance or non-substance addiction, the addicts need to change body chemistry is what constitutes addiction. In other words, the addict doesnt feel good about themselves when not under the influence. Those that feel good about them selves dont become addicted. The exception would be SOME pain management patients that are physically addicted to i.e. morphine, but not psychologically addicted, e.g. war vets.
The main reason for addiction centers in the mind, rather than the body. The misunderstanding of this fact is mainly why the recidivism rate is so high. This is why many addicts whether they are alcohol addicts or other types of drug addicts including nicotine addicts, which I noticed you didnt mention, relapse. Many believe that being abstinent without out getting down to the psychological causes and conditions of why they became addicted and relapsed is sobriety, but sadly theyre mistaken. Theres a distinct difference between sobriety and abstinence.
BTW, many of the AA pioneers were cross / poly-addicted, but early on, they didnt accept other types of drug addicts ONLY alcohol addicts. Most AA meetings today accept other types of addicts, but there are still some meetings that are ONLY for alcoholics. One of the oldest on-going AA meetings in Malibu, California where I got sober is a CLOSED meeting for alcoholics ONLY.
The stigma of addiction exists because of ignorance! The so-called war on drugs doesnt work and never will. This alone promotes overwhelming social ignorance. With the exception of death from 2 legal drugs, tobacco which is the #1 reason for drug death in the world and alcohol being #2, prescription drugs death well out weights all other drugs combined in the USA. However, most are unaware of this (ignorance), because after all, a doctors prescription is OK. Sadly this is the overwhelming belief. Also, the pharmaceuticals and the US Food and Drug Administration promote drug sales, which compounds the corruption of the system.
Alcoholism is addiction. Here is the science to prove it:
http://www.cogsci.ucsd.edu/~pineda/COGS175/readings/Volkow.pdf
This explains it more simply:
http://www.cdap.musc.edu/addictioninfo.htm
http://messageinabottleblog.wordpress.com/2013/11/11/a-drug-is-a-drug-is-a-dog-is-a-dachshund/ by our very own Sir Paul. Just a great read with wonderful comments to boot.