This is an explanation of addiction craving. This is an explanation founded on the teaching and the book of Alcoholics Anonymous written about 70 years ago. I find it interesting that despite some antiquated language, science has proven the concept sound all these years later. We hope you enjoy this point of view written by Barefoot Bill L. -Bill Urell, Editor.
By Barefoot Bill L. from Upper Darby, PA 
The Big Book on page xxiv (The Doctor’s Opinion) says that an alcoholic has an “allergy to alcohol”. An allergy is an abnormal reaction to any food, liquid or substance. If nine out of ten people have one reaction and one out of ten people have a different reaction, then the reaction of the one out of ten is abnormal. It also says on page xxvi that “the action of alcohol on an alcoholic is a manifestation of an allergy; that the phenomenon of craving is LIMITED to this class and NEVER occurs in the average temperate drinker.” (A phenomenon is something that you can see but can’t explain). “These allergic types can NEVER safely use alcohol in ANY FORM AT ALL”.
Then on page 22, “We know that while the alcoholic keeps away from drink, as he may do for months or years, he reacts much like other men. We are equally positive that once he takes ANY ALCOHOL WHATEVER into his system, something happens, both in the bodily and mental sense, which makes it virtually impossible for him to stop.” This includes substances that contain alcohol like mouthwash, cold remedies, some chocolates, food prepared with alcohol, etc.). Your body doesn’t know if you are having a drink or taking Nyquil for a cold, it only senses alcohol and begins to process it.
It also says on page xxviii that, “all the different classifications of alcoholics have ONE symptom in common: they CANNOT start drinking without developing the phenomenon of craving. This phenomenon may be the manifestation of an allergy which differentiates these people, and sets them apart as a distinct entity.” Dr. William D. Silkworth, M.D. who at that time had nine years experience specializing in the treatment of alcoholics and drug addicts, wrote this in the late 1930′s. He called it a “phenomenon of craving” because at that time there was no way to study metabolism. Since then, science has proven his theory as correct.
The following is an explanation of what happens when alcoholics put alcohol into their bodies, and how it is a completely different experience compared to non-alcoholics. No wonder why non-alcoholics can’t relate, and make statements like, “Can’t you just stop after one or two drinks?” It shows why alcoholics can use their willpower against everything EXCEPT alcohol.
Alcoholics make up about 12% of the population. The body of the alcoholic is physically different. The liver and pancreas of the alcoholic process alcohol at one-third to one-tenth the rate of a normal pancreas and liver. Now as alcohol enters the body, it breaks down into various components, one of which is acetate. We know now that acetate triggers a craving for more acetate. In a normal drinker, the acetate moves through the system quickly and exits. But that doesn’t happen in an alcoholic. In alcoholics, the acetate of the first drink is barely processed out, so by staying in their body, it triggers a craving for more acetate. The alcoholic then has a second drink, now adding to most of the acetate of the first drink, and that makes them want a drink twice as much as the normal drinker. So they have another. Then, having almost three times the craving as a normal drinker, they have another.
You can see from that point how alcoholics have no control over how much they drink. The craving cycle has begun and they have no choice but to keep drinking. Once the acetate accumulates in their body, and that begins to happen with only ONE drink, they will crave another. And how many times does an alcoholic think it would be nice to have JUST ONE drink to relax, but has many more? Now you see why. AND THIS CAN NEVER CHANGE!
On top of THAT (like so far it’s not bad enough), alcohol is a poison because it destroys human tissue. The two organs that alcohol damages the most are the liver and the pancreas. So the more the alcoholic drinks as time passes (or doesn’t drink, because the liver and pancreas also deteriorate naturally as we age), the less their body is able to processes the acetate. THAT is why alcoholism is a progressive, fatal illness. Bill W. says on page 30, “We are convinced to a man that alcoholics of our type are in the grip of a progressive illness. Over any considerable period we get worse, never better.” Pretty revealing, huh. It explains many things I never before understood.
But if you think about it, we never have to deal with ANY of this if we DON’T put alcohol into our bodies in the first place. So the MAIN problem of the alcoholic centers in their mind and in their spiritual condition. My mind tells me it’s okay to TAKE the first drink and doesn’t see that what I’m about to do is harmful (otherwise known as the obsession or powerlessness), and if I’m NOT spiritually fit I can’t STAND being sober because it’s too uncomfortable (otherwise known as unmanageability). Coincidentally, the Steps deal DIRECTLY and EFFECTIVELY with both.
So that’s what it means to be an alcoholic – I can’t handle drinking and I can’t handle not drinking.
Barefoot Bill
from Upper Darby, PA
Hope this article answers some questions about addiction recovery
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
Wonderful article, thankyou
Oh wow. That is interesting. It makes sense, growing I watched my father dorwn himself in liquor and it was always more when we had social gatherings. It was as if it made him feel braver or stronger if he drank.
So that explains why I can easily stay away from alcohol compared to other people. An alcoholics body reacts differently to alcohol. I thought you can just easily change this bad habit with a good one, but that is not the problem. They should stay away with anything that contains alcohol.
Now I get it I thought Alcoholics just have a bad habit of drinking. I didn’t know that it was an alergy to alcohol. So basically that explains why they are really having a hard time to stay away from alcohol. I think they should be aware of products that contain alcohol so they can stay away from them.
This article was very interesting to me. I have never heard of an alcohol addiction referred to as an allergy to alcohol. I guess I never realized how genetic alcoholism could be and that some people literally cannot drink alcohol without having a desire (craving) for more.
I think after living with an alcoholic all my life I began to understand how this disease works. It is so sad to know that a certain item has to restricted from a grown adult, like if he were a child.
The Recovery Program of Alcoholics Anonymous
“Rarely have we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our path.”
Dick B.
dickb@dickb.com
http://www.dickb.com/index.shtml
Can You Succeed Today with the Big Book, 12 Steps, and Original Program?
I have, and so can you
The Success of Early A.A. as Reported in
Alcoholics Anonymous
“Of alcoholics who came to A.A. and really tried, 50% got sober at once and remained that way; 25% sobered up after some relapses, and among the remainder, those who stayed on with A.A. showed improvement.” [Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How Many Thousands of Men and Women Have Recovered from Alcoholism, 4th ed. (New York, N.Y.: Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc., 2001), page xx]
The Alcoholics Anonymous Original “Program”
as Was Reported by Frank Amos in
DR. BOB and the Good Oldtimers
• An alcoholic must realize that he is an alcoholic, incurable from a medical viewpoint, and that he must never drink anything with alcohol in it.
• He must surrender himself absolutely to God, realizing that in himself there is no hope.
• Not only must he want to stop drinking permanently, he must remove from his life other sins such as hatred, adultery, and others which frequently accompany alcoholism. Unless he will do this absolutely, Smith and his associates refuse to work with him.
• He must have devotions every morning–a “quiet time” of prayer and some reading from the Bible and other religious literature. Unless this is faithfully followed, there is grave danger of backsliding.
• He must be willing to help other alcoholics get straightened out. This throws up a protective barrier and strengthens his own willpower and convictions.
• It is important, but not vital, that he meet frequently with other reformed alcoholics and form both a social and a religious comradeship.
• Important, but not vital, that he attend some religious service at least once weekly. [DR. BOB and the Good Oldtimers (New York, N.Y.: Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc, 1980), 128-36—especially 131.]
There’s not one suggestion in the Big Book, the Twelve Steps, or the highly successful original program as summarized by Frank Amos to Rockefeller that won’t assure your recovery if you thoroughly follow that path. They did it from 1939-1950. I did it, and you can do it. Just come with us, go where we go, do what we do, and get what God has to offer.
Ask an oldtimer today who believes in God, asked for His help, went to any lengths to get it, grew in spiritual understanding and love, and gave himself to others in love and service.
Gloria Deo
Thanks for the interesting post about aa and cravings. I look forward to reading more from you in the future.
wow, most people stop drinking on their own, God, their creator, whomever, gave them will & the ability to exercise it. for aberrant behavior, substance abuse, crime, biggest deterrent is age, after about 40 lots of folks just stop alcohol & other said vices on their own. AA like most rehabs has a low success rate, less than 5%, a lot of people attending are sentenced to attend. Worse thing about AA is members who have no medical educ. or credentials whatsoever advise new members not to see Drs. or take prescribed meds for mental conditions, 2nd worse thing about AA, they put down other rehab methods, why? Whatever works should be encouraged. AA is great if it works for an individual, however recovery is progressive, your in better shape as time sober accumulates. How many ex smokers do you know who still consider themselves
smokers? Why cling to the past, I’ve heard members with years without a drink, still telling their story about when they drank, you can hear the boredom in their voices. Shouldn’t one move on with the life when they put a bad experience behind them. Classic cult propaganda if you leave, you die. Lots of folks quit AA after a year & don’t drink again & die in the gutter, the average member has 11th grade educ., is blue collar. If someone dies should your grief be the same 5 yrs after the death, or is the healthy situation that you have healed, moved on, that every day of your life isn’t about clinging to something that is over, that you have healed from. Recovery is progressive, you get better & move onto other things, your substance abuse becomes the past. Also alcoholism is not a spiritual disease, that’s just silly, especially with current medical knowledge, Bill’s stuff copied from the Oxford Group is how old now-80 some years. Again AA’s success rate is less than 5%, similar to other rehabs, the highest success rates for ending a substance addiction are for those who decide to quit on their own & then do so successfully. Hey if AA works for you do it, why not? But don’t feel bad if it doesn’t work for you, it doesn’t work 95% of the time. Keep @ trying to quit whatever you need to quit, you’ll get there, don’t let anyone tell you you are immoral or selfish cause your addicted to anything. Addiction to physically addictive substances & physical addictive behaviors is part of the human condition, it can happen to anybody. You’ll get there, have faith in yourself.
GREAT ARTICLE. SIMPLY STATED: FIRST THE MAN DRINKS THE WINE; THEN THE WINE DRINKS THE WINE AND THEN THE WINE DRINKS THE MAN. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN ONE BECOMES AN ALCOHOLIC. THE BODY CHANGES AND SO DOES THE MIND. IT IS UNFORTUNATE THAT THE BODY OF AN ALCOHOLIC REACTS DIFFERENTLY WHEN ALCOHOL IN INJESTED. THE ALCOHOL TRIGGERS SOMETHING IN THE BODY WHICH THEN CREATES THE CRAVING. WHEN THIS HAPPENS THE WINE STARTS DRINKING THEWINE – THIS IS THE ALLERGY AND THE ACETATE SPOKEN ABOUT . IF NOT ARRESTED THE WINE WILL DRINK THE MAN – IN SIMPLE TERMS TO DRINK IS TO DIE. YOU MAY READ ABOUT “THIQ” FOR FURTHER ENLIGHTENMENT THANKS