Questions about Alcoholism
Questions about Alcoholism
“This compulsive nature of an alcoholic’s reaction to alcohol is marked by the dynamic that once the substance is introduced to an alcoholic’s body it can set off a craving for more. That means that once in a while, once a week/month/whatever, an alcoholic starts drinking with the intention of having two beers and ends up drinking themselves into passing out. This is a form of Russian Roulette that an alcoholic plays. They may be able to control their drinking 90 % of the time, but they can never be sure when that compulsive craving will take control - when that happens they are liable to wake up in strange places not having any idea what happened or how they got there or rather they killed someone on the freeway the night before. Some alcoholics go months or even years between binges. Some of the most miserable people on this planet are dry alcoholics - that is, alcoholics who are not drinking using will power, but are really miserable because of it.” “Alcoholism itself actually has a pattern of skipping generations in terms of its hereditary nature - but the emotional wounds inflicted on someone who lives with, and especially someone who grows up with, alcoholism leave scars that can totally control a persons life long after the alcoholic is dead.
The Adult Child of Alcoholic Syndrome, which I believe is the same dynamic as the Adult Child of Dysfunctional Family Syndrome or Codependence, is in fact a form of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or Delayed Stress Syndrome. This is a disease in and of itself, and can produce psychological addictions such as workaholism, religious addiction, sexual/relationship/love addictions (which are really 3 different things), eating disorders (which in turn then become physiological compulsions), etc. It can also lead to depression, panic disorder, fear of intimacy, relationship phobia, etc.” “. . . . drinking is a symptom of a dysfunctional society. . . . . . . If alcohol were suddenly no longer available, people would find some substitute - because the great majority of people on the planet do not know how to live. If you took away all of the substances and agents that people use to numb themselves so that they can endure life - alcohol, drugs (both illegal and legal), sugar, caffeine, nicotine, television, obsessions and compulsions of any variety (religion, exercise, computers, gambling, sports, relationship, sex, etc.) - the world would deteriorate in violence and chaos as all the repressed emotional energy exploded to the surface. A society that believes that Prozac, homelessness, and billionaires are a natural part of the design of life as humans is a really sick society/a dis-eased culture - a very wounded bunch of human beings.”
This page contains some questions about alcoholism answered by Spiritual Teacher/codependency therapist.
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Codependence: The Dance of Wounded Souls by Robert Burney is copyright 1995. Material on Joy2MeU web site (except where otherwise noted) is copyright 1996 thru 2015 by Robert Burney PO Box 98 Fallbrook CA 92088.
Although my book and articles make reference to Alcoholics Anonymous, the principles and Twelve Step program of A.A., this does not mean that A.A. has reviewed or approved the contents of this writing, nor that A.A. agrees with the views expressed herein. A.A. is a program of recovery from alcoholism only - use of this material in connection with programs and activities which are patterned after A.A., but address other problems, or in any other non-A.A. context, does not imply otherwise.
Originally published at https://joy2meu.com/AlcoholismQA.htm