Alcoholism: The Truth About This Disease
Written By: Rome B.
Alcoholism is a terrible disease of addiction. Apart from the physical dependence on alcohol, there are other psychological, genetic and social factors that may play a role in the development of this addiction. Symptoms include intense cravings for alcohol, incapacity to control one's drinking, increased tolerance to its effects, and withdrawal symptoms during the periods of abstinence. In addition, many social, legal and economic problems can be attributed to this serious illness. For example, the percentages of divorce, unemployment and suicide are significantly higher in families where one or more suffer from this disease.
One should know that many alcoholics deny having a problem at all. In such instances an intervention may be necessary in order to help them start addiction recovery. However, the most successful method of intervention is as simple as another alcoholic sharing their own story and how they found recovery from alcoholism. By keeping the ego out of the discussion one becomes less defensive – something that is likely an issue among those who are true alcoholics.
According to staff at The Owl’s Nest Recovery Community an Atlanta rehab alternative, the treatment of alcoholism often includes detoxification, counseling and most successfully the time-tested and proven 12-Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. One must never confuse the fellowship and meetings of recovery with the 12 Step program of recovery -which are two distinct different aspects of “the program”. In order to properly apply The 12-Steps, one must dig deep and identify a working “spiritual foundation”. Support meetings are meant to supplement, never replace, the 12-Step work. With this combination, all of these aspects of true recovery can be found.
Alcoholism involves a physical allergy of the body, a spiritual void and an obsession of the mind with a desire to drink and it is progressive in nature. If an alcoholic remains sober for a period of time and then resumes drinking, their disease can pick-up where they would have been without that period of sober living. There are circumstances in which alcoholism can become fatal, when alcohol consumption begins to interfere with your health, your career, your family and/or your safety.
When asked about willpower in addiction rehabilitation, staff at the Atlanta rehab -The Owl’s Nest Recovery Community explain: A true alcoholic is powerless to stop and needs the help of God or a “Higher Power” to overcome this illness. Some may ask, "Is this God stuff required for addiction rehabilitation and isn’t that simply an opinion?" Well of course it is an opinion. However, it is the opinion of millions of addicts who are recovering or have successfully recovered throughout the world.
If you have questions for either yourself or someone you love and care about, please contact a local support group and ask if they are into the solution or if their focus is on the problem.
If the problem is a lack of power, then the solution is power. The most successful 12-Step programs of recovery spend a lot of time focused on the solution and never for too long on the problem. And how do you obtain the solution? It comes in properly adhering to the 12-Steps and working with a sponsor - an AA member with time in their own sobriety - who knows, lives, and works the program.
Copyright 2012 m38 www.owlsnestrecovery.com
Alcoholism is a terrible disease of addiction. Apart from the physical dependence on alcohol, there are other psychological, genetic and social factors that may play a role in the development of this addiction. Symptoms include intense cravings for alcohol, incapacity to control one's drinking, increased tolerance to its effects, and withdrawal symptoms during the periods of abstinence. In addition, many social, legal and economic problems can be attributed to this serious illness. For example, the percentages of divorce, unemployment and suicide are significantly higher in families where one or more suffer from this disease.
One should know that many alcoholics deny having a problem at all. In such instances an intervention may be necessary in order to help them start addiction recovery. However, the most successful method of intervention is as simple as another alcoholic sharing their own story and how they found recovery from alcoholism. By keeping the ego out of the discussion one becomes less defensive – something that is likely an issue among those who are true alcoholics.
According to staff at The Owl’s Nest Recovery Community an Atlanta rehab alternative, the treatment of alcoholism often includes detoxification, counseling and most successfully the time-tested and proven 12-Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. One must never confuse the fellowship and meetings of recovery with the 12 Step program of recovery -which are two distinct different aspects of “the program”. In order to properly apply The 12-Steps, one must dig deep and identify a working “spiritual foundation”. Support meetings are meant to supplement, never replace, the 12-Step work. With this combination, all of these aspects of true recovery can be found.
Alcoholism involves a physical allergy of the body, a spiritual void and an obsession of the mind with a desire to drink and it is progressive in nature. If an alcoholic remains sober for a period of time and then resumes drinking, their disease can pick-up where they would have been without that period of sober living. There are circumstances in which alcoholism can become fatal, when alcohol consumption begins to interfere with your health, your career, your family and/or your safety.
When asked about willpower in addiction rehabilitation, staff at the Atlanta rehab -The Owl’s Nest Recovery Community explain: A true alcoholic is powerless to stop and needs the help of God or a “Higher Power” to overcome this illness. Some may ask, "Is this God stuff required for addiction rehabilitation and isn’t that simply an opinion?" Well of course it is an opinion. However, it is the opinion of millions of addicts who are recovering or have successfully recovered throughout the world.
If you have questions for either yourself or someone you love and care about, please contact a local support group and ask if they are into the solution or if their focus is on the problem.
If the problem is a lack of power, then the solution is power. The most successful 12-Step programs of recovery spend a lot of time focused on the solution and never for too long on the problem. And how do you obtain the solution? It comes in properly adhering to the 12-Steps and working with a sponsor - an AA member with time in their own sobriety - who knows, lives, and works the program.
Copyright 2012 m38 www.owlsnestrecovery.com