Hereditary craving for alcohol

I'm not suggesting that the state gets involved (heaven forbid). A child is born with a certain personality, this can only come from it's parents - personality is an emotional state. The research I've done comes from different Universities - It's not difficult to find.

As someone who was adopted at six weeks, which parents are you referring to? My biological mother who only gave birth to me, or my adoptive parents who worshipped me, bought me up, taught me how to become a decent person. and who didn’t particularly drink.

My adoptive mother was diabetic and used insulin daily. According to your logic, she was a drug addict. So that drug she was addicted to is the reason I suffered from AUD?? Err, I don’t think so!!

I agree. I assume that years ago alcohol was only available when fruit was in season (or grain) but to-day, of course it's freely available all the year round?

Erm, I think you need to look up the history of alcohol. Alcohol stores for years, some of the ingredients, grain, hops, malt and barley also store for years, it is an all year round process.

It was common in the Middle Ages, right up until Victorian times, that working people had micro breweries at home, because it was safer to brew week beer (1% - 2%) than drink the water.

Of course, anyone that takes any medication is also a drug user.

That still does not alter the fact that people drink alcohol for effect. 

Just like they take Valium to calm their anxiety.

 To say excess alcohol consumption is hereditary may be drawing a long line. Excess alcohol consumption is generally a symptom of a persons need to find an escape from reality. Excess alcohol drinkers may also suppress their feelings through a combination of drugs, gambling, sex, eating, shopping and so on. 

Yes a lot of people take prescribed drugs for anxiety, stress etc.. Maybe they should look at the root cause of their anxiety. Then they may be able to treat the problem drug free. 

Of course I could mention morphine used for pain relief, of which diamorphine (heroin) is a derivative. I could go on about codeine etc.

My point being, this finger pointing and using the word drugs, really is pointless because drugs are used in so much of society and they are not all bad. Many people use alcohol responsibly, this forum is for those that don't and are struggling with it.

I am talking about people who use drugs to suppress their emotions or drink alcohol for effect. Alcohol is a drug...period. If people are struggling with alcohol then i suggest AA. There they will find unlimited support. But, ultimately they will have to look at themselves. If you want to stop drinking first you have to want to. The biggest cause of people relapsing from my experience is when they glamorise alcohol stories. For an alcoholic is has to be total abstinence. There is nothing responsible about drinking alcohol. Its a drug. 

Well, I hope next time you have a headache or toothache you don't take a drug to help with the pain.

'For an alcoholic is has to be total abstinence.'

Absolutely disagree with this statement.  I am proof of the fact that this is an outdated view.  20+ years drink problem, over 10 years in AA.

I can now drink responsibily and socially (if I want to, which I often don't) with the help of more modern means.  If AA works for someone and they are happy, then that is absolutely awesome and I am super pleased for them.  But the teaches of AA are set in the 1930's and have been superseded by many different ways (both behavioural and medical). 

It's time to acknowledge that what might suit one alcoholic may not suit another, and that options ARE available.  It's not a one size fits all approach any longer.  Statements such as the one you make that I have quoted often only serve to delay someone getting help because they can't see total abstinence at that time.

Sorry, apart from RHGB and Joanna, there seems to be some weird thinking in this thread.

Where do the crime figures come from?

The term ‘gymslip mums’ springs to mind by suggesting we have children before using alcohol.

I personally, wouldn’t want an operation without any drugs.

Then i would suggest you are not an alcoholic Joanna. And, besides why would you want to drink alcohol anyway? Maybe you can show heroin or crack users how to take their drug of choice responsibly. 

Ah, I see.  Right. Thanks for your expert opinion

Its no joke Joanna. Go to any police station or hospital emergency ward on a weekend and watch all the alcohol related crimes file in. Explain to the parents of dead child sitting in the back seat of a car that is wrecked by a drunk driver why its ok to drink alcohol. Look at all the child abuse, wife beatings and bashings that are a regular occurrence because of alcohol. This is not my "expert opinion" This, unfortunately, is a fact of life. I have sat in on 1000's of meetings and listened to 10's of thousands of stories and not once have i thought ..."geez it would be great to be back on the booze again". 

You are wasting your time telling me about the harm alcohol can cause, because I've seen it and lived it myself.  I've come out the other side and now help others to do the same.  Many of us have on this forum.   It's pretty arrogant of you to start ranting on about the damage that alcohol can cause like none of us are aware of this.  And also very arrogant of you to suggest that I am not an alcoholic just because my view differs to yours.

You know nothing about me..... yet you suggest I am not an alcoholic.  That is funny to me, yes.  That is what I meant when I referred to your 'expert opinion'.   You know nothing about what I've been through with alcohol, what I've experienced alcohol and what I've lost, the loved ones that I've lost to alcohol.... and more importantly for me, the (now) over 700 people in the last 4 years that I have supported out of the hell of alcohol dependency into a better life. 

You wrote ..."I can now drink responsibily and socially"

I doubt this is any help to any alcoholic. Why on earth would anyone want to drink at all let alone "responsibly"? Are you presenting yourself to alcoholics as a beacon of light that can show them how to drink responsibly? For their sake, i hope not. Alcohol is a drug...get it? It is a drug. And it has serious side effects that can effect innocent people. Not to mention the physical side effects.

As I said, you know nothing about me, or the people that I help.

well i do know that you wrote the following: -

"I can now drink responsibily and socially"

"what I've lost, the loved ones that I've lost to alcohol...."

How exactly are you helping alcoholics? Are you teaching them how to drink responsibly?

 

I believe that there are many ways to recovery from alcohol dependency and live a healthier life.  As I said in the very beginning of our conversation, it is not a case of 'one way or the highway' anymore.  There are multiple ways for someone to be in recovery.

You have recovery and you clearly live a healthier life, so I am not about to waste my time trying to explain or justify the help that I offer to those who want it.  Those that I have supported (many of which are on this forum) know how useful the support has been in helping them change their lives around and that is all that matters to me.  To use an AA Step, that is my 12 step work and service.

You have your views which you are absolutely, rightly entitled to.  I have mine.

Thats great Johanna...maybe you can take your formula for a better life and show heroin and crack addicts how they too can do their drug of choice responsibly. 

Being an alcoholic and still drinking as part of a recovery...now thats hysterical. 

When one of your "patients" lapses and hurts themselves or others are you going to take credit for this? Or will just put it down to part of their recovery? Because, if you are an alcoholic and continue to drink then there is really only negative outcomes. 

I find it shocking that you consider yourself an alcoholic that has learnt to drink responsibly and you are now imparting your "wisdom" to other alcoholics.

I will say it again...alcohol is a drug. 

Give me one reason as an alcohol drinker why you want to drink responsibly?...just one.

I have my reasons to drink occasionally and socially, but they are absolutely none of your business.

Hi Fongool. Are you always right and always get the last word in? Just wondering.

When it comes to the topic of alcohol then yes, i am right in what i say. Its a drug...a drug that effects a lot of people including innocent people. If that upsets peoples sensibilities i dont care Robin. 

‘I too can now drink responsibly and socially’ like Joanna. Hearing someone who understood what I was going through certainly DID HELP ME, IT GAVE ME HOPE.

Are you aware of the number of people Joanna has helped, not just on this forum alone?

AA didn’t help me at all. It made me feel my life was over, nothing to look forward to, I could never drink again. I went 4 years without alcohol, but the craving was still there. It’s the reason people relapse, the fact that they feel they can’t drink again.

Just because you don’t drink, doesn’t mean other people can’t. Yes I do enjoy the feeling Alcohol gives me, along with millions of others world wide. What gives you the right to judge and comment that we shouldn’t drink alcohol. That’s just your view and your right to choose not to drink. However please don’t tell me what I should or shouldn’t do, and how wrong I am.

Acamposate (campral) saved me. Obviously I shouldn’t have used medication to remain sober, as again by your logic, it’s made me an addict. What it did was give me 12 months to get my life back together. Unlike the previous sober years, I didn’t crave alcohol. I no longer felt doomed to fail and I stopped even thinking of alcohol.

So Yes I can now drink socially. I don’t drink alone, secretively and never touch spirits.

Have you researched TSM, I very much doubt it. There are many people on this forum alone where it’s helped them. AA didn’t. Of course AA has helped people, but it is not the be all and end all. It’s just one way.

Personally I feel you have insulted Joanna with your comments and I don’t appreciate being told drinking alcohol is wrong

 

He/she seems to have gone quiet haha after telling us all what we should do and how wrong some of us are!!

We are all here to seek advice and people like JoannaC3, Paul turner, rhgb,you, myself and others are here to give advice in a good way. Lots of experience and we know the pitfalls. 😁