Why can't alcoholics stop drinking?

Question

My father went into a coma yesterday because he drank himself to the point where his liver shut down. He lives in another state but when the police found him they described to me that he was very yellow. He had to know that he was sick.

I know it is a disease, but if you know your are sick most people go to the doctor. I just wondered why. Why did he do that and why do people who are alcoholics can't stop drinking. I know some make the choice to stop but others "can't".

Answer 1

I'm sorry to hear of your situation but y'know there is no real logical explanation for humans and their addictions. There are many contributing factors including genetics, depression, stress, personality, friends and lifestyle, but we can't pinpoint one or even be sure of which factors are the most damaging.

All you can do is try to show the addict that you still love him and make the addict want to quit but in the end the decision has to come from the addict.

Answer 2

Hi Sweetie,
I'm sorry 2 hear about r father, and the yellow u spoke of is Jaundice. My biological
father was an alcoholic too, now deseased.
He did unmentionable things 2 me physically
& emotionally, after learning of his death, I had 2 forgive him though r the hatred wud eat at my soul. Alcoholism is a decease r right, but MzLeen, it's also an addiction, like a crack addict so 2 speak, & yes it is a choice, but the elderly who've made that choice because they know, r won't except any other & that's the World they live in if u can call it living? U'r & my father's chose alcohol as they're drug of choice over their family 2 escape "reality" & dwendle their lives away without a care of anyone nor themselves, which is a sad state of affairs.
So, if he did u r Mom wrong, make peace now if u like, as I carried hatred many yrs 4 what he put my Mom & I threw. Even a lil prayer, cuz I don't see much more life in him
as his Liver is already pickled. Maybe I said too much, but something we have in common! All my Best o' Luck in r Endeavor

LOL, Diana D

Answer 3

That is because alcoholism is both a mental AND a physical illness combined. Most people, once they realize that they are doing themselves and others great harm by drinking CAN stop.

If you got a burnt hand every time you stuck in into a stove flame, you would stop - wouldn't? Of course. Just as a heavy drinker would eventually stop if given enough cause to stop drinking. But if you kept putting your hand into the flame KNOWING that it would harm and hurt you - we would have to lock you up in a rubber room. And that is EXACTLY what we used to do with alcoholics who continued to harm thermoses an others despite the knowledge that they were doing so. We used to put them away in asylums.

Nowadays many of those would be committed alcoholics have other alternatives.

Real alcoholics drink no matter what. You uncle be one of the few who are both mentally insane when it comes to alcohol as he is physically sick.

Alkies have lost compete control mentally and physically over when and how much they will drink.

There is Mental Obsession and there is Physical craving which are better explained here: http://recoveredalcoholic.blogspot.com/2007/07/what-is-real-alcoholic.html

Peace,

Danny S

Hope this helps

http://recoveredalcoholic.blogspot.com/

Answer 4

I am soo sorry about what you are going through, I know you must be very confused and hurt. It is so hard to understand why someone would abuse themselves in that fashion and I don't think anyone one of us can give you the explanation you need. People become addicted to substances for all different reasons and your dads situation would be different than anyone elses. Just know that it has nothing to do with anything you've done or not done, it is a choice he has made for reasons you won't understand. I hope you can find peace and remember how the choices YOU make in your life affects everyone around you.

Answer 5

im sorry for you and your dad but that's the definition of an addiction and there lots of different reasons people become addicted, there is no one reason. some people cannot stop, they have a physical and psychological need to consume alcohol which becomes the most important thing in their lives. more important than work, family, friends, shelter, even food.

being yellow is jaundice and caused by an increase of bile in the blood because of the liver failure.

i'm sure your dad knew he was ill, the sad thing about addiction is that he didnt care. it isn't just a physical disease its a mental disease with a physical manifestation, and its not something the doc can cure.

i'm really sorry and i know how it feels.

Answer 6

It's an addiction my love just like anything else in life no different than being a drug-addict! Or a pervert or a pedafile. It's all the same crap and these people most of the time have low self-esteem and they do not care about their lives and those who love them, while they do these things to themselves! It's a terrible terrible thing unfortunately but it's their problem, their concerns, and they are the only ones that can save themselves from the Hell in which they put themselves!

I'm sorry this happened to your Father, but he's the only one other than Jesus Christ that can save him from himself!

Much Love
Peace & Happiness

Answer 7

addiction is a serious thing. Some peopel dont want to admit that they are addicted, and so they dont ask for help. Some people have reached a point in their addiction where, they know they need to but they dont WANT to..... Again,.. hence the word addiction. That is why it is best not to try any type of drug or alcoholic drink at all. Because one time is all it takes.

I am sorry to hear about your father. I hope he will be ok. :(

Answer 8

i dis agree alcohol is not a disease. It is an excuse for people that have no discipline. Is cigarette smoking a disease or using drugs.

John Stossel says it right on 20/20 give me a brake. I grew up with Uncle's that were alcoholics, and they died of cirrhosis of the liver and other serious complications of over consumption of alcohol. People are genetically more prone from mentally to have weak constitutions.

Just my take on the matter, does not make it right , i just have a hard time with a lack of discipline being labeled as a disease like leukemia, aids or other illness on a cellular level.

Answer 9

if they binge drink, after they drink too much in one night their brain shuts down and they can not form any memories (this is called a black out)... at this point they've drinken too much to make any sensible choices so he may have dranken too much so that he was so inebriated he didnt have consious use of his mind.

he is probably an alcoholic, which is why he cant stop drinking when he starts.

when I have one or two drinks I just want to drink more and more so I may be one too.

just look around for an AA suport group in your area and plead with your father to go there

Answer 10

It's a drug that alters your state of mind, and some people become so addicted to that state that they can't function outside of it. It's tragic when something so preventable happens