The Witchcraft Connection!

[Otter]

I have over the past few years been intrigued by an odd connection between the Salem withcraft trials and alcoholism.

Briefly put, I think in some ways society treats alcoholics the same way that they used to treat witches. The witchcraft trials arose when young girls in Salem began behaving strangely. Women in the community were then accused of casting spells over them, tried and put to death as witches.

Years later these people were pardoned because it was discovered that the behaviour of these girls was caused by ergots, a fungus which grows on rye and was carried by winds, infecting a large number of people.

In the last century, Albert Hoffman discovered LSD which is an ergot derivative. LSD was used to treat alcoholism and was found to have a 50% success rate but had side effects (sound familiar). Hoffman also went on to discover Hydergine, also an ergot derivative, which is the recognized treatment for Werner-Korsikoff syndrome, a condition of advanced alcoholism.

What is interesting is that alcoholism will now likely follow the same route as withcraft; a physiological condition which was thought to have been caused by a moral failing and which could only be cured by the one "possessed" by it admitting what he was and following a path which ended with acceptance of a Greater Being into his life. Failure to accept that "truth" allows for the demonization of the alcoholic and relegation to the fringes of society.

Now that it is becoming apparent that alcoholism is a physical illness, will absolution follow?

[Seethepony]

The Witchcraft Connection!

So my wife was right the whole time. I am an ergotistical bastard!

[Bruunhilde]

The Witchcraft Connection!

Interesting post, Otter. I had no idea.

[Booktree]

The Witchcraft Connection!

Yes, I very much like the analogy to witches--it makes a lot of sense. And being thus stigmatized as morally weak weirdos who can’t “control” ourselves, we are pressured (sometimes forced) into joining a pagan cult that has a zero percent success rate founded by false prophet who was a pervert and adulterer. A cult where the lunatics are in charge of the asylum, subjected to a never-ending series of trite slogans, and based on a book written in the 1930s, all founded on a very suspect type of faith healing. Where we are told we have a “disease” yet the only thing that will put it into remission is groveling before a “higher power”--which seems to blatantly contradict the fact that it is a disease in the sense that someone with diabetes wouldn’t be told, in this day and age, that prayer would cure his/her medical problems. A program full of insanity is said to be our only hope. In this day and age. How sad.

[redhead77]

The Witchcraft Connection!

Right on Booktree!

[Nico]

The Witchcraft Connection!

Dr. A's book kind of mentions that in his story. Before they knew what it really was, cancer was seen as a moral affliction or defect of spirit. Oops. Anything that science can't, or hasn't yet, found a solution to must therefore be something negative in spirit or psychological. I'm pretty sure that the current spritual solutions for alcohol dependence would dovetail nicely with the Puritanical hysteria of Salem.

[gratitude]

The Witchcraft Connection!

I kinda get the witchcraft analogy.you were talking about society stigmatizing part of it's own group and banishing or killing them. magical thinking. I don't get the AA part. I do get the disease model though. diabetes is a good example. another is schizophrenia. this population was thought to be possessed before neurology progressed.
most of AA are there on their own accord. nobody knows the success rate. it's hard with an anonymous group. to me, I see more Buddhism in AA. but that is my particular perception. I see a lot of getting out of the ego, a lot of good work in the community,a lot of terrified alkiies just trying to stay sober. a lot of sharing,and giving of their time and energy to others. just like here. is this a brain disease. I think so. even in their Big Book it says " science may one day accomplish this...." as far as as groveling before a higher power, I'm an atheist and I still go. I can hold these two contradictory ideas in my mind. I guess science is my higher power. or other people that are farther along in their thinking. anyway, I go there to learn. I try to learn from whatever presents itself in my life. to each his own. use every tool you can.

[bleep]

The Witchcraft Connection!

double post, sorry

[bleep]

The Witchcraft Connection!

Booktree;1056688 wrote: Yes, I very much like the analogy to witches--it makes a lot of sense. And being thus stigmatized as morally weak weirdos who can?t ?control? ourselves, we are pressured (sometimes forced) into joining a pagan cult that has a zero percent success rate founded by false prophet who was a pervert and adulterer. A cult where the lunatics are in charge of the asylum, subjected to a never-ending series of trite slogans, and based on a book written in the 1930s, all founded on a very suspect type of faith healing. Where we are told we have a ?disease? yet the only thing that will put it into remission is groveling before a ?higher power?--which seems to blatantly contradict the fact that it is a disease in the sense that someone with diabetes wouldn?t be told, in this day and age, that prayer would cure his/her medical problems. A program full of insanity is said to be our only hope. In this day and age. How sad.

That used to be my opinion, 100%, and if you posted it a month ago I would have nominated it for Post of The Year. The whole baclofen experience has mellowed me somewhat with regards to AA, I can see that some people actually do find hope in it. I suppose my thoughts on AA will be governed in future by their response to baclofen, whether it is positive or negative.

I'll be going along to a meeting in a couple of weeks to tell them about baclofen, I think I'm going to get lynched!

I can see the parallels with the whole witchcraft trials, very interesting. I hope absolution follows, my medical aid won't pay a cent for anything "substance abuse" related, and I'm out of pocket for a big chunk of change right now!