Cunning, Baffling and Powefrul

Alcoholism is a strange disease. It's the only disease that tells the person suffering from it that he/she does not have it. It causes a person to go into a state of denial so deep that one cannot differentiate the truth from the false. The first person to consider alcoholism a disease, rather than a lack of morals or will power, was Dr. William Silkworth of Towns Hosptial, Manhattan. As a result of his work Silkworth influenced Alcoholics Anonymous' co-founder Bill Wilson and AA as a whole. He was invited to write an introductory letter to the book Alcoholics Anonymous (commonly known as The Big Book) which remains a part of the textbook since its publication in 1939.

For lack of a better word Silkworth called the physical aspect of the disease of alcoholism an allergy. When an alcoholic takes a drink of alcohol he/she cannot stop drinking on their own. The alcoholic himself is as bewildered by this phenomenon as is the observer. Many the time an alcoholic will sincerely promise his loved ones that he will only have a couple and end up drinking the night away.  When asked why he just can't stop at a few the alcoholic, who stops lying and/or rationalizing, will have no answer. One in 10 people are born an alcoholic.

For some reason the alcoholic does not have an enzyme that breaks down the chemical compound Acetone (C3H60) which alcohol contains. So while a regular person drinks alcohol the Acetone dissipates where as in the alcoholic it continues to build up in his system. One of the side effects of Acetone is that it makes a person 'crave' more alcohol. To wit the alcoholic continues to drink until something stops him (i.e. - he runs out of money; runs out of booze; passes out; etc.).

Science may have explained the phenomenon of craving but it has yet to shed light on one of the confusing aspects of the disease - it's ability to progress even though the sufferer has stopped drinking. There's a saying in the rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous: While I'm in here (referring to a meeting) my disease is out there doing push-ups in the parking lot. A person may have put the disease into remission (not just the physical aspect but the mental aspect as well) but the disease is still there and it progresses rather than getting weaker. Simply put if a person with five years of sobriety were to pick up a drink they would not drink as someone who has never drank, they will pick  up as if they had been drinking steadily for the past five years. The Big Book calls alcohol, 'cunning, baffling and powerful'. As any alcohol will tell that statement describes alcoholism to a tee.

I recently had a reminder myself that the disease is still within me. The other day I was shopping in my local grocery store when I looked over and saw a woman standing outside of the wine kiosk holding a sign. The sign read, "Free Wine Samples". The first thought that came to mind was, "wow free wine. I've got to take advantage of that!". Luckily the second thought came into my head reminded me that I'm an alcoholic and that first thought would not be a good idea. The alcoholic, indeed the addict, has to be ever vigilant to keep his disease in check.

Dave the Dude