question - Al-Anon Family Group

afglin · Senior Member

question

rehprof · ~*Service Worker*~

In the field of addiction...there is the theory that addiction impacts psychological development. I don't agree that it can be quantified quite like that(e.g., subtracting and getting an answer of 23) ...but I do believe that addiction can interrupt normal psychological development (though I'm not even sure what THAT is)

RP

pinkchip · ~*Service Worker*~

Yeah, that's just a concept and not a rule. It's something to keep in mind when you watch how an addict/alcoholic functions emotionally. They did stop learning coping skill at the age drinking and/or drugging took over as the cheif way to cope with emotions.

Again, just a concept and folks are all different along that continuum.

Jerry F · ~*Service Worker*~

This is a good post and good responses...Yes the maturity stops. Alcohol interferes and alters the entire body system...every organ in he body. It is a powerful chemical and when the drinking starts that chemical invades the mind, body, spirit and emotions; all of the assets of the body are affected and when it becomes the major focus and want of the person many other aspects of life and life growth get put to the side in favor of it first and then foremost...This is the function of addiction. Yes life and growth stop and in most cases go backward. Dementia, paranoia, just plain drunk, destruction of the liver, bladder, esophagaus, pancreas, brain and the rest of the body system become part of the progress of the disease. The addictive drinking and using must stop for the body too recover and it will miraculously because that is what our bodies are designed to do and want to do 24/7...Heal!!...however add alcohol and everything goes haywire and starts to go backward and die. Alcohol isn't milk or diet drinks or health drinks...Alcohol is poison and that is why being drunk is also called being intoxicated...toxic...poison.

A great paperback book to read is "Under The Influence". It has been called the best book written on alcoholism. Keep coming back (((((hugs))))) smile

-- Edited by Jerry F on Tuesday 12th of February 2013 05:06:16 PM

ilovedogs · ~*Service Worker*~

As others have said, it's more of a concept not a set of rules and numbers. My AH started drinking at 14 and I swear there are times I think my own 14 year old is more mature than he is, LOL! Immaturity is a serious problem among alcoholics, when they are active. Recovery will help them deal with their immaturity and hopefully help them to mature.

Zimmy · Senior Member

I think thats why working the steps helps the Alcoholic to learn how to cope with living life, as the alcohol was their way of dealing with life before recovery.

Debilyn · ~*Service Worker*~

I completely agree with Jerry. I know this to be true.

How do we learn? By experience, by going through the hard stuff, the good stuff. An addict drugs all those experiences away. They when using don't ever greive, they may not fill guilt or sorrow.

Then lets say they go to detox, then rehab, then AA. Can you imagine how horrible they would feel realizing all that grief, pain, losses guilt!? It's no wonder when they start their program of recovery they are tunnel visioned completely thinking of themselves for awhile. They are going thru feelings like they never have before.They have years of things bottled up. They have NO idea how to cope with them. That is where AA, sponsor, reading the big booki, setting up and following a program of recovery is vital.

My A said he had to be tunnel visioned so he could work his program. I believed him and saw it.

I saw A's on program mature, but it is super slow. The guilt the damage to their bodies sets them way back.

Drugs do not just go thru us like food. They cause damage immediately. EVERY cell is compromised. We are talking lungs, heart, brain, skin, tongue, teeth, ALL of the body is compromised.Its a hard concept if you are not into the exact physiology of the body. We get mad becuz they use, they put us in debt, they break things, they abuse us. They are poisoning, killing and destroying themselves.

Its a horrible disease no one chooses to have. It's in ones dna. You may be born with the predisposition to become an addict. Just like diabetes works in the dna, if we don't stick to a special diet that does not encourage the diabetes gene we may not develop it. But as we know, wrong diet, age, illness and more can it come on full blown.

If they have no program and just not drink, they rarely get anywhere. Most are called dry miserable drunks, who make those around them miserable.

hate this disease.....

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