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With everyone around us having holiday parties, and many of us celebrating getting through some major crunch times at work or university, it’s easy to run into situations where we’re surrounded by alcohol. And it’s even easier, when alcohol is such a normalized part of all of our social lives, to forget its dark side.
This “hard pill to swallow” for students who do a lot of social drinking inspired a couple of other Tumblr users to share their qualms with how society understands alcoholism. But while the first two posts in the thread are pretty fatalistic, another user imparted some advice for people who are looking for a way out of drinking habits that are causing problems in their lives.
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These people shared some hard truths about alcohol and alcoholism
Image credits: attractive-nuisance-esq
As for what constitutes alcoholism and what doesn’t, medical professionals actually make a distinction between binge drinking and alcoholism, but acknowledge that the former can lead to the latter as well as being harmful in its own right. While alcoholics develop an addiction alcohol, often physically, most people who binge drink in social situations don’t drink outside of those situations.
But Harvard Health found that even though only 10% of Americans who reported binge drinking by the numbers were physically dependent on alcohol, many reported alcohol-related problems with their health, employment and relationships even without meeting the criteria for alcoholism.
For people who realize that they need support to overcome their problem with alcohol, Alcoholics Anonymous is usually promoted as a lifeline, but not everyone manages to connect with it. Although AA gives the option for participants to define their understanding of a higher power however they see fit, some people don’t connect with the step of appealing to a spiritual force at all. Other non-religious people feel that even if the language to include them is technically in the manual, their local AA branches seem unwelcoming to them.
One person in the thread shared their experience with SMART recovery, an approach that addresses addictive behavior and unhealthy coping mechanisms of all kinds by examining the motivations behind it and imbuing participants with similar principles to cognitive behavioral therapy. It doesn’t preclude other treatment programs, and some participants say that its flexibility has benefited them in their recovery more than programs with other structures could.
Commenters thanked them, and shared their experiences with recovery
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What do you think ?
Leo Domitrix 5 years ago
No addiction treatment program works for *all*, and if you want to insist you don't need help from a "higher power", that's fine, but I've got lots of dead relatives who said that. AA, SMART, whatever works to help someone realize evolutoin and addiction are not answerable to human ego. Focus on helping people, not tearing down what you don't like about what helps some of them, maybe?
Sandrine Muller 5 years ago
Addict and alcoholic. Resisted AA, convinced that it was a sect. Truth is I had never tried this program. Went back after a relapse two years ago. Gave myself one year: for one year, I would try AA but this time with acceptance, willingness, and honesty. I am so glad I did that. This program has helped me tremendously and not only with my sobriety but with my life as a whole. I would like to ask the people who comment rather negatively against AA what event, story, experience that drove them to the conclusion that AA is a sect? I among many in AA don't believe that AA is for everyone and IF another method is what keeps you sober, then, you are exactly where you are supposed to be. Interesting that many of anti AA cannot give any objective reason as to why AA is close-minded and a sect.... Very ironic. Anyway, it would be great if instead of being at war, we join forces... no worries: no coolaid in the coffee 😜
Hans 5 years ago
Five posts by random people and some commentary make a posting? Please BP, for next year give us less social media bla bla and more "A" content (Artistic, Adorable, Awesome). Merry Christmas!
Sonelle van der Merwe 5 years ago
Boredpanda - Is this article a sponsored ad for SMART? Here's my two cents: I don't believe a real alcoholic can drink moderately. If you can, you're probably just overdoing it, you're not an addict. AA allows for addicts to come together and support one another, it is NOT religious, unless you want it to be. I think publicly bashing something that has kept addicts clean for decades is irresposible and frankly, dangerous.
Chuck Schad 5 years ago
AA made me feel worse and I would have a tall beer in the car after. I was convinced that I could never be sober. Finally stopped on my own, got hooked on benzodiazepines and then, not knowing what else to do, I tried meditation. Five years later I am still sober!!
Magpie 5 years ago
AA is not meant to be religious, but some groups can get focused on one particular definition of "higher power". .... group dynamics can happen and make it uncomfortable. I live in rural Australia, so there are only 2 groups I can get to, and it is not quite a good fit. But other groups ( from when I was travelling ) are a brilliant fit for me. THANK YOU for this lead to SMART. might be a better personality/ group fit for me.
danielw 5 years ago
"Is not meant to be religious.." .... Yes. Yes it is. AA was founded as a basically christian organization. 'Higher Power' does in fact refer to some deity rather than a specific deity (probably to avoid loosing funding derived by so many court-ordered attendees.) but it's still religious. Also, the notion that I'm fundamentally incapable of changing who and what I am because it's how some god made me is fundamentally insulting.
Load More Replies...
Jaybird3939 5 years ago
Alcoholic. I tried AA, but it wasn't for me. Turning over my life to a higher "power" who/what ever that may be, wasn't a concept I could accept. I ended just doing it cold turkey (which I don't recommend. You need support and someone to talk to , I just don't have anyone like that in my life). Whatever it may be, AA, Recovery House, SMART, you'll feel a lot better sober than you ever did during your "best" drunk.
Gabby 5 years ago
I developed a bit of a drinking problem after getting out of an abusive relationship. And one day, after a week of intense struggle, I decided to attend an AA meeting. Just to see what it's like. I was there for a whole five minutes. The minute the word god left their mouths, I was up and leaving.
Carol Emory 5 years ago
I'm not sure if the rules differ from AA meeting to AA meeting, but my sister informed me that her biggest obstacle was the extreme to which they take the "nonjudgemental" thing. The meetings she went to, people could stand up and share their story and no one was allowed to say anything, not even in support of the person. It was like a bunch of drones saying "Thank you, (Insert Name)" She said what she wanted was to be able to share with people and have them respond so she could find anyone that could relate to her situation and give her advice on how they handled it.
Christopher Jones 5 years ago
Listening is the key, that went you have 2 ears and 1 mouth...
Load More Replies... Nunya 5 years ago
AA might not be aligned to a specific religion but it IS DEFINITELY religious. Also, if a specific religion is the dominant one among the attendees, then that religion will be prevalent and end up being the measuring stick that is used for the entire group. That's how it ends up being off-putting to so many others. Like most religious groups, AA becomes a clique.
Leo Domitrix 5 years ago
No addiction treatment program works for *all*, and if you want to insist you don't need help from a "higher power", that's fine, but I've got lots of dead relatives who said that. AA, SMART, whatever works to help someone realize evolutoin and addiction are not answerable to human ego. Focus on helping people, not tearing down what you don't like about what helps some of them, maybe?
Sandrine Muller 5 years ago
Addict and alcoholic. Resisted AA, convinced that it was a sect. Truth is I had never tried this program. Went back after a relapse two years ago. Gave myself one year: for one year, I would try AA but this time with acceptance, willingness, and honesty. I am so glad I did that. This program has helped me tremendously and not only with my sobriety but with my life as a whole. I would like to ask the people who comment rather negatively against AA what event, story, experience that drove them to the conclusion that AA is a sect? I among many in AA don't believe that AA is for everyone and IF another method is what keeps you sober, then, you are exactly where you are supposed to be. Interesting that many of anti AA cannot give any objective reason as to why AA is close-minded and a sect.... Very ironic. Anyway, it would be great if instead of being at war, we join forces... no worries: no coolaid in the coffee 😜
Hans 5 years ago
Five posts by random people and some commentary make a posting? Please BP, for next year give us less social media bla bla and more "A" content (Artistic, Adorable, Awesome). Merry Christmas!
Sonelle van der Merwe 5 years ago
Boredpanda - Is this article a sponsored ad for SMART? Here's my two cents: I don't believe a real alcoholic can drink moderately. If you can, you're probably just overdoing it, you're not an addict. AA allows for addicts to come together and support one another, it is NOT religious, unless you want it to be. I think publicly bashing something that has kept addicts clean for decades is irresposible and frankly, dangerous.
Chuck Schad 5 years ago
AA made me feel worse and I would have a tall beer in the car after. I was convinced that I could never be sober. Finally stopped on my own, got hooked on benzodiazepines and then, not knowing what else to do, I tried meditation. Five years later I am still sober!!
Magpie 5 years ago
AA is not meant to be religious, but some groups can get focused on one particular definition of "higher power". .... group dynamics can happen and make it uncomfortable. I live in rural Australia, so there are only 2 groups I can get to, and it is not quite a good fit. But other groups ( from when I was travelling ) are a brilliant fit for me. THANK YOU for this lead to SMART. might be a better personality/ group fit for me.
danielw 5 years ago
"Is not meant to be religious.." .... Yes. Yes it is. AA was founded as a basically christian organization. 'Higher Power' does in fact refer to some deity rather than a specific deity (probably to avoid loosing funding derived by so many court-ordered attendees.) but it's still religious. Also, the notion that I'm fundamentally incapable of changing who and what I am because it's how some god made me is fundamentally insulting.
Load More Replies... Jaybird3939 5 years ago
Alcoholic. I tried AA, but it wasn't for me. Turning over my life to a higher "power" who/what ever that may be, wasn't a concept I could accept. I ended just doing it cold turkey (which I don't recommend. You need support and someone to talk to , I just don't have anyone like that in my life). Whatever it may be, AA, Recovery House, SMART, you'll feel a lot better sober than you ever did during your "best" drunk.
Gabby 5 years ago
I developed a bit of a drinking problem after getting out of an abusive relationship. And one day, after a week of intense struggle, I decided to attend an AA meeting. Just to see what it's like. I was there for a whole five minutes. The minute the word god left their mouths, I was up and leaving.
Carol Emory 5 years ago
I'm not sure if the rules differ from AA meeting to AA meeting, but my sister informed me that her biggest obstacle was the extreme to which they take the "nonjudgemental" thing. The meetings she went to, people could stand up and share their story and no one was allowed to say anything, not even in support of the person. It was like a bunch of drones saying "Thank you, (Insert Name)" She said what she wanted was to be able to share with people and have them respond so she could find anyone that could relate to her situation and give her advice on how they handled it.
Christopher Jones 5 years ago
Listening is the key, that went you have 2 ears and 1 mouth...
Load More Replies... Nunya 5 years ago
AA might not be aligned to a specific religion but it IS DEFINITELY religious. Also, if a specific religion is the dominant one among the attendees, then that religion will be prevalent and end up being the measuring stick that is used for the entire group. That's how it ends up being off-putting to so many others. Like most religious groups, AA becomes a clique.
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