Sunday, July 23, 2006
A.A.: There is a Solution: Personal Responsibility
"The fact is that most alcoholics, for reasons yet obscure, have lost the power of choice in drink. Our so-called will power becomes practically nonexistent. We are unable, at certain times, to bring into our consciousness with sufficient force the memory of the suffering and humiliation of even a week or a month ago. We are without defense against the first drink."
Alcoholics Anonymous
There is a Solution
Page 24
I know that if I didn't have personal first-hand experience with this loss of control, I might be a bit skeptical about such claims as, "... will power becomes practically nonexistent" and "We are without defense...". On the surface, it might sound like the alcoholic is looking to dodge personal responsibility for their actions and find a scapegoat.
The reality is just the opposite -- acceptance and responsibility are key. It wasn't until I ended the debate about will power and self-control and accepted that my drinking was something that I could not handle that I began to recover. Indeed, the first step in Alcoholics Anonymous is admitting that I am powerless over alcohol. That surrender doesn't mean, however, that I am not responsibile for my actions. It means that I have accepted the problem on the problem's terms (rather than trying to impose my own will) and can now claim full personal responsibility for my recovery.
There are those who argue that drinking is a choice -- not a disease. They will concede that some people abuse alcohol as a means to cope with life's difficulties. They further assert that if problem drinkers are taught more socially acceptable coping methods, they can continue to drink as normal. This has not been my experience.
Here's what the experts have to say: (to learn more click here)
Alcoholism, also known as alcohol dependence, is a disease that includes the following four symptoms:
* Craving - A strong need, or urge, to drink.
* Loss of control - Not being able to stop drinking once drinking has begun.
* Physical dependence - Withdrawal symptoms, such as nausea, sweating, shakiness, and anxiety after stopping drinking.
* Tolerance - The need to drink greater amounts of alcohol to get "high."
For clinical and research purposes, formal diagnostic criteria for alcoholism also have been developed. Such criteria are included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, published by the American Psychiatric Association, as well as in the International Classification Diseases, published by the World Health Organization.
Get the latest edition of:
Alcoholics Anonymous
AA Services
aa addiction alcoholism recovery sponsornet substance abuse
Alcoholics Anonymous
There is a Solution
Page 24
I know that if I didn't have personal first-hand experience with this loss of control, I might be a bit skeptical about such claims as, "... will power becomes practically nonexistent" and "We are without defense...". On the surface, it might sound like the alcoholic is looking to dodge personal responsibility for their actions and find a scapegoat.
The reality is just the opposite -- acceptance and responsibility are key. It wasn't until I ended the debate about will power and self-control and accepted that my drinking was something that I could not handle that I began to recover. Indeed, the first step in Alcoholics Anonymous is admitting that I am powerless over alcohol. That surrender doesn't mean, however, that I am not responsibile for my actions. It means that I have accepted the problem on the problem's terms (rather than trying to impose my own will) and can now claim full personal responsibility for my recovery.
There are those who argue that drinking is a choice -- not a disease. They will concede that some people abuse alcohol as a means to cope with life's difficulties. They further assert that if problem drinkers are taught more socially acceptable coping methods, they can continue to drink as normal. This has not been my experience.
Here's what the experts have to say: (to learn more click here)
Alcoholism, also known as alcohol dependence, is a disease that includes the following four symptoms:
* Craving - A strong need, or urge, to drink.
* Loss of control - Not being able to stop drinking once drinking has begun.
* Physical dependence - Withdrawal symptoms, such as nausea, sweating, shakiness, and anxiety after stopping drinking.
* Tolerance - The need to drink greater amounts of alcohol to get "high."
For clinical and research purposes, formal diagnostic criteria for alcoholism also have been developed. Such criteria are included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, published by the American Psychiatric Association, as well as in the International Classification Diseases, published by the World Health Organization.
Get the latest edition of:
Alcoholics Anonymous
AA Services
aa addiction alcoholism recovery sponsornet substance abuse
# posted by Bill B. @ 3:24 PM 
