ALCOHOLISM

Probably the most difficult thing to accept about this disease is that it is a disease, and that the person who has it is powerless over his or her alcoholism। Which is not to say that an alcoholic cannot stop drinking, some for the remainder of their lives। But it does not mean that are not an alcoholic and will continue to suffer if they do not do something to recover from the disease. The recovery will never be perfect, but one can obtain happiness and serenity in sobriety, and the capacity for rebuilding the relationships they have destroyed; and, most importantly, grow up. No truer statement has been made than the mind and mood altering drugs inhibit maturation. Which is why, if one has been drinking for any number of years, the emotional development of that person has also been retarded. That's why not drinking alone does not mean recover from the worst effects of the disease itself. And perhaps one of the most terrible things about the disease is that it tells us we don't have a disease. And this includes those who may have an intimate relationship with the alcoholic. For its number one sympton is denial. Both the alcoholic and those intimate with the alcoholic. And, even worse, by the time the person and/or those around him or her have come to realize that something is terribly wrong with them, and the damage they do is almost beyond repair, the alcoholic is virtually powerless to do anything about it on their own. And even with professional help they will not succeed in regaining their sobriety until they feel utterly defeated by the disease and surrender their will to a god of their understanding, however feeble that might be.