| Alcohol and other drug (AOD) addiction is a disease | | | | happy hour twice this week and had my "two for one" |
| that is manifested by compulsive consumption of | | | | and went home, not drinking any more that night. I don't |
| alcohol and/or other drugs. Addiction involves a loss of | | | | have a problem." The fact that she/he went to happy |
| control. As with any other chronic disease, relapse is a | | | | hour five days that week and did NOT leave after the |
| common feature. | | | | planned two drinks is completely forgotten. Getting |
| Many people erroneously believe that for someone's | | | | drunk three times that week is explained away. The |
| drinking or using to be considered "addiction", it must | | | | apparently "successful" control events are the only |
| involve loss of control each time a person drinks | | | | ones recalled or given any credence. The fact that s |
| alcohol or consumes other drugs. This is not | | | | he wrote a hot check to go out drinking, had blackouts, |
| necessarily the case. Every time an alcoholic drinks he | | | | and argued with her spouse the rest of the week is |
| does not necessarily drink to black out or drunkenness. | | | | not perceived as connected to the drinking. |
| This inconsistent loss of control often fuels "denial" in | | | | Defense mechanisms, such as denial, rationalization, |
| AOD addicts who use complete loss of control as | | | | justification, blaming, and others, keep the AOD addict |
| criteria for defining addiction. The reality is that for | | | | from knowing that they are out of control with their |
| alcoholism and other drug addiction (AOD), loss of | | | | consumption. Family members, in the typically dynamics |
| control is characterized by the event where an | | | | of familial addiction, have their own denial that assists |
| alcoholic or other addict consumes a drink/other mood | | | | them in not correctly identifying the problem. Family |
| altering drug and cannot accurately predict what will | | | | member denial also reinforces the addict's denial. |
| happen after that first drink (or dose)-whether they will | | | | Family members often believe that alcoholics/addicts |
| close the bar down at 2:00 a.m., quit after the first one, | | | | can take back control over their drinking/using and their |
| consume all the drugs they have on them, or quit after | | | | drugged behavior - if they just would. Often the first |
| the first one. Once the chemical is consumed the | | | | step for an alcoholic/addict getting help and recovery |
| control over what happens next is gone. | | | | begins with the family gaining knowledge about |
| Alcoholics and addicts, in denial, think "Well, I went to | | | | addiction and getting help. |