Alcoholism & Alcoholics Anonymous: Willpower or Disease?

I realize that my discussion of alcoholism, Alcoholics Anonymous groups and personal responsibility may offend some people. All I ask is that you read it with an open mind and consider the ideas presented and the science behind them. If you have a problem with alcoholism, you need to get treatment and take control of your life- just do it the right way.

Alcoholism is a confusing condition, even for those who are intimately familiar with it or perhaps even suffer from it. Organizations such as Alcoholics Anonymous claim that alcoholism is a disease and that humans are powerless to deal with it without the assistance of supernatural forces. The generally accepted definition for alcoholism is “people who continue to consume alcoholic beverages even when it negatively affects their health and the health of those around them.” My life has been affected by alcoholism; my mother was an alcoholic and drug addict, though she has been successfully clean and sober for several years. She has said that being free of drugs and alcohol is due to the supernatural assistance of God and God’s earthly messengers (Alcoholics Anonymous). I know many other people who consume alcohol with and without problems and I myself consume alcohol. Based on my observation, experiences and review of scientific studies, I have come to the conclusion that:

Alcoholism is almost NEVER a disease, but is caused by a lack of self control and will power. Alcoholics Anonymous success rate shows it is not as effective a form of treatment as others available.

I know that that is a big statement and a lot of readers probably are angry, but I simply ask you to listen to what I have to say to back up such a strong claim.

My first statement, that alcoholism is almost never a disease but demonstrates a lack of discipline is probably the most controversial idea. The founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, Bill Wilson, even stated that alcoholism is more comparable to a malady than a disease. Wilson and Alcoholics Anonymous used the idea that alcoholism is a disease to fight the commonly held belief that obsessive consumption of alcohol can be cessated by willpower alone. Success combating alcohol, according to Alcoholics Anonymous, can only be achieved through absolute abstinence from booze through the power of God. So what makes me say alcoholism is not a disease?

Alcoholism is not a disease. Cancer, HIV, herpes, smallpox and Alzeimers are diseases. Going to a bar and ordering a martini is not a disease. A person must make a conscious decision to go buy alcohol and then lift that glass or bottle of alcohol to their lips and drink. Nor does that fact that it can become habitual make it a disease. The fact that I make picking my nose a habit does not make nose picking a disease. Even the fact that alcohol is a drug and can be physically addicting does not make it a disease. Unless there is a universally recognized mental health condition causing the person to be unable to control their consumption of alcohol (mental retardation, obsessive compulsive disorder, etc.), that person can apply their willpower, discipline and self control to simply not drink to excess or not drink at all.

People that I have met who claim to “alcoholics” suffering from “alcoholism” all suffer from a distinct lack of will power in other areas of their lives. Usually alcoholism is not their root problem; their lack of self control is. Learning to discipline oneself is the hardest thing for any human to do, but it is a big part of what makes us human. To blow off your social responsibility and make conscious decisions to do wrong and claim that those decisions are a disease is cowardice. I am a flawed person, but when I consciously make a decision to do wrong, I will take responsibility for it. People who claim to be alcoholics unable to control themselves are the same people who don’t take responsibility when they hurt people.

Since people who refuse to take responsibility for their drinking blame it on a disease, what do these “alcoholics” claim is the cure? Something else that can’t be measured and is off limits to criticism in society- RELIGION. “Alcoholics” have banded together to form a religious cult so they don’t have to take responsibility for their actions. This cult is called Alcoholics Anonymous. Although, perhaps cult is the wrong word for a group over two million people strong… I think it has reached the hallowed status of socially accepted Religion.

Alcoholics Anonymous: Cult of Cowardice

Ok, ok, I am exaggerating when I call Alcoholics Anonymous a cult. Alcoholics Anonymous is a national organization of informal groups that try to get alcoholics to abstain from alcohol consumption. Alcoholics Anonymous bases it’s philosophy on 12 steps rooted in religion. Alcoholics Anonymous twelve steps are listed below:

1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol–that our lives had become unmanageable. Surrendering responsibility for ones own actions is a fundamental act of cowardice.
2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. Claiming that religion can save us from something they don’t want to take responsibility for.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. Except for the most basic moral check: Recognizing ones owns action and taking ownership of them.
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings. By asking God to get rid of your problems, you are saying that it is not your fault… and if you fail again, you couldn’t help it. God just didn’t help out enough.
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all. Finally some responsibility taken.
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs. SPREAD THE FAITH!!! Just like every other religion, this one holds a clause to propagate it’s own numbers.

As you can see above, Alcoholics Anonymous groups purposely shunt responsibility for their drinking away from themselves and on to a supernatural being. Once their accountability for what they have done is gone, “alcoholics” can feel better about themselves and what they have done. After all, getting drunk or high and hurting people isn’t my responsibility… My DISEASE made me do it! Right? The obvious flaws in such thinking lead to further harm to the person and society since they still have not taken personal responsibility for their consumption of alcohol.

Below is a video discussing the Alcoholics Anonymous groups and their fundamental problems.

To be fair, here is a video advertisement for Alcoholics Anonymous groups below:

What are some other problems with the success of Alcoholics Anonymous groups?

An internal report done by Alcoholics Anonymous itself in 1989 discovered that of “alcoholics” who attended Alcoholics Anonymous groups for the first time, only 19% stayed for one month and a shockingly low 5% stayed after 12 months. That means that 95% of people who have problems with their alcohol consumption, did not bother sticking with Alcoholics Anonymous groups.

Alcoholics Anonymous groups also have a very significant issue with abuse among their ranks. Alcoholics Anonymous works by pairing a newly joined “alcoholic” with a sober veteran mentor. However, Alcoholics Anonymous uses no criminal screening, restrictions or vetting in determining who get paired with who. As a result, “Thirteenth-stepping” has become a major problem; it is the practice of targeting new Alcoholics Anonymous members for sex and dating. Based on surveys that have shown wide abuse of these relationships, chemical dependency treatment providers now recommend that vulnerable people with histories of sex abuse join single-gender only support groups.

Watch this video interview of Dr. Stanton Peele on the disease theory of alcoholism. He points out fundamental problems with the basic ideas forced down drunks throats by Alcoholics Anonymous groups.

Court Rulings on Alcoholics Anonymous Groups

in 1996, the United States Supreme Court ruled that inmates parolees and probationers cannot be forced to attend religious based programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous groups or others. Forcing prisoners to attend such programs is forcing those same prisoners into a religious cult. Thank God for the separation of Church and State.

Another very important court ruling has found that internal communications between members of Alcoholics Anonymous groups is NOT covered under client, patient or clergy privileges and AA members can be forced to testify against one another in court. Although Alcoholics Anonymous members promise not to share a confidence, the courts do not honor that promise.

Alcohol Calculator: How to tell your Blood Alcohol Content Level:

My criticism of Alcoholics Anonymous groups and their philosophy of not taking responsibility or using self control does not mean that I do not advocate safe and responsible use of alcohol.

When drinking, you should always follow these rules:

• NEVER, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, DRINK AND DRIVE.
• Do not drink more than you know you can handle.
• Always take full responsibility for your actions, drunk or sober.
• Do not mix alcoholic beverages and any other drugs, even caffeine. Doing so can be hazardous for your health.
• A person who is drunk CANNOT give consent to have sex. You can go to jail if you have sex with someone who is incapacitated because of alcohol intoxication.

Please use the two alcohol calculator charts below as a rule of thumb only. Alcohol affects different people in different ways and having any alcohol in your system when operating a car has the potential to be dangerous.

MALES ALCOHOL CHART

Subtract .01% for each 40 minutes of drinking.
* One drink is equal to 1¼ oz. of 80-proof liquor, 12 oz. of beer, or 4 oz. of table wine.**ALL states have a .08 BAC per se law
The final one took effect in August of 2005.
FEMALES ALCOHOL CHART

Subtract .01% for each 40 minutes of drinking.
* One drink is equal to 1¼ oz. of 80-proof liquor, 12 oz. of beer, or 4 oz. of table wine.
REMEMBER: Alcohol consumption affects different people in VASTLY different ways. One person could be fully functional after many drinks while another could be incapacitated by just one. BE CAREFUL when consuming alcohol!!!!

18 Responses to “Alcoholism & Alcoholics Anonymous: Willpower or Disease?”

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1. 18
   JOHN in Newport Says:
   June 17th, 2009 at 6:28 pm

   Hey …………..interesting read – I am a 10 month happy sober AA member, after several attempts to stop AA seems to be a real source of hope for me.

   My approach is you take what you need and develop a program that works for each particpant. I do not have a sponsor that I interact with, have not done any steos, but try to live them as I understand them, I am now sober happy and not fearful of my next pending screw up – all in all – it was my team in AA that helped me get what I needed – serenity, courage and a little widsom.

   Be well JOHN

2. 17
   Mark Says:
   April 8th, 2009 at 1:41 pm

   I don’t agree with everything written here, although I agree it is a choice. When we are in the throes of addiction, it makes the choice more difficult. I do agree, however, that AA is a cult religion. I’ve witnessed a great deal of harm that it has caused. I know from experience that you cannot have a rational discussion with those who have drank the AA kool-aid, any more than you can reason with a Scientologist – and in fine form, many AAs who posted here hit you some quality, ad hominem personal attacks. That is their MO.

   Nicely written and well thought out post.

3. 16
   Abstainer Says:
   April 7th, 2009 at 11:54 am

   “The rest of the steps assert that the only way that the alcholic can stay sober is precisely by taking responsibility for ALL AREAS of his or her life.”

   The rest of the steps flat-out state that the only way the alcoholic can do this is by forging a personal relationship with God and carrying this message to others.

   This is the reason I left A.A. I realized pretty quickly that it had nothing to do with not drinking. It’s a religion, not a “how to guide” on quitting drinking. I’m not knocking it, just identifying it for what it is.

   The only way the alcoholic can stay sober is to not drink alcohol. If forging a personal relationship with God helps you do so, more power to you. It is not, however, the only way to stop (and stay stopped). I’ve known plenty of God-fearing drunks and plenty of teetotaling atheists.

   Again, the only “problem” I have with A.A. is the tendency of its proponents to treat it as something other than what it actually is.

4. 15
   sicboy13 Says:
   March 29th, 2009 at 12:19 am

   I think somebody has a resentment…. Live and let live, brother. If you don’t like the fact that some people find their recovery in the rooms of AA, then don’t go to the rooms of AA. I am no shrink, but if you took the time to post such a large hate-post regarding AA & recovering alcoholics I would venture to say I would be glad to take you to a meeting, sounds like you could use one

5. 14
   Courtney Says:
   March 21st, 2009 at 3:21 pm

   Sorry, after rereading my own comment, looks like I need some work!

   Thanks for your comment Mike.

6. 13
   Courtney Says:
   March 21st, 2009 at 3:17 pm

   I’m in my early twenties. I’m from Midwest and currently work in the north as a Physical Therapy tech for the military. My mom is a 13-year recovering alcoholic. I have been a part of AA on my own for the past year. Here are some of my thoughts:

   The author of this article wrote: “The founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, Bill Wilson, even stated that alcoholism is more comparable to a MALADY than a disease.”

   From thefreedictionary.com, first four synonyms for malady: “illness, sickness, unwellness
   condition – an illness, disease, or other medical problem”

   HM. Malady and disease sound very similar. Good try though!

   This guy sounded like he went to a lot of work to prove AA is bad/erroneous/wrong or whatever else. Kinda reminds me of the guy who swears he’s over his ex but still spends so much energy hating her. Is he really over her? If he didn’t care anymore about her, he why spend all the energy on her? If the author here really believes AA is crap, why spend so much time and research on this? Personally I believe the author may have some underlying problems. But that’s not my business.
   I’d like to know also, what did he do for society by putting this out there? I wonder if this article helped anyone. I think AA is up to 2 million in recovery. Since 1935. That means millions more FAMILIES, FRIENDS, little kids, husbands, wives, sons and daughters are less affected by alcoholism and have HAPPIER lives. Not perfect, but better…

   I like this part too:
   …”people who refuse to take responsibility for their drinking”

   Steps 8-10 state:

   step 8…”became willing to make AMENDS to them all.”
   And then his smartass add: “Finally some responsibility taken.”
   You contradicted yourself there hot shot by saying we refuse to take responsibility.

   step 9….”Made direct amends”…
   We own up to what we’ve done.

   step 10…”Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.” Wow now that just sounds so irresponsible doesn’t it?

   You know what this whole article is so full of mistakes…it’s just not worth it to keep typing about all of it. And I’d like to apologize for even going on and on like this. It hit a nerve and I wanted to write something. But like someone said before, I truly hope no one was considering trying AA and read this.

7. 12
   Mike Says:
   February 15th, 2009 at 9:59 am

   Your opinions on alcoholism make for interesting reading. I am a recovered alcoholic, I attend AA meetings and I am a Psychologist.

   Not everyone in AA believes in God. I know a good number of atheists in AA who are happy in their recovery.

   I do agree with you that Alcoholism is not a disease, it is a pathology. It is my view that this pathology can only be corrected when the alcoholic DOES take responsibility for his or her actions, most notably by stopping drinking.

   Therein lies the fundamental flaw in your argument – you have misunderstood Step 1. Step 1 asserts that the alcholic is powerless OVER ALCOHOL. The rest of the steps assert that the only way that the alcholic can stay sober is precisely by taking responsibility for ALL AREAS of his or her life.

   You are not alone in mis-interpreting Step 1, indeed there are a lot of people in AA who mis-interpret Step 1 – they have stopped drinking but in all other areas of their lives they are completely out of control.

   So, I invite you to return to Step 1, re-read it, seek a better understanding of it and then examine the rest of the steps, notably steps 4 through to 10 and then 12 and see that these urge the alcoholic to take responsibility.

   Best Regards,

   Mike.

8. 11
   Ima Nondrinker Says:
   February 2nd, 2009 at 3:35 pm

   What you have to say about AA is a bunch of crap! Clearly you are not fully educated about all the good it has done for so many since it began. And if you have a better way of helping people that do have a hard time helping themselves then go for it.

   Your opinions are stupid and worthless!!!!!!!!!!!

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