Once an Alcoholic, Always an Alcoholic?

It’s been years – perhaps even decades – now since your last drink. Sobriety was the key to turning your life around; you’re happy and successful. But recently, you’ve started to miss having the occasional drink at a social gathering, business dinner, or sporting event; and, you’re wondering, “Is one drink now and then really that bad?” and “Do I really have to abstain from alcohol for the rest of my life?”

The General Consensus You may see the topic debated at different places on the internet. However, Alcoholics Anonymous clearly takes the stand that, like heart disease, alcoholism is a chronic disease that can be treated but not cured; alcoholics are alcoholics for life. There is also a general consensus in the medical community that most alcoholics and addicts will quickly “pick up where they left off” and return to the same amount of the substance and frequency of use that they were at when they quit. In some cases, this phenomenon could lead to a fatal overdose because the body’s dependence on and tolerance of the substance have changed drastically during the period of sobriety.

What Makes Someone an Alcoholic or Addict for Life?

• Genetics – Scientific evidence is, increasingly, pointing toward a genetic component to alcoholism and addiction. This means that, for those with a certain gene, the body is programmed to always fall back into addiction after relapse.
• Environment – Environment often serves as the catalyst for initial addiction or relapse. Especially for those individuals with a genetic predisposition to addiction, stressful situations and other environmental triggers (like people, places, and things) can push them toward the first drink, after which they fall into a downward spiral.

No one would ask you to pretend that it’s not, at least sometimes, difficult to abstain from alcohol; after all, drinking is often incorporated into social activities, and you may feel slightly “left out” by passing on a beer or cocktail. But regardless of how strongly you believe that you can stop yourself after just one drink, ask yourself if you really want to take the risk – and jeopardize your career, your health, and your well-being, not to mention the happiness of your family and friends – just to see if it’s possible. There are many other, healthy ways to fill a gap that you feel like you’re missing. Seriously reflect on the past as well as your present situation and environment before you take that first sip. As they say in AA, it’s not the tenth drink or the fourth drink that is the problem – it’s the first one.