Breaking Down the AA Rhetoric: A Science-based Look at Recovery
In the world of addiction recovery, there’s a saying that’s often repeated: “once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic.”
This phrase, which is part of the Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) rhetoric, suggests that a person struggling with alcohol addiction will forever carry this burden, even after achieving sobriety. However, this notion is not based in science or neurology. In fact, the journey of addiction recovery proves otherwise. Let’s explore this together, shall we?
First off, it’s critical to understand that alcoholism is a spectrum. Like any other addiction, you are either struggling with it, or you’re not. This forms the primary difference between an alcoholic and an ex-alcoholic. The latter refers to someone who once harbored a full-blown physical and emotional addiction to alcohol but has successfully overcome this dependency.
The ex-alcoholic isn’t the same person as before; their neurological and biochemical structures have changed.
Take it from me, an ex-alcoholic myself. I once had a neurochemical program running in my system that made alcohol a vital part of my existence. After years of hard work, healing not only my liver but also my body and soul, I’m not the same person.
The thoughts, feelings, and life perspective I have now significantly differ from the person I was during my addiction years.
Entering an active state of recovery involves breaking the neurological programming associated with addiction and rewriting it with new codes. These new codes redirect the desire for alcohol to healthier alternatives, such as water. This transformative process breaks all neurological and biochemical structures that make one an addict.
However, this isn’t to say that overcoming addiction is as easy as taking a pill and drinking. Recovery requires hard work, dedication, and continuous effort. And if you’re not willing or ready to commit to this process, I wouldn’t encourage you to take a leap just yet.
Alcohol, despite its common use and acceptance in many societies, is a poison. It’s a carcinogen that causes seven types of cancer and kills an estimated 3.3 million people a year. As an ex-alcoholic, the thought of consuming such a deadly substance is off-putting. Could I have a drink and not ruin my life? Absolutely. But would I want to? No.
This decision to abstain from alcohol, despite being able to handle it, is what recovery truly means.
If you’re on the journey of recovery or contemplating it, remember that you are not bound by the rhetoric of “once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic.” You can change, heal, and transform into a healthier, sober version of yourself.
And for support during this journey, visit Beyond Sober and Sober Not Sober.
Written by: K O H D I | Beyond Sober
