do any of you believe that a person really can recover?  from what i read, almost everyone on here believes that all alcoholics are the same and that none of them can ever recover or become healthy again. 

i think it is a very subjective thing.  i think that it totally depends on the person, for one.  there are also many different types of alcoholics.  there are, of course, your functioning ones.  the ones that work and never miss a day of work and feel that because of that, they don't have a problem.  then there's the classic party person who comes out of college with a drinking problem.  there's the person who drinks every day, all day, and doesn't work.  then there's all the different people in between.

this may be naive optimism, but i believe that some people really want to and CAN heal from this disease.  not all, but SOME.  i think some people really do know they have a problem and really want to get better.  shoot, maybe i am naive and stupid.  i don't know.  but if someone doesn't hold out hope for people, who will?

"We believe alcoholism is a family illness and that changed attitudes can aid in recovery."

We do this by practicing the Twelve Steps, by welcoming and giving comfort to families of alcoholics, and by giving understanding and encouragement to the alcoholic.

yes people can recover from the effects of alcoholism....they will always be alcoholics, but they can recover.  My father did, and became a wonderful man after reaching his bottom point.  I know several others as well.  They have to accept their illness, and they have to want recovery. 

 

I don't think you are stupid at all!!! I think it is very valid! I do believe that there are alcoholics that do want and find recovery. Once an alcoholic always one and it will be a constant battle for the individual.

My grandpa was a very awful abusive alcoholic that would hide bottles all over the place and thank god he found recovery to an extent by the time I was born but I do remember him going off on occasions when we would go to begin dinner when he was not finnished his drink. He only ever had one drink right before dinner but that was all. So in a way it was recovery however not completely until a few years before he passed away. (does that make any sence)

I hope and pray for my husband to find recovery when he is ready, if I didn't have this hope I don't know where I would be.

Don't be so hard on your self your questions was good and like you I am sure others have wondered it.

Glad you are here, keep comming back.

Love in recovery

JJ

My sister in law & broter in law are alcoholics.  And always will be, but they are dry for 22+ years!  They have good lives, not great, but good.  They continually go to meetings.  More importantly she helps me get thru my bad days. 

My great uncle too (deceased) was an alcoholic.  Dry for the 20 years I knew him, & he was a caring, good, kind man.

Yes I believe.  I don't hope for the active drinker, but I believe in the dry alcoholic.  In other words I watch their actions, not their words.

If you read "The big book" there are many stories of alcoholics, all that they have lost, and all that they have found in sobriety! 

It may appear that way to you (no recovery) only because most of the people here have come because they are/were in crisis and the A's in their lives are actively drinking and drugging. 

I certainly do believe an alcoholic can recover.  But, I have to be honest, what I see so often is....most of the people that have had A's in recovery then post that they have returned to drinking, slipping, dissapearing.  I don't know if the ones that do make it quit posting after recovery or what.  I do know a couple people from chat that say their A's are XX amount of days sober. 

I can only hope, work my program, and trust in HP.

Christy

Hello , yes I do believe that an A can recover, I am living with one  sober 16 yrs now and things have changed alot for our family. but for me bottom line  I can recover from the effects of someones  drinking by working the Al-Anon program to improve my life. I learned here that if I keep the focus on myself , life gets better. I cannot keep an A sober thats his job and his recovery is really none of my business , my recovery is what is important to me,it is amazing to me that as I change so do those around me , a positive attitude can also be catchy.

To me the best way to support or A's is to get our own program and step aside and allow them to grow up.  Allowing them th dignity to live thier lives as they choose while i get my life back on track. it is the hardest thing I have ever done in  my  life. As long as we keep doing for them they don't have to.   AA or Al-Anon do not promise to save marriages but both prog do promise to resore us to sanity.  good enough

Good luck  Louise

Hi,

You are not naive at all, without hope we have nothing.

I know an alcoholic can recover. My Grandfather was an alcoholic. Disapeared for days on end on binges every payday.

He was on one of those binges when his mother died. They could not find him. It was many years ago and they had to bury her without him. When he came home and found out what happened he was devestated and that was his bottom. He was an active member of AA and sober for 30 years until he died.

                                                 Love Jeannie

If you ever get a chance, you may want to go to an open AA meeting, or to a roundup. It is very inspiring to hear some of the A's talk - some of the oldtimeers with long sobriety really have serenity, and it gives me hope that some day my husband might be able to get there. After an alanon speaker speaks at a roundup, the A's will say that it was helpful to them to hear the other side of the story - it's the same for us.