I have always struggled with the concept of alcoholism being described as a disease. Partly because saying it is a disease, absolves me of responsibility or choice in the condition. In one sense, theoretically, it is a disease. And, the treatment is a daily spiritual solution coupled with the action of taking the 12-Steps.
In the spiritual solution we have to admit, while it was a choice when we started drinking, the escalation of the addiction to alcohol, rendered us powerless to stop on our own—both physically and spiritually. It became clear we had no choice in the matter at our bottom. The Big Book of A.A. describes in the Doctor’s Opinion: “…an allergy of the body coupled with the obsession of the mind.” This is the nature of addiction. The action part, which is up to us for healing, is taking the 12-Steps with our sponsor.
If you have cancer, you begin treatment to arrest it or heal it. My individual “treatment” or “medicine” for my disease of alcoholism is: Stop drinking, surrender to God, prayer, meetings, connection with others, and continue the process daily.
Others struggle with addiction being a moral issue. I love the way this passage from As Bill See’s It, page 32, articulates how I feel about it:
Moral Responsibility "Some strongly object to the A.A position that alcoholism is an illness. This concept, they feel, removes moral responsibility from alcoholics. As any A.A. knows, this is far from true. We do not use the concept of sickness to absolve our members from responsibility. On the contrary, we use the fact of fatal illness to clamp the heaviest kind of moral obligation onto the sufferer, the obligation to use A.A.’s Twelve Steps to get well. In the early days of his drinking the alcoholic is often guilty of irresponsibility. But once the time of compulsive drinking has arrived, he can’t very well be held fully accountable for his conduct. He then has an obsession that condemns him to drink, and a bodily sensitivity to alcohol that guarantees his final sadness and death. But when he is made aware of this condition, he is under pressure to accept A.A.’s program of Moral regeneration.”
Definition of Regeneration: Spiritual or moral revival or rebirth.
I believe recovery involves our choice to stop, coupled with a surrender to God because we were unable to do it on our own. This is when the regeneration starts. Working the 12 Steps and going to meetings regularly. The process of recovery is ongoing. The work is mine. The transformation and outcome is God’s. It’s tricky. Time got us to where we arrived at the bottom, and only time invested reversing this process will help.
There is still a stigma associated with alcoholism and addiction created by the lack of understanding by those walking on the fringes of addiction or beside the alcoholic. It is confusing to the onlooker how alcoholics will continue choosing behaviors that don’t work for them, and make terrible choices that lead to remaining stuck in the addiction cycle. They, too, are powerless over the alcoholic/addict and the process.
Addiction affects not only the alcoholic/addict, but all those around them. My hope and prayer for alcoholics, addicts and those who love them is for extra grace on both sides.
The 3 C’s of Al Anon: Didn’t Cause it. Can’t Change it. Can’t Cure it.
For the many caught in the addiction cycle and for all of those caught up in the fallout created by an addict/alcoholic that you love who are still active in their disease…
I am praying.
Hang in there.
There is hope.
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”
Matthew 7:7-8
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