Am I wrong in finding this article pretentious??

[rubywillow]

Am I wrong in finding this article pretentious??

I think it's great we're having a dialogue about so many dif opinions, peacefully. I thought I had all the answers at least 20 times in my life, but I'm here, and I didn't. I've learned that a day without learning is a wasted day, and I don't like waste. The world is a better place when we admit we don't have answers, but a lot of questions. Good speed on your journey's.

[not tonight]

Am I wrong in finding this article pretentious??

Neart - I agree with your point that she seems to think that unless you are living in the gutter or beating your partner your are not an alcoholic, you just have a bad habit. I have no problem with alternatives to AA and have found the supplements to be a very important part of my sobriety plan. What I find ill informed and reckless about this article is that she espouses a regiment for dealing with excessive drinking that she haphazardly strung together like an outfit for the London fashion week, and downgrades her excessive drinking to something similar to a calorie counting exercise. A bottle plus of wine per day is dangerous to your health. It is not merely a bad habit. If I had read this article 5 months ago it would have feed right into my alcoholic way of thinking, and I fear that there are others out there who having read her article may not seek out some much needed help.

[Topsy-Turvy-Tracy]

Am I wrong in finding this article pretentious??

not tonight;971925 wrote: What I find ill informed and reckless about this article is that she espouses a regiment for dealing with excessive drinking that she haphazardly strung together like an outfit for the London fashion week.

LOL! That's a great line. Like I said, her words gave me no confidence in her methods. She didn't seem to see her own contradictory statements and seemed to trying to convince herself as much as anything else.

I do think it's possible that some people can drink heavily for a time and develop a bad habit, as opposed to an addiction (whatever that word means), and simply stop or moderate after that - college kids are notorious for doing that. I'm not one of those people and could no more drink like a normal person than I could smoke like a non-smoker!

[not tonight]

Am I wrong in finding this article pretentious??

Topsy-Turvy-Tracy;971934 wrote:

I do think it's possible that some people can drink heavily for a time and develop a bad habit, as opposed to an addiction (whatever that word means), and simply stop or moderate after that - college kids are notorious for doing that. I'm not one of those people and could no more drink like a normal person than I could smoke like a non-smoker!

Do you think that there are points in your life where you quit drinking heavily (when you leave college and join the real world) with no problem, pick up drinking at other points and no longer able to moderate or quit with the ease you could in your youth?

[Topsy-Turvy-Tracy]

Am I wrong in finding this article pretentious??

Maybe I should re-read the article, but I got the impression that the "gutter drunk" scenario as defining "alcoholic" was something she got in AA. Anyone who has read their book or spent much time around those folks can see how that could happen.

Funny story: I had a sponsor for a time, a lovely woman, really intelligent about most things, and someone who remained very high functioning even while drinking. The funny part was that she lied about how much she drank so she could fit in at meetings. She really jumped the shark though and, for as tiny as she was, would have been fatally poisoned if she ever once drank as much as she claimed to be drinking every night. I think that's part of the whole 12-step deal, that you have to prove that you're bad enough to fit in. Maybe that's just my impression though.

[Topsy-Turvy-Tracy]

Am I wrong in finding this article pretentious??

not tonight;971935 wrote: Do you think that there are points in your life where you quit drinking heavily (when you leave college and join the real world) with no problem, pick up drinking at other points and no longer able to moderate or quit with the ease you could in your youth?

In my early 20s, I did go for long periods of not drinking, went close to a year with a bottle of brandy in my cupboard - but whenever I did drink, even as a teenager, it was to excess. I never drank because I loved the taste of the stuff - I was always after the effect. If it weren't for the effect of alcohol, there's no alcoholic drink that I would have preferred over a glass of iced tea. That's why I'm pretty sure that moderation wouldn't work for me.

[rubywillow]

Am I wrong in finding this article pretentious??

It's our personal experiences that color our beliefs, and everyone's is not the same. That's a given. So we use what we learn, and learn from it.

[neart]

Am I wrong in finding this article pretentious??

I like the London Fashion Week comparison too!

Tracy, I do see your point alright - I know some people who notice that they're drinking more than they should and they cut down and are able to manage it no big deal at all. I wish I were like that, but I'm not -I don't seem to do things by halves at all And I do take on board what you were saying about why the article triggered such a reaction - I think for me it reminded me of all the time I wasted trying to convince myself that I didn't have a problem.

And Ruby, DG you are right, everyone has their own path, and everyone is just learning as we go along. It reminds me of a quote I heard "life is like learning to play the violin in public".

ps Tracy I read the Grapes of Wrath a few weeks ago for the first time and loved it!

[Sunnyvalenting]

Am I wrong in finding this article pretentious??

It is an interesting article and does touch on some of the science which is new. I would like to see the data regarding the use of hypnosis in the long term treatment of substance abuse which she predicts is better than rehab (which generally isn't saying much if it is standard rehab).
Many people, including many of us here, go through a process of trying measures to moderate before we decide to quit entirely. there is even a section here for moderators.
My family history is equal to or exceeds hers and I am happy to say that the GABA agonist baclofen has allowed me to reach my goal of abstinence easily and 100%. From what I understand of alcohol dependence the key is to not take a drink ever as this is the fastest way to relapse. My plan is permanent abstinence and now I can actually do it! What a relief for everyone concerned. I don't envy her next few years if she is anything like me.
Sunny

[rubywillow]

Am I wrong in finding this article pretentious??

Great post, Sunny. As I said, we each find our path. And I'm SO happy you've had the sobriety to realize AL is just NOT that important in the rest of our lives. I have to wonder, many times, why we worry SO much about not being able to drink it. Looking at why it so important may shed light on our struggles, and the depth of our problem.

[Topsy-Turvy-Tracy]

Am I wrong in finding this article pretentious??

Thanks Sunny. I'm all over the baclofen and hope to be on it by this time next week. It was never the alcohol itself that I wanted - it was the buzz. The trick, then, is to stop wanting the buzz. I have a hunch that what's the baclofen helps with - sure sounds like it to me.

[Sunnyvalenting]

Am I wrong in finding this article pretentious??

Ruby, Top,
The way I see it baclofen provides the "calm" without the "buzz". It is the buzz which is reinforcing in the addictive process.
For me the "why" we found it important was easy. We (at least I) were alcohol dependent. It went from enjoying the way I felt when drinking to hating the way I felt when I didn't. I don't think I drank for mysterious or exotic reasons. Just the usual ones. But with the genetic and environmental strikes against me I became dependent. Now, thankfully, I am not. I don't spend much time worrying about why any more.
Good luck to the others on their path. It is well worth all the trial and error along the way,
Sunny

[Gaia]

Am I wrong in finding this article pretentious??

Hi and thanks for the post. Interesting read. I take a few things from it.

1. She is brave to write an article that publicly discusses her drinking problems. I'm not sure I could do that.
2. She's only one week into her 'plan.' Let's see if there's a follow up story. Would like to see how it goes a few weeks from now - any binges? More sneaking? Or maybe not, and it's clear sailing from now. We are all different.
3. I suspect that she is understating the amount of her daily consumption in the article. Sorry to suspect but we know how it is.
4. There is suprisingly little reflection on the impact of her drinking on her children and on her relationship with them. Maybe that will come in time.


My humble thoughts.

[BellaC]

Am I wrong in finding this article pretentious??

Well, she did say that she and her therapist agreed that if this doesn't work she'll do a month AF. Even if I don't necessarily agree with her position right now, I'm still glad that writers and bloggers are putting their struggles with alcoholism out there. I see the danger of someone in denial reading this and latching onto it for the wrong reasons, but frankly if the person is at that stage of denial then they're going to find their excuse anyway, article or not. I'd rather people share their experiences.

[Mrs Donovan]

Am I wrong in finding this article pretentious??

yes - she sounds like she's kidding herself, understandably though, I just couldn't face the idea of never drinking again at the start of my journey. My slip up taught me I cannot moderate.

Funnily enough though - I've been to see Susan Hepburn, the hypnotherapist she mentions. Years ago - she cured me of my smoking. She then cured my Dad. Didn't realise she did alcohol cravings too, and I should imagine her fees have probably gone sky high now she's curing celebrities! Check me :H