alcoholism

[dundana66]

is it possible to beat alcoholism without the help of AA? I have a relative whos been struggling for years with the demon drink.He can stay sober for short periods but ultimately falls off the wagon.Since AA is based on religious principles (admiting to God that we are powerless over alcohol,etc) and he is a staunch atheist he will not attend as it would be both hypocritical and pointless.Having attended al-anon with him ,i can understand what he means but what other alternatives are there?

[laurence2]

Willpower.

[dundana66]

laurence2..thank you for such an insightful view.I can now spread the message to all addicts worldwide that laurence2 has the answer to there addiction problems.

[Richie1976]

Meths.

[laurence2]

dundana66, seing its your question what do you recommend then ?

Willpower = the power to choose or decide, quite a simple word really, Alcoholism is no differnt to smoking/ taking drugs etc, Granted something may of triggered someone to turn to Alcohol, you can have all the counselling in the world, but if you haven't got the ''WILLPOWER to do something about it you are on a losing wicket.

For the record, my uncle drank himself to death, he openly admittered that he can't be bothered to get help or give up, he choose is destiny.

so your post about thanks for the insightful view, was pathetic, i feel sorry for people who don't have willpower, to a degree i think their selfish, especially if they have children/ family they might well be leaving behind

[Suzyboo]

I think one of the strengths of AA is support from others who have been through the same thing. Not sure how he could make such contacts without attending any meetings though.

[alijangra]

I cant believe this response to a serious question! Except for suzyboo, you should be ashamed of yourselves. People with alcohol problems can do without such judgemental attitudes.

In response to the question, I would suggest your relative speak with his GP and find out what other help is available in your area. He may also want to try some medication which prevents him from ingesting alcohol (it induces severe vomiting). It can help in the short term whilst people seek counselling of some sort.

I hope he finds a GP who is less judgemental and provides some useful advice. Please try and remain as supportive as you can.

[laurence2]

Alijangra, i can't believe this response, Your advice is utter sh!te, The person in question with the alcohol problem needs to admit that he has one 1st, i,m sure in tried the good old GP, but i get the impression hes not bothered about any advice from anyone. why should i be ashamed of myself i don't have a problems and if i did i would get something done about it, if you want pity look for someone else, i,ve answered the question and unless their is another underlying cause that we are not aware of, i will stick by the ''WILLPOWER ADVICE'' something you could do with before making remarks about me ie judgemental/ashamed etc

[medsecslave]

Alcoholism is an addiction but also an illness and not everyone has willpower otherwise we'd be a nation of stick thin non-smokers. There is medication available which would make him very sick if he were to drink whilst taking it but I'm not sure if his GP could prescribe it or whether he'd need to be referred to a psychiatrist. Also - would he take the medication? Think his GP is the first stop - he may know of other groups available. Good luck.

[WendyS]

I hate to sound negative but also have long experience of an alcoholic relative and it seems to me that even when alcoholics have massive opportunities, encouragement and motivation for going on the wagon, they simply don't want to give up the only thing in life which seems to be act as a crutch for them. I don't think it's a matter of having religious princples or not. It's simply a case of not wanting to face the enormous amount of willpower which is needed to abstain from something they simply don't want to give up. Even the thought of long term ill-health and eventual death from alcohol-related diseases doesn't provide sufficient motivation to resist. Short of alcoholics being deprived of any money with which to purchase alcohol, I fear there is very little one can do to change their habits. This is not what you want to hear. However, it is experience borne out of contacts with individuals who are sadly suffering from alcoholism.

[Jenarry]

i think you can actually have this medication injected now so it's not down to taking a tablet and having a choice everyday. i think this is still only a temporary solution because very often alcoholism is down to an underlying psychological problem and councilling is the key to drying out long-term so a trip to his GP is the answer. surprised to hear that bout the AA.what about non-christian's?

[Dollie]

Hi - I work as a psychotherapist incorporating hynotherapy and a small proportion of my work is with alcohol dependents. See if your relative can get the doc to refer him to a cognitive behavioural therapist - they're usually available on the nhs, but there is usually quite a wait. I use CBT in my work and have had some really good results - one man being successful with me after two failed admissions at The Priory. The combination of psychological treatment and a fair amount of willpower can sometimes do the trick but there is never a quick fix. Good luck

[Belle Fast]

Help by not trying to help - it allows him to realise there's a problem. There are loads of services apart from AA - nhs and voluntary organisations - check what's in your area and if he ever says he wants to stop you'll have the contact details ready. Most folk need a detox first to stop, so get him to the GP to get librium (chlordiazepoxide, prevents seizures and hallucinations) in big doses (and vitamins) is the first step. Good luck, loads of folk manage to stop eventually.

[dundana66]

thanks for the replies guys.Laurence2 seems to have his head shoved up his arse and comes across as a self righteous bigot (not to mention obnoxious) my relative(actually my brother) has tried numerous times to stay sober. To imply that he doesnt want to or is lacking in any way is an insult. If the cure to addictions is just a case of willpower then there would be no need of clinics,psychotherapists,councellors or any other kind of "help". To see someone crying like a baby because they are so desperate to overcome their addiction is horrible.I was wondering if there was a "secular" version of AA anywhere. I'm sure that i read somewhere of such an organization.For the likes of laurence2 i can only hope that you dont get addicted to anything.Then again you have obviously got the willpower that millions of addicts lack.

[laurence2]

dundana66, Your quote, i have a relative, then later its your brother, embarrassed by the whole affair are we, in case you have blinkers on {against me} your notice a few other post mentioned the word ''WILLPOWER'' but if it satisfys you to blame me for your relative{brothers} addiction because you can't do fcuk all about it, well whatever takes your fancy

Try getting of your ''ALL FEEL SORRY FOR ME AND MY BROTHER STALL' and do something about it, if your brother values you as a sister and any other relatives he has, he will get up of his arse and do something about it, i will still stick with ''WILLPOWER'' and yes i have it in abundance thankyou, i do feel sorry for the situation you and your brother are in, and i gave a genuine answer be it one word, why don't you put to him, does his family mean anything etc, i keep going on about it, but you can have all the help in the world, but its your brother who has to take that final {big} step, as i posted, i lost my uncle through drink, he ''NEW'' what he was doing, he even said, at least i'll die a happy man, some people just don't want help in life, i hope for your sake your brother gets help before its to late.

Good luck.

Ps, lets act like adults, thankyou

[alijangra]

People giving advice basing their views on isolated cases is fair enough, but it is not very objective. As a health professional I am basing my views on working with many people who have had addictions to different things and all come from very different social settings with different support networks.Might I add I have vast experience of dealing with alcoholism I grew up surrounded by it in my community where it is rife, and this only makes me believe more strongly that all factors must be considered. Im sorry I dont seem to have the same insight into the situation as others obviously believe they have, but as you did not mention the GP I had thought maybe your brother had not taken this step ( how silly of me to think this!!). I still believe your GP is your best port of call to find out what support is available in your area, because unfortunately it will be a postcode lottery as it is with many other aspects of healthcare.