Is an addict or alcoholic ever cured?

IS AN ADDICT EVER CURED?
by: Joe Herzanek

In today's world in which more and more information is readily available, there seems to be more and more confusion regarding the topic of an "Addiction Cure" Is there a cure for addiction? Some people would argue quite convincingly that there is.

I will point out that "even quitting use completely, for many years" does not mean that someone is cured.

You'll probably read or hear information on this topic with various points of view. The concept of an addict who has been clean for years and years"not being cured" is a tough one to comprehend.

I think one way to approach this is to review a definition of alcohol/or drug addiction. Although there are many signs and symptoms, there is one that is common to all alcoholics and drug addicts, and that is loss of control. At some point a person will lose the ability to control their use. Whether they are daily users or binge users, the common thread is, once they start using they cannot control how much or when to stop.

So if we can agree on that point we can go on to a discussion about cure. To me a cure means a reversal, or absence of the problem or disease. In the case of addiction to substances I, in the past thirty-three years, have never seen an addict regain control of their use, to become a social-occasional user.

So I believe that if I were to tell someone they are cured, they may think they no longer have a problem. That opens the door to another attempt at social use, which NEVER turns out well.

The way I explain it to people is to think of it like cancer. There is no cure for cancer but cancer often goes into remission after treatment. It does not mean they have been cured or that a cure has taken place. It's still there but it's in remission.

Personally, I have not used anything since 1977, but I'm not cured. My disease is in remission. If I were to choose to try to drink occasionally or socially I would bring my disease out of remission and very soon it would again cause lots of problems.

I don't tell people they have to go to lots of meetings for the rest of their life. Each person will have to decide for his or herself, how much involvement they need to stay sober and how often they should attend support groups.

AA and the 12 Steps are the best support for laying that foundation. This is what has worked the best for the most. And in the long run it is, in my opinion, better to err on the side of caution concerning this horrific and devastating disease.

Is an addict or alcoholic ever cured?

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Is an addict or alcoholic ever cured?

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