I am willing to bet that the Moderation Management program I am following does more harm than good to many people by giving them false hope. On the other hand, I bet many people who could benefit from Moderation Management get scared by AA into thinking that abstaining is the only way. They never get a shot at Moderation.
Too bad there is no easy way to tell which path is best for each person.
April 30, 2010 at 2:14 pm |
I knew I could not do AA, so I tried moderation.
It’s been working very well for me.
April 30, 2010 at 4:21 pm |
You know the old joke about the guy who goes to the doctor and complains “Doctor, doctor, it hurts when I do this!” And the doctor replies “Well, don’t do that!” Similarly, the way to solve a drinking problem is to not drink to the point of it becoming a problem. AA and MM are “methodologies” for implementing this notion. Obviously, a person can decide to learn to moderate or abstain without using either methodology. Often, it isn’t the abstinence part of AA that’s the turnoff. It’s the methodology….
My prediction is that the fMRI studies of the brain that are currently very popular in the neuroscience community will lead to a test very quickly, if there isn’t one now. Also, these will be augmented by DNA tests. Soon, a doctor will be able to counsel a patient as to whether he should look into “cutting down” (with or without a support group) or giving up altogether using these two tests. Also warnings that a person could develop a severe drinking problem could be given to someone, before the nasty habit begins.
April 30, 2010 at 9:18 pm |
I hope you are right about the tests. That would be a major medical breakthrouh in my opinion. But, I must admit it I am not as optimistic as you are. There are so many factors that go into determining what makes problem drinkers …
April 30, 2010 at 6:15 pm |
Oh, they are doing some work with fMRIs and alcoholism.
http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa47.htm
Oh lovely, your brain shrinks when you abuse alcohol.
Cognitive functions and motor coordination may improve at least partially within 3 to 4 weeks of abstinence (20) accompanied by at least partial reversal of brain shrinkage (22,23) and some recovery of metabolic functions in the frontal lobes (24) and cerebellum (17,25). Frontal lobe blood flow continues to increase with abstinence, returning to approximately normal levels within 4 years (26). Relapse to drinking leads to resumption of shrinkage (23), continued declines in metabolism and cognitive function (24), and evidence of neuronal cell damage (25).
4 fucking years to return to normal? Oh man, I have 3.5 years left.