I have a loved one who celebrated over 6 months. big whoop-dedoo on facebook and over a 100 plus congrats and praises. One of the posters said, if you fall off, just climb back on the wagon. That post reminded me of Sally Jessy Raphael.
Two days later, that 6 months went down the drain. I wanted to cry as it was my loved one.

I will never forget one person looked me in the eye and said " Only 1 in 100 true alcoholics that try to quit will never drink again". I was thinking ... I love a long shot ! But it actually made me realize just how serious this was. It made me get serious and stop messing around. 1 in 100 ... I guess that's better than 1in a million but it's pretty crappy odds. I look back now and can see that he was probably right. In a room of 50 I can think of about 3 ppl that haven't gone back. This is serious
1is2many

Stinkin thinkin. Damaging comments. I wondered if I should even bring this up.

My IOP counselor once told me that for those who don't get any help, such as AA, or in or outpatient treatment, the chances of relapse is more then 98%. We use to have a 28 day inpatient treatment program at one of our local hospitals, but they changed it to a 3 week IOP (intensive Outpatient Program) when insurance company statistics showed 25% of those who attend an inpatient program will stay sober compared to a 20% of those who attend an IOP so with a 5% difference, it was virtually no statistical difference. The hospital wanted to make sure they got paid so they dropped the inpatient in favor for the outpatient, since the insurance company would no longer pay for inpatient.
Yes I agree, it is very difficult to stay sober, even with help but at least with help, you increase the odds.

This post reminds me of the first time I went through detox and they tried to get me to followup with a referal to the IOP but I declined it and I remember the counselor telling me that I would fail, and that pissed me off so I told her I would prove her wrong! Fast forward a year and I was drinking like a fish, my world fell apart, lost my job, lost my wife, lost my self respect, and had to file bankruptcy to name a few and I honestly didn't want to live anymore! So I ended up in detox again and when the IOP was offered to me, I jumped at the chance! They had like a dozen counselors throughout the whole program and of all the counselors there, I was given the same one that had told me, a year prier, that I would fail. So I hated her the first day I walked in to begin my recovery, but 3 weeks later, I loved her to death! Every single day was a healing experience, which I will never forget, and I made some lifelong friends!

Good luck on your road to recovery, and God Bless

My brain has been permanently changed so that I can't drink or use drugs without losing control. As long as I remember this I'll stay away from drinking and using drugs.

I am on another forum also and they always say that only 4% that go to AA will remain sober, the other 96% will return to drinking. Very off putting when I read that but all you can do is keep trying. It is a lifelong thing.

Can't let the truth stand in the way of our success... Just gotta work harder & smarter

Doing on you own has the same success rate as AA

I guess my message is that people such as Sally Jessy Raphael need to realize that and keep their traps shut.
BTW, my loved one was a inpatient at one of the best centers in the country. When we want a drink because we feel out of place, wish we could be parting with friends, socializing - we are so fragile. Our minds work to justify that "one drink" and you know the rest of the story. I've been there so many times.
Anyway, I've come to realize that those enabling words are killer and I wish more people would realize that. Like I said, this accomplishment was on facebook and everyone knew very well the milestone my loved one achieved. It was that one jerk who said, "if you fall, just climb back on".
Yes, in the jerks defense, he probably had no idea of the power of his words and probably meant no harm.
Sad.

** I should add, the jerk might not have been the triggering reason or source. I just relate that to my falling years ago. But the point remains.

I guess one can focus on the negative ( the 97% that return to drinking) or focus on the postive (3% that remain sober). I have been on both sides of that stat. I was a chronic relapser until I decided that I was willing to do whatever it took to get and stay sober. I have been in the 3% now for over 12 years (my recovered husband has been a 3%er for 22 years). According to the stats, I should probably prepare for a relapse. Or maybe just continue what I have been doing to the last dozen years...

While in treatment, I learned alot of tools to help me stay sober but it's like my counselor said, "We can throw everything at you but the kitchen sink! The rest is up to you!"

God Bless!

Good morning y'all! The OP (original post) left me with a bad taste in my mouth when I read it yesterday. I composed a couple of responses but deleted them all because they "weren't nice" per the old DS standard.

A good night's sleep has helped bring clarity to my discomfort with the OP.

As an active alcoholic, I found a reason to drink over anything, including the comments of a TV talk show host. But those "reasons" were merely excuses to drink - because, as much as I WANTED to stop drinking, I wasn't READY to stop drinking permanently.

Once I recovered from my alcoholism, there is not a reason, trigger or excuse that will cause me to pick up a drink again. And I am confident that I will not "flounder sometime in the future." Not because I am arrogant or full of myself. But because "the problem has been removed." BB pg 85