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Do some alcoholics not hit a rock bottom? My therapist said that to me the other day. My therapist has been doing this kind of therapy (addicts, couples, family members of...) for years and I have to assume that on some level he's right - some addicts don't hit rock bottom.
He'd have thought that my ex would have been on his way to that...but the ex is with another addict and losing his marriage, home and child don't seem to bother him. The current addict he's with is prolonging the rock bottom hit IMO. But I thought it was an interesting thing for my therapist to say.
I know that my mother's rock bottom was dying from alcohol poisoning...if that counts as rock bottom. My dad, on the other hand...hit rock bottom when I went into foster care. He lost me for a time because I just couldn't handle it. (The other 4 kids always remained with him.) He's been sober for over 20 years now.
In your experience have you found that to be true? Some addicts just don't hit rock bottom. This is purely speculation based...
My dad got sober the day he died. We lived in community where men did not have to drink alone. So as long as they did not drink alone they were not alcoholics.
I tend to believe that all A's do, indeed, hit a "rock bottom", but it is seldom on our timeline.... For me, I got caught up in "expecting" my AW to hit her rock bottom, and applying MY logic to her circumstances, which never did quite work out.
I also believe that an A's "rock bottom" doesn't have to be a monumental or catastrophic incident, per se.... For my ex-AW, her rock bottom was when she was in such a state that our kids would go downstairs to see her each night, and play on the floor in front of her. She was basically drunk and pathetic at the time, and she saw herself for exactly that, and then SHE made the decision to get sober. I'm pleased to say that she has now been sober for over 11 years since making that decision.
Take care
Tom
__________________
"He is either gonna drink, or he won't.... what are YOU gonna do?"
"What you think of me is none of my business"
"If you knew the answer to what you are worrying about, would it REALLY change anything?"
It's true some never do hit rock bottom. My husband never did - I kept waiting for it to happen - but no. He died from alcohol related disease two years ago without ever reaching a stage where he wanted to give up. Sorry to be so negative but there it is.