i have not had a drink for 4 years,i was a alcoholic ended up in hospital and all the other stuff that goes with it.
my pancreace is damaged beyond repair as now i am a diabetic.but my question is after this long why does the hospital still class me as a recovering alcoholic and not a ex alcoholic.i am not recovering i am past that now.prefer a coffee than a drink
2007-02-01 07:29:14 · 16 answers · asked by Anonymous in Health ➔ Other - Health
In that case I am a 'recovering junkie'! How funny, 6 years on and i'm still 'recovering'! Enjoy your coffee - mine's white - one sugar!
P.S. - Good for you! Enjoy your life.
2007-02-01 07:43:50 · answer #1 · answered by Flossie 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Alcoholism is a disease. You do not "get over it". If you had a drink today, you would quickly be right back where you were 4 years ago. Be aware of that! Anyone who has ever been an active alcoholic and has "recovered" and gotten sober, is a "recovering alcoholic" (forever). My mom died last year, she was a recovering alcoholic with 23 years of sobriety. Don't take it as an insult, IT'S A GOOD THING! Have you tried going to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting? They are really informative, and a good place to learn that you are one of millions who have gone through what you've been through. It's more like a "gathering" than a "meeting". Give it a try, if you don't like it youdon't have to go back. Keep up the good work!
2007-02-01 08:12:24 · answer #2 · answered by tra 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Congrats on 4 years, Keep coming Back!
I am married to a recovering Alcoholic (5 years last Nov.) Last fall we were shopping for health insurance for him, the agents all said for at least ten years he would be paying higher premiums because of it. As a nurse, I would think it is medically necessary to have that information, since it could have caused liver damage that went undetected, or to know that maybe the patient might need a meeting brought in to the hospital.
Also the old timers I know say they are still recovering, not ex-alcoholic.
2007-02-01 07:56:03 · answer #3 · answered by Julie 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Once an alcoholic always an alcoholic.... even if you are not drinking you still have the potential to revert back to your old ways of drinking. Alcoholism will always be with you...with or with out the drinking part. Thus, you are always in a stage of "recovery"... good going on not drinking.. I know the feeling, I'm been there too
2007-02-01 07:35:44 · answer #4 · answered by Ted S 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Then why is it still an issue?
When or if an alcoholic picks up a drink after any period of cestation...the mind triggers a chemical reaction that signals the brain that it is back where the individual was originally when they originally drank. So your back to square one. It takes an alchoholic an average of 10yrs to "dry out" completely. It is a lifetime that once you are an alcoholic you continue to have that genetic and phsycological make-up, it's not like you can change your genetic compos. Labels are merely what they are. It's up to you to decide...how important is it? This is your one chance to dance. I would give yourself an opportunity to discuss this fully w/a professional or unbiased person. Get it out and allow something else to consume your thoughts.
2007-02-01 07:37:50 · answer #5 · answered by Win 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
you are always an alcoholic - even before you picked up your first drink. just because you are an alcoholic that doesnt mean that you still drink, it just means that you are predisposed to abuse it since you have in the past. recovery is a lifelong process that involves more than just not drinking, it involves changing your life and personal defects.
are you familiar with Bill Wilson or the Big Book?
2007-02-01 07:39:29 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
First of all, BIG congratulations on your sobriety! GOOD for you!!!
You can be an ex-drinker or an ex-drunk, but the alcoholism part is an incurable medical disease caused by a missing liver enzyme so you can't become an ex-alcoholic.
If you want more information on the physical nature of the disease, please read 'Under the Influence' by Dr. James Milam:
http://product.half.ebay.com/Under-the-Influence_W0QQprZ150521QQtgZinfo
Take care and best of luck! :-)
2007-02-01 07:44:22 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Alcoholism is regarded as a disease with no known cure. Alcoholics may be in remission but always one drink away drunk. It sounds harsh but that's the medical viewpoint I'm afraid.
2007-02-01 07:38:36 · answer #8 · answered by Fraggle Rocker 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Alcoholics never recover - the risk of return to drinking is always there that is why you are classed as a recovering alcoholic. If you have been addicted there is always that risk of returning. Take care - look after yourself.
2007-02-01 07:35:52 · answer #9 · answered by curiositykilledthecat 1 · 2⤊ 2⤋
It's because there is no such thing as an ex-alcoholic. Once an alcoholic, always an alcholic, that's the idea. You can only be a recovering alcoholic.
2007-02-01 07:32:45 · answer #10 · answered by Scary Monster 4 · 2⤊ 1⤋