Do you believe it’s possible to fully recover from alcohol addiction, or is recovery a lifelong journey? At what point, if ever, would you say, “I’m recovered”? Or do you see it as something you’re always actively working on? I’ve often heard the phrase, “We will die as alcoholics,” but that idea doesn’t sit well with me. What are your thoughts?
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This is a great question. I don’t know the answer but based on my own experiences I would say no we don’t ever fully recover. I have noticed that the tendencies that I had while in active addiction are still the same today but focused in different “more healthy” areas. It seems the part of me that has recovered is I now have the ability and skillset to cope with things in a different manner than I once did. I truly believe that if I tried to use alcohol and drugs again responsibly that I would be back in full blown addiction before a years time. My mind latches on to obsessions so quickly and I know that it would obsess over the feelings of drugs and alcohol again. Thanks for posting this!
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This recoveredcrackhead certainly believes and demonstrates on a daily basis that we can and do recover. As a matter of fact there is a book about “how many hundreds of men and woman have recovered…”, most people refer to it as the “Big Book”
Life, it’s all about the “Law of Attraction” and “the Power of Positive Thinking”
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I heard the “once an alcoholic always an alcoholic” phrase too many times. I can understand that point of view but hate it. The definition of an alcoholic is:
An alcoholic is a person who meets the criteria for alcohol use disorder (AUD) as defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). This includes:
- Compulsive drinking:
A persistent desire or unsuccessful efforts to cut down or control alcohol use.
- Loss of control:
Inability to stop or reduce alcohol consumption despite negative consequences, such as problems with work, relationships, or health.
- Tolerance:
Need for increased amounts of alcohol to achieve the desired effect.
- Withdrawal symptoms:
Experiencing physical or psychological symptoms when alcohol use is stopped or reduced, such as anxiety, tremors, or seizures.
- Heavy drinking:
Consuming excessive amounts of alcohol on a regular basis, typically defined as five or more drinks per day for men and four or more drinks per day for women.
I am no longer an alcoholic. I have an alcohol use disorder, but I no longer check any of the boxes for an alcoholic. That doesnt mean one day I wont, but I do believe right now im recovered, in remission, whatever you want to call it. Im a person whose body has an allergy so I dont drink. I truly believe in the power of words and if I keep calling myself an alcoholic thats what I will be. There is LIFE itself thats tough, but it is for everyone. I just want to simply exist as a human who lives without alcohol and drugs.
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remembering every day that im an addict/alcoholic humbles me enough to know I need to keep my shit together because it can go south real fast. Even after many years. Maybe someday that will change but today, I need the reminder.
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Absolutely, I believe in recovery/recovered! People do successfully put their disease into remission, and the Big Book even uses the term “Recovered.” multiple times throughout the book.
Recovery looks different for everyone, and that’s a good thing. I’ve seen people in meetings with 30-50 years of sobriety, and I’ve heard them say, "If I don’t follow these simple steps, I will die. or “end up in jail institution or death”. I just don’t buy it. Often times people who had an issue… “grow out of it” So take that however you will.
Speaking of recovered, Bill and Bob’s journey also has some interesting philosophies about LSD and their spiritual awaking. So were they recovered enough to do LSD? Or did they get hooked on LSD? I don’t think they did, so I err on the side of they were recovered.
At the end of the day, the most important thing I see is finding a pathway that works for you and sticking with it.
That could be through a structured program, church, exercise, or something else entirely.
From what I’ve learned, most people who meet the criteria for substance use disorder don’t actually use anonymous programs. Those programs have received a lot of recognition because they were among the first, but their success rates aren’t as high as some might expect. They often emphasize external accountability and structure, while peer recovery models empower individuals to identify what works best for them and take ownership of their journey.
Recovery is possible, and there are many paths to get there.
What matters is finding what resonates with you and committing to it.
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“We all die as alcoholics…” Wow. Powerful. Sad. But no, I don’t believe that’s true. My mother has been sober for 50 years. (50!). She has spent the vast majority of her life sober, and she will not “die as alcoholics”. That said, at 84 years old, she’s moderating a recovery forum on Reddit. . So, I guess we’re always “adjacent” to the concept.
Personally, I don’t feel like I’ve “recovered” – mostly because I know if I had access to drugs again, I would use. 100%. Alcohol isn’t my problem – it’s those lovely gorgeous narcotics my doctor used to give me. (until I figured out ways to get them myself.)
I last used on May 1, 2012. And when I get that urge to use, I feel like a failure, and that I’ll never be “recovered”. Then I remember I’ve got 4,676 days in my rearview mirror.
KEEP GOING!
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AMMEEEN. The first time I heard that I was like THE FUCK I WILL DIE AN ALCOHOLIC! Nah.
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I’ll have a disease forever. I can’t be nieve enough to believe I can start casually drinking/using. People live normal lives with diseases all the time
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We’re recovered when we no longer have an insane relationship with [insert compulsion]. For me, that means I don’t get fucked up ever, forever. The goal for me is to die sober.
But, really…I don’t worry too much about the semantics. The labels can be really divisive.
Are you better? Doing better? Feeling better? Showing up better for others? Growing? How much is your relationship with [insert compulsion]. affecting your, and the people-around-you’s, quality of life? You can measure the most meaningful stuff by the impact your behaviors around it have.
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