I was convinced via Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) that I would die if I drank again (1) , and was sober for almost nine years. After having become sober early on (17 years old) and after only having used alcohol and drugs in a rather heavy manner for a little over a year, I often wondered whether I was really an alcoholic like is discussed in the Big Book (AA text), I finally decided to experiment.
I had one beer at a comedy club in a circumstance where I knew I’d just have one and self-observe. I noticed the feeling, but did not have compulsions to drink anymore either that night or in the future. I enjoyed the experience by very much believed that if I had good reason, I could still live without alcohol for the rest of my life. It’s been about 6 months, now, and I drink on occasion, mostly socially or after a hard day or celebratory occurrence, and it’s been going great.
AA actually does say ”… and for us, to drink is to die” in several various ways ((Big Book, 4th ed., p. 66 is one example).
I’ll simply add that AA-ers would probably respond that I, apparently, was not/am not a true alcoholic and that a real one would have gone crazy into alcohol after an experiment like mine. In any case, they accepted me like a true one and my AA-based boarding school thought I was one.
[1] At least in some form. AA teaches that drinking only has three ends for the Alcholic: jails, institutions, and death. Perhaps I wouldn’t have literally died in an institution, but I might have felt like dying.
It would be interesting to have some real data on consequences of AA style therapy vs. any other methods. I thought I have read something about that, but without remembering any source, well …
I’m in the same boat—vaguely recall something, but not exactly what. And I can’t remember what the study was trying to isolate. Googling is alcoholics anonymous effective seems to suggest that it is not very effective, but that’s not comparing it to other methods.
Also, one would have to look at the end goal: abstinence or moderation. AA only has one option: abstinence. It does not allow for successful social drinking, but teaches only that an alcoholic cannot ever drink successfully.
I believed that about myself for a long time. I now think that in my younger days I had a lot of emotional issues and few tools. Having leveled out significantly as I’ve aged and as I’ve seen an increase in how I cope, I started doubting that I would use substances in a crutch or escape-like manner… and so far my doubts appear to have been justified.
I was convinced via Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) that I would die if I drank again (1) , and was sober for almost nine years. After having become sober early on (17 years old) and after only having used alcohol and drugs in a rather heavy manner for a little over a year, I often wondered whether I was really an alcoholic like is discussed in the Big Book (AA text), I finally decided to experiment.
I had one beer at a comedy club in a circumstance where I knew I’d just have one and self-observe. I noticed the feeling, but did not have compulsions to drink anymore either that night or in the future. I enjoyed the experience by very much believed that if I had good reason, I could still live without alcohol for the rest of my life. It’s been about 6 months, now, and I drink on occasion, mostly socially or after a hard day or celebratory occurrence, and it’s been going great.
AA actually does say ”… and for us, to drink is to die” in several various ways ((Big Book, 4th ed., p. 66 is one example).
I’ll simply add that AA-ers would probably respond that I, apparently, was not/am not a true alcoholic and that a real one would have gone crazy into alcohol after an experiment like mine. In any case, they accepted me like a true one and my AA-based boarding school thought I was one.
[1] At least in some form. AA teaches that drinking only has three ends for the Alcholic: jails, institutions, and death. Perhaps I wouldn’t have literally died in an institution, but I might have felt like dying.
It would be interesting to have some real data on consequences of AA style therapy vs. any other methods. I thought I have read something about that, but without remembering any source, well …
Have you had a look into such things once?
I’m in the same boat—vaguely recall something, but not exactly what. And I can’t remember what the study was trying to isolate. Googling is alcoholics anonymous effective seems to suggest that it is not very effective, but that’s not comparing it to other methods.
Also, one would have to look at the end goal: abstinence or moderation. AA only has one option: abstinence. It does not allow for successful social drinking, but teaches only that an alcoholic cannot ever drink successfully.
I believed that about myself for a long time. I now think that in my younger days I had a lot of emotional issues and few tools. Having leveled out significantly as I’ve aged and as I’ve seen an increase in how I cope, I started doubting that I would use substances in a crutch or escape-like manner… and so far my doubts appear to have been justified.