From: Brian D Williams (talon57@well.com)
Date: Tue Jan 22 2002 - 09:01:38 MST
>From: Mike Lorrey <mlorrey@datamann.com>
>Hitting bottom offers the best chance to quit, because it
>generally is accompanied by enough pain that the negative feedback
>starts to exceed the positive feedback.
Yes, in fact modern treatment programs encourage people not to
"rescue" an alcoholic.
>Some individuals can quit anytime, generally when it's still in
>the repetitive social habit stage. Such individuals generally are
>rather control-oriented and resent their bodies trying to order
>them what to do. AA'ers typically call people who quit without a
>program as 'white knucklers', and I've known a number of control
>freaks who went that route. Makes them even bigger a$$holes than
>they were before.
Many can quit in stage I if they see the problem, Stage II is much
harder and Stage III the failure rate is staggering. A latter stage
III is what most people see as an alcoholic.
I was trying to put to rest some common misconceptions about
alcoholism.
It is still a pretty common misconception amongst the general
public that the reason that people become alcoholics is because of
a moral deficiency.
The fact is that roughly about 10% of the population is born with
a genetically determined and different biochemistry that leaves
them predisposed to alcohol abuse and possible alcoholism.
Alcohol affects these people differently and much more powerfully
than people born without this biochemistry. They become addicted in
much the same way cigarette smokers do.
It is important to understand a problem in order to correct it.
Since we now know it to be genetic and biochemical in nature, The
hope this will someday lead to a cure, but for now there is only
one treatment. They have to stop drinking.
A very good book on all of this:
Under The Influence
A guide to the myths and realities of alcoholism
Dr James R. Milam and Katherine Ketcham
ISBN 0-533-27487-2
Brian
Member:
Extropy Institute, www.extropy.org
National Rifle Association, www.nra.org, 1.800.672.3888
SBC/Ameritech Data Center Chicago, IL, Local 134 I.B.E.W
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