Alcoholism
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2012-03-26/alcoholism
It’s estimated that about 12 percent of Americans suffer from alcoholism at some point in their lives. In a recent Wall Street Journal article writer Paul Carr described his very personal struggle with alcohol and the steps he took to overcome his addiction. He didn’t join Alcoholics Anonymous, but over the last few decades many have with impressive results: A look at the disease of alcoholism, what makes some people especially vulnerable, and the latest research on what works and what doesn’t in the effort to stay sober.
Guests
Paul Carr
writer and columnist
Samantha ' '
a member of Alcoholics Anonymous
Dr. Markus Heilig
clinical director, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
Comments
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I hope your guests can provide some definitions regarding alcoholism - I've often wondered if there's a difference between the disease and my daily habit of having a drink when I get home from work. Every now and then I hear a report about the benefits of a daily beer or wine, but when I tell a medical professional that I have 7-10 drinks a week, I get the impression that it's problematic. Who knows anymore?
Nice picture, I like the way you subcontiously affect the conversation by including another hot brand issue of smoking. Bad form DRS.
I found alcohol gave me better focus when working on projects in my home office (but it is getting out of control).
When I don't drink, I find my attention span is very short. When I do drink I am able to get excited about the project and can easily focus on it.
I heard that alcoholism is related to adult ADHD. Can your guest comment on that research?
Thank you.
I am an alcoholic with 13 year of sobriety. It isn't how often I drink that makes me alcoholic, but the fact that when I do I cannot control the amount I drink. My behavior is damaging and unpredictable. It affected my life in a very devastating way. If you can stop with one drink, it is probably not a problem for you but you are the only person who can determine that.
Just wondering about the viewpoint of alcoholism vs. addiction. Do alcoholics in AA focus on the "ism" portion? Just the substance? What about other fellowships that acknowledge powerlessness over addiction, and not one particular substance? Does being an AA member leave room for using other drugs?
If I'm correct 2 of the gentleman on your show today sound Irish. I was struck by that right away. My family has a strong Irish genetic makeup. Is there some pre-disposition towards alcholism/additiion with the Irish?
My family has alcoholism in many generations past and present.
All 3 of my brothers are alcohholics and have used drugs. My father was an alcoholic, his father and uncle were alcoholics. One of my brothers has 2 daughters that are alcoholic/addictive.
When I was very young I knew that out of 5 of us children, at least one of us would be an alcoholic and I feel guilty in that I am so grateful that I was not born with that "cross to bear".
Thank you for having a program on this devastating condition.
The AA representative is a poor choice ... unfortunate.
My mother and her brother were horrible alcoholics. My mother was an emotional abusive person and to this day, in my 40's still have issues because of her. She got away back then with driving drunk, accidents, threats and abuse that today, alcoholics can't get away with socially or legally.
She died from pneumonia due to alcohol and never told her lawyer that she had a daughter. That hurt very bad when I never did anything to her.
I may have a drink every 6 months, and it knocks me out and I will not be friends with people who drink as a social interest.
I wish they had tougher laws back then, it was the grace of God that I didn't get killed in an accident with her.
Thank God for th Mothers Against Drunk Driving movement.
There is another viewpoint that NPR explored on June 2, 2004.
This alternative approach says this addiction like others is not due to genetics, a dysfunctional family, cravings, disease.
The alternative is "cognitive behavioral therapy" with specific strategies to address cravings and long-term behaviors.
The site is SMART Recovery.org. It deals with the "here and now." This approach is absolutely not faith based, though that may work for some.
Today, this approach is used by at least i/3 of therapists.
By the way...
There have been cases challenging required AA attendance in correctional institutions on First Amendment grounds.
Please mention that AA is a spiritual program, NOT religious. This is a very important distinction! Thank you.
Your two guests who are alcoholics talk about their own realization, and their personal efforts at coming to grips with the disease. That's been great to hear. But what would they say about support from others in terms of coming to grips with it? Can a spouse/partner or family member provide any support that will make a difference? Or is it completely incumbent upon the alcoholic themselves to decide to make the change?
My 40 y.o. son is an electrical engineer and a heartbreaking alcoholic. I would like to hear more from Dr. Hilig concerning his research into treatment, cures, help for helplessly watching parents.
Many members of AA are atheists. There is no need to have a belief in a god - the belief and acceptance that the AA group collectively has more knowledge and wisdom than a single member is sufficient.
Alcoholics Anonymous is not meant to be the centerpiece of a recovering person's life but rather the channel through which that individual can again live a successful life.
I have been sober for more than 16 years. I quit drinking for about 7 months on my own, then went into aa. I was never really comfortable, especially with the spiritual component. However, I viewed it as a behavioral change program and would pick and choose what would work for me. I was on the edge for the entire time, and as the years went by, i went less and less, sometimes 2x a month and finally just quit going over 2 years ago.
I am happy, and feel freer now that I don't get pressured to accept a God I don't believe exists, and that I no longer get constant phone calls asking me why i don't come everyday.
One of the guests seems to be suggesting that AA is a "pseudo religious group." That is not true. AA is all-inclusive to people of all faiths and no faith at all. People who are atheist or agnostic are welcome in AA, and many use the group itself as their "higher power." As a sober alcoholic, I can tell you that if sobriety is my new drunk, it is certainly preferable over my former addiction. The 12 steps have given me a practical way of dealing with every day life from a positive perspective that has greatly improved the quality of my life... I have learned to look at my alcoholism as a gift because the program of AA gave me a wonderful way of life I would never have known without my desperate need for help.
Please have the Dr Comment on Alcohol withdrawal, while some can detox without assistance, Alcohol withdrawal is a life threating event for many dependent on Alcohol and should be medically monitored and evaluated.
thanks.
As a sober member of AA for over 28 years, I find the comments of your guests of very limited value.
AA is not a "religious" program. It is a Spiritual Program. There is a difference. I personally know of AA members who describe themselves as Agnostic and even Atheist. The phrases: "Higher Power as we understand him." or (most helpful to me) A Power great than myself. I have seen miracles happen in the rooms of AA which had not so much to do with God as to the active participation, advice, generosity of spirit, love, concern, and encouragement of other members of the group.
The track record of AA since 1935 is completely unmatched, either by other programs, or medical science. In over 28 years I have not found most medical professionals to know much about AA and how it works, or doesn't work for some. In fact I have also seen the intervention of a medical professional doing more harm than good.
I could go on and on, but I will leave that for my 7:30 am meeting tomorrow morning.
Why doesn't AA take a more holistic approach to helping people stay sober? You want them to quit drinking. Yet, many meetings allow smoking, eating candy and drinking coffee. You're substituting 3 drugs for another. Why the reluctance to change?
Most unfortunate discussion regarding alcoholics anonymous - it is not, repeat not a religious organization - the 'big book' and other literature speak about 'God' as you chose to characterize - that includes all forms of spirituality.
Also, the benefit of AA and AlAnon is the fellowship - peers helping peers - those that have an appreciation for the opportunity support from others provides - aka - 'community' to help an individual overcome challenges - works well in Weight Watchers and other self help programs that have nothing to do with Alcoholism
Too bad your 'expert' doesnt have a clue regarding these truly helpful attributes - which have helped people overcome challenges for 75+ years
A grateful member of AlAnon
Most unfortunate discussion regarding alcoholics anonymous - it is not, repeat not a religious organization - the 'big book' and other literature speak about 'God' as you chose to characterize - that includes all forms of spirituality.
Also, the benefit of AA and AlAnon is the fellowship - peers helping peers - those that have an appreciation for the opportunity support from others provides - aka - 'community' to help an individual overcome challenges - works well in Weight Watchers and other self help programs that have nothing to do with Alcoholism
Too bad your 'expert' doesnt have a clue regarding these truly helpful attributes - which have helped people overcome challenges for 75+ years
A grateful member of AlAnon
Great show Diane,
But please allow for some inclusion of the point that AA is not a religious program, it is a spiritual program.
As a 22 year sober alcoholic, that does accept "God" as my higher power, but not in th typical definition of any organized religion I believe it important to have this mentioned as there can be a lot of people who might not be able to benefit from the AA program if they felt that it was a religious organization.
Thank you,
Gary O
I've been getting some information about the use of Lithium (Orotate or Aspartate) on the brain and how it's been used in helping with alcoholism. I've personally felt the affects of this. I don't drink too much but when taking this I could not believe how reduced my desire to have a drink became!
Just wanted to share that as well as hear if any "professionals" have any experience with this as a form of help for alcoholics.
I have quit drinking on my own it has been 15 yrs since I drank no A.A. involved. a year later I quit smoking marijuana then a year later I started doing club drugs for about 10 yrs. I was addicted to cocaine it became a problem for me I have tried drug rehab, N.A numerous times 3 yrs ago I have quit on my own N.A. was not for me I had to choose new environment and new friends and find new happiness..
I would like to buy Paul Carr's book, but I neither have, nor want, kindle or other such devices. Will it be published on paper?
While I have no problem at all with Paul not finding meaningful help in religion, I would like to point out that he is using the public to function in the way religion does for so many--by his description, the public functions as an external, all-seeing authority giving him the power to resist drinking.
AA saved my life, I couldn't do it alone. The AA guest is not the best advocate for AA.
Many helpless parents and other family members have found great help through Alanon. There are Alanon meetings everywhere. The most successful treatment for Alcoholism is no alcohol. There is no cure.
A lot of it depends on what group you go to. I have attended many groups as I moved and traveled a lot. Depending on the group, there are many differences in the religiosity present. Many groups have their own "dogma", and use peer pressure and the threat of relapse in order to conform people to the group. Such as you MUST admit there is God, or that you must go at least once a day, and on and on. It depends largely on the location of the group.
One thing I noticed for years that whenever a discussion of alcoholism in the popular media took place, AA members would be quite upset if there was a critical spot of AA. The discussions in the next days meetings would take the groups off the rails. It seems that there is an effort to keep new information out.
After a while the defensive posture AA members take, and the God pushing gets old.
Different things work for different people.
My exhusband is a functioning alcoholic. My daughters see his behavior, knowing he is an alcoholic, but believe that they too could function. My eldest daughter was killed in a single car accident after 60 days in treatment. My second daughter has started drinking legally (21) and I am frightened that she too will have the misconception that she will survive this disease. What am I too do? We have talked about alcohol and misuse.
Thank you
Diane I sent you my book a couple of years ago. It's called Hypoic's Handbook and my name is Dan Umanoff, M.D. The book was written after 6 years of studying the scientific literature, not out thin air. There is a web site called Hypoism. There's a paper on it called Hypoism Hypothesis that updates the science (120 references from peer reviewed papers). The science shows that genetic low dopamine activity causes the disease of addictions called Hypoism. I wish I was on your panel today so that I could debate the other panel members based on science rather than opinion, especially opinions based on nothing but opinion as with your two AA panel members who know nothing about what has been studied scientifically. Your expert is using what's called the hijacked brain hypothesis, a theory that has been disproven many years ago. There exists plenty of science available to answer your questions and so far I haven't heard any from your panel members. For example there is no valid study to show AA works; there is an underlying genetic disease causing all addictions. there is no current treatment shown with valid scientific methods that works better than no treatment at all. I'd be happy to discuss this with you. The Hypoism paradigm has prevention methods, where kids with Hypoism as young as seven can begin recovery and never have to get addicted, that may well end up showing 100% prevention. Today's paradigm has none. This is the advantage of the genetic paradigm.