Six Characteristics of An Alcoholic

SIX ESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF ALCOHOLISM, AND OTHER ADDICTIONS 

The following is to be used as part of our First Step. The idea is to help raise our “bottom”, in other words to help break down our denial. We want to increase our awareness of the dynamics of our problem and to increase the pain of holding on to it. Skip 1. Allergy, if the area you are working on is an area other than a form of chemical addiction. 

1. ALLERGY - The phenomena of physical craving that kicks in with the first drink of alcohol, slice of cake, pill or any drug, etc. This craving is limited to those with a chemical addiction. STATE YOUR TRIGGER FOOD OR DRUG. 

2. PROGRESSIVE - Tolerance: takes more to get the job done. With non-substance addictions it takes more money, sex, work, etc. STATE HOW YOU EXPERIENCE THIS PROGRESSION. 

3. SELF-DELUSION - Starts with denial, then repression, and then mind games, rationalizing, then comes the conscious lying. The rationalizing and consciously lying really do a job on our trust, self-esteem, respect and self-respect. At all cost we must keep our addictive behavior going. STATE YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH SELF-DELUSION. 

4. DISTORTION OF ATTENTION - Preoccupied with the object of our addiction or attachment. We cannot think of any- thing else but stuff connected with the addiction or the person or thing we are attached to. The distortion becomes our UL- TIMATE CONCERN. Another word for it is “idolatry." The addiction becomes our god. GIVE AN EXAMPLE OF THIS TYPE OF THINKING AND FEELING 

5. LOSS OF WILLPOWER - Each time our willpower fails, with our best intentions, we feel even more hopeless, useless, and worthless. The greatest damage to self-esteem comes from repeated failures at trying to change addictive behavior. It really hurts when we try our best to stop and cannot. GIVE AN EXAMPLE OF THE LOSS OF YOUR WILLPOWER. 

6. WITHDRAWAL - "They are restless, irritable and discontented, unless they can again experience the sense of ease and comfort that comes at once by taking a few drinks" or a few bites, etc. Our addiction becomes part of our automatic nerv- ous system the more we repeat the behavior. We have in some cases enlisted billions of our body and brain cells. THE ADDICTION BECOMES OUR "REALITY". Our mind says; "Play it again, Sam." When the body/mind is deprived of something it has become accustomed to, it responds with danger signals, as if something is wrong. Then we have the back- lash or rebound. STATE YOUR WITHDRAWAL REBOUNDING EXPERIENCE. 

[10] 

Fill in the problem area
you are currently working on. 

 

STEP ONE - (HONESTY) 

WE ADMITTED WE WERE POWERLESS OVER ALCOHOL - THAT OUR LIVES HAD BECOME UNMAN- AGEABLE. 

 

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