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In regards to Alcoholics Anonymous, I would like to address Mr. Boring's and loose cannon's statements about AA. Just to give insight.
Alcoholics Anonymous has helped many people due to the fellowship involved, and the commitments that members make in helping one another. AA, NA, CA and CMA are all interchangeable. It is not uncommon for Alcoholics to say, 'miss an AA meeting' and decide to go to the next one that is an NA meeting. The 12 principles are the same.
I was an addict for 15 years. I decided that I could not stop on my own, and that I needed to surround myself with a community of those that are going through the same thing I am going through.
I went to a CMA meeting (Crystal Meth Anonymous).. And saw the members. They looked pretty rough, and even the group leader stated "There is an AA meeting tomorrow. I think you will find that the people in this group are very well suited to what you need, very committed. The members of this CMA meeting do not have a long track record. But you seem very commited.."
So, I did! Met very good people who I am close with till this day. They came into the music studio that I was living at, took all my clothes.. Discarded the baggies.. ( lol..), got me work, into a sober living where I was tested randomly... I did not want to go through the rehab route. It did not work for me, because I did not have the funds.
So all in all.. I just want to say, it was the 'fellowship' that helped me. It made me want to go on in life, knowing that people cared about me. I felt worthless.
It also kept me sober! I kept telling myself "here are all these people, helping me to get better.. Putting time and effort into me. What a punk I would be if I went out and got high again!"
Now, I'm an engineer. One of the women who helped me has cancer now. I pay her cable bills, I go shopping for her.. I love them.
To the OP, one size does not fit all. But, I think it would help to see others that have been through your situation, your blackouts.. tell their stories, and see what's working for them!
Many people do find the community and group accountability aspect of AA and similarly structured 12-step programs to be very beneficial in dealing with addiction. I don't specifically treat addictions, but I treat many clients for whom addiction is part of their overall case history.
There are valid reasons AA and its similar programs aren't for everyone. But for many, it is, indeed, very powerful in their recovery path.
To the OP, you won't know what works for you until you try.
Many people do find the community and group accountability aspect of AA and similarly structured 12-step programs to be very beneficial in dealing with addiction. I don't specifically treat addictions, but I treat many clients for whom addiction is part of their overall case history.
There are valid reasons AA and its similar programs aren't for everyone. But for many, it is, indeed, very powerful in their recovery path.
To the OP, you won't know what works for you until you try.
Exactly. And dissuading someone asking for help (ex, telling them that AA doesn't work, (it works for a lot of people) is not really helping that person. He needs hope at this point, especially since he's reaching out for help. Asking for help is the first step in doing something about it. You can't fix what you don't acknowledge.
I agree with what you wrote about addiction being a constant but you didn't really answer my question. What does it mean for an addiction to grow? What does "grow" mean?
Means simply, it gets even worse. For example, If it takes you ten beers to get drunk now. In time your tolerance goes up and eventually you will need thirteen beers to get you to that same level. And just because you quit, that level of tolerance doesn't stop. It grows (your tolerance) even in sobriety. So that if you stop drinking at 20. Then stay sober for ten years. Your addiction if you started back up would not be where it was at 20, even though you haven't drank for ten years. It would be where it would have been had you never stopped to begin with. That's what progressive means. The addiction grows/ gets worse even in abstinence. The only way to prevent the alcoholic from experiencing the progression is to not drink at all. Abstinence is the savior from the pitfalls of the progression of the disease. It's sort of like while you are in sobriety, your disease is doing push ups and getting stronger. I don't know how much better to explain it.
Last edited by supermanpansy; 07-11-2019 at 07:25 PM..
How can you tell? How do you know? How would you tell the difference between the two?
Some are coming from a place of bravado/ ego. Saying that alcoholism is not a disease, when it clearly is. Alcoholism is a disease, and telling someone that they can control it is just wrong. It's no different than a heroin addict doing heroin. Those who can really control it are hard drinkers. Because alcoholics CAN'T control it. It's disingenerous and dangerous for the person asking for help. Cause although you (whomever) might be able to control it, the Op clearly can't. Telling someone who's out of control that they can control something is completely counterproductive.
Means simply, it gets even worse. For example, If it takes you ten beers to get drunk now. In time your tolerance goes up and eventually you will need thirteen beers to get you to that same level. And just because you quit, that level of tolerance doesn't stop. It grows (your tolerance) even in sobriety. So that if you stop drinking at 20. Then stay sober for ten years. Your addiction if you started back up would not be where it was at 20, even though you haven't drank for ten years. It would be where it would have been had you never stopped to begin with. That's what progressive means. The addiction grows/ gets worse even in abstinence. The only way to prevent the alcoholic from experiencing the progression is to not drink at all. Abstinence is the savior from the pitfalls of the progression of the disease. It's sort of like while you are in sobriety, your disease is doing push ups and getting stronger. I don't know how much better to explain it.
OK, so you meant tolerance, not addiction. That makes more sense.
Your comment sort of read that all of us were on a soap box.
Nope. I was responding directly to supermanpansy's commetary on the AA-naysaying post.
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lol..), got me work, into a sober living where I was tested randomly... I did not want to go through the rehab route. It did not work for me, because I did not have the funds. 
