Who invented the lie that alcoholics cannot ever recover and drink responsibly again?

Answer 1

Most cannot. But I was told that my grandfather who was an alcoholic was able to drink responsibly after 20 years of not drinking a drop. He passed before I was born, so I never knew him.

Answer 2

Unfortunately, it is NOT a lie. Once a person is an alcoholic they are ALWAYS an alcoholic. This does not mean they are currently drinking. A person who is a recovered alcoholic is merely one who is not drinking at the moment. It is like a recovered drug addict. They may be recovered, however they will always be an addict. An alcoholic will always be an alcoholic. This is not saying they are bad people, just that they have a substance abuse problem and if they start in again, they will undoubtedly go right back to their addictions. The predilection to be an addict may be in their genetics or due to other factors, however it will ALWAYS be there for life.

Answer 3

I don't know that it is a lie, but maybe a misconception about the disease. There are alcoholics and binge drinkers. Alcoholics need to drink each day because the body requires/craves it. Binge drinkers are people who go on benders - 3 or 4 days at a time and just annihilate themselves short term. They can usually stop drinking for months or years, then drink responsibly.

From personal experience, those recovering alcoholics who take that first drink are usually right back to their old ways as it has a certain power over them, physically and psychologically.

It all comes down to control. If one can be stronger than the drink, and feel they can drink responsibly, then it is up to the person to decide that for themselves. It is not up to us to judge.

Answer 4

So many different answers to this and probably all contain an element of truth, my opinion working in the Substance Misuse field that Alcohol like many other drugs has two main addictive elements;
Emotional Dependance & Chemical Dependance.
Those that have used alcohol as a way of avoiding emotional pain whom have gone on to deal with the issues they have been avoiding may sometimes be able to be responsible and drink moderately, though abstinance is still recommended.
Those whom have drunk to the extent of forming a biochemical dependendance on alcohol are less likely to be able to achieve controlled drinking as a chemical reaction formed in the dependancy causes a chain reaction meaning the body will require alcohol again, this is progressive.
The issues of Genetics role is still under debate and answers will depend on the framework you research, this is similar with the issue of choice which you may find include societal, familial, and environmental - physical as well as psychological and emotional environments.
Lots of stuff to read out there to help you make up your own mind and formulate an answer from all sorts of perspectives, good luck in your quest for an answer.

Answer 5

Well, I don't know what causes such an angry question, to begin with.

I believe that some people are born with a predisposition to addictiveness. In other words, there is a genetic tendency towards being addicted to certain - or any - stimulants.

I am not sure that people 'invent a lie' about such a topic, because to do so means that one 'intends to deceive'. I think it is fairly conclusively proven that 'alcoholism' is something which ,once we discover it, is with us for life.

There are people who are not addictives who use substances (alcohol, tobacco and other drugs) in certain circumstances and do not then become addicted to them. I think that they are quite rare.

Answer 6

It is not a lie. Alcohol is an addiction, the same as drugs, smoking. The addiction gene is present in most cases so one sip restarts the addiction. You may be able to control the addiction for a period of time, but when you are stressed or at a low ebb, you fall back on the wagon.

Answer 7

Take a study of addictive behaviors... not just alcoholism...

Because everyone is wired differently there is no sure-fire solution to "cure" or "control" addictions. Because of this the most extreme measure is total abstinence and that is guaranteed to break the addiction. That doesn't mean some people can dabble - and it doesn't mean that the statement "ever recover" is a lie.

Answer 8

alcoholics can't drink responsibly usually...which is why they stay away from it completely. Its like, if they lost that control before, they can't have it now. They couldn't control themselves 5 years ago so TODAY they start with one drink "yeah it will be okay its just one drink" then next thing you know they're passed out on the kitchen floor. The temptation is too much.

If a smoker quit smoking they wouldn't touch a cigarette again...because then they would be a smoker again and everything would come back to them

understand?

Answer 9

The same people who invented the lie that Alcoholism is a disease and people are not responsible for their actions!

Answer 10

That is not a universally felt view. In Great Britian, there is a program to help teach alcoholics to drink responsibly. In the US, it's more as you've stated.