Years ago before alcoholism was viewed as a disease, sufferers were locked away into mental institutions. Obviously no one in their right mind would continue to drink while throwing away everything of personal and material worth. Today however, there is something called alcoholism treatment.
From the point of view of a recovering alcoholic, recovery and alcoholism treatment are two separate things.
Alcoholism Treatment
Alcoholism treatment is generally viewed as the process in which the person abusing alcohol visits some type of alcoholism treatment center, often referred to as “rehab.” Personally, I have been through in-patient treatment facilities on three different occasions. I found the information and tools they provided valuable, and I might not be here today if they had not existed, however, the success of my recovery is based more on what I do once I leave the facility. An often heard phrase around recovering alcoholics is, “treatment is a great place for discovery, but AA is a great place for recovery.” There is no cure for alcoholism. So simply going to a treatment center for 28 days or a year and “graduating” so to speak does not make you a non-alcoholic.
Yes, I suppose if arguing semantics, one could say a recovery program is effectively treating alcoholism. However, in my experience, people that have long-term sobriety consistently refer to themselves as recovery alcoholics or addicts or recovered. Meaning, one can be in recovery or in treatment, but being “in” treatment usually refers to a physical facility.
Recovery
Again in my experience, recovery from alcoholism has occurred only by working an ongoing recovery program. In my case, I have worked and continue to work the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. From years of feeble attempts to stop drinking, at no time that I was not drinking and not working some type of recovery program, do I consider myself as being in recovery. At one point I was even abstinent from alcohol for over six years. During those six years I routinely obsessed about alcohol and continued to have personal and relationship problems. For me, this is not recovery. Recovery is good, recovery is joyful and free. During those years of simple abstinence I was not living happy, joyous and free.
For me, true recovery has been the addition of spiritual principles in my life. Learning how to deal with life on life’s terms and in turn sharing that gift with others. Because of that, I feel being an alcoholic is the best thing that ever happened to me.
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