From Jim I

Like most statistics that these organizations put
together, they fail to separate the alcoholics
from the hard drinkers. The test base they always use has both, the difference is; that a hard drinker can
stop or moderate if they really try and the alcoholic can't. What good are statistics for a treatment
process when there are people in it who can do it anyway by themselves when they decide to. When the
treatment field gets with that fact, real alcoholism statistics will finally mean something to me, don't
trust what you read made by people who do not understand the nature of alcoholism, many
professionals don't.
With a lot of treatment or awareness programs, what they try to do is get you to decide to stop or
moderate, they show you what you can do to stay clean and sober. These can be as affective and are
good things, but what happens is there is harm reduction or sobriety for the heavy or potential drinker
but no real help for those who are already alcoholic or real drug addicts. They need a personality
change at depth, a spiritual awakening with a shift in perspective so large they operate with a
completely different perspective and perception, that can only come after a conversion experience
following extensive use of spiritual practices.
I end up working with those who have been in 12 treatment centers or whatever and have been
desperately trying to separate from drugs or alcohol for years, they absolutely cannot summon up the
needed fortitude to not pick up. After the 12 step work, if they remain focused on spiritual disciplines
and carry the message of the 12 steps to others who have their problem, they find the power comes into
them and become safe and protected from the first drink or drug, but this takes constant willingness and
persistence, something only the desperate have, 90% of people in treatment would not bother to do this
work, they would feel it an overreaction to a problem they can handle because maybe they can. Read
the doctors opinion, and chapter 2 and 3 in the Big Book really carefully. This is still the best
understanding I have ever read about the nature of powerlessness and addiction.
Most positive statistics with professional addiction studies are with the category of the Hard Drinker
not the Alcoholic, treatment processes alone fail almost always with the real alcoholic or addict, that is
where the 12 steps can be one of the only solutions.
This probably does not answer your question, but I don't intensively delve into the study of something I
see as irrelevant to my own work, why rearrange deck chairs on the Titanic? I need to stay focused on
what works for me and not get sidetracked by things that are interesting intellectually but of little value
to my work in the trenches. I don't mean this to sound negative, treatment processes are needed, we
need every rehab we have, its just they have nothing to gain by the separation of the real from the hard
drinker, what would it profit them to say they cant do anything permanent for a percentage of their
clients? So I understand what they do and why, I just get frustrated when I see a whole industry with
statistics that do not apply in a way I would find meaningful and truly accurate. They do help people
realize that drinking and drugging is a negative behavior, so they should stop. This is important for
those who can. The good treatment centers emphasize the need for a 12 step way of life for a real
recovery and the bad ones don't.
Chris S. February 11, 2011 6:34 PM