Re: o/t

It's really tough to deal with alcoholics, I know, I've been there, my mom was an alcoholic, as was my grandfather and his brother.
I also felt that it was about choice.
It took a little growing up and a little learning to find out that that was not completely true...
This book helped me to understand addiction:

http://www.amazon.com/Addictive-Personality-Understanding-Compulsive-Behavior...


Also, some people are more prone to alcoholism than others. The longer people have been exposed to alcohol, the less likely alcoholism will manifest. For instance, there are not many Italian or Jewish alcoholics because their cultures have had alcohol for thousands of years, they are physiologically more equipped to deal with it. Conversely, you will find higher rates of alcoholism in those of northern European descent or American Indians. American Indians, especially, they've only been exposed for a couple hundred years and we've all seen the stereotypical "drunk Indian" portrayed in movies, etc.

There's more on the physiology of alcoholism, do a search if you want to understand.

The addictive part is the real toughie though, and many recovered alcoholics trade one addiction for another. My mom traded her alcohol addiction for addiction to alcoholics anonymous. It worked for her...:)

She was always an addictive personality, so unless that is addressed, there is no true freedom, IMO. It sure was nice to have her sober though. Too bad for our family that she did not get sober until it was too late, in many ways...

Sorry to hear about your brother, I KNOW how tough it is. Don't stop loving him though. Just realize that he's got a monkey on his back.

He's got to want to change. Tweet