On Tue, 30 Aug 2005 17:00:20 GMT, someone in need
<nospamplease@somewhere.com> wrote:

>On Tue, 30 Aug 2005 10:46:40 -0400, rockhound <user@null.org> wrote:
>
>>On Mon, 29 Aug 2005 23:53:03 GMT, someone in need
>><nospamplease@somewhere.com> wrote:
>>
>>>lets assume a %(small) of alcoholics are able to drink normally again.
>>>if you tell everyone this the chances are many will try and many will
>>>relapse.
>>>
>>>to an alcoholic that may sem like a good option but realistically if
>>>there exists the possibility that returning to drinking will destroy
>>>your family and eventually you why risk it????
>>
>>ahem.
>>
>>By definition, the true alchoholic presently _will_ risk it, no matter
>>what you or anyone else tells them or fails to tell them or if anybody
>>gives a damn at all.
>>
>>Sorry to bear bad news.
>>
>>Fear of consequence does not generally hold sufficient sway to counter
>>a mental compulsion of the alcoholic nature for long.
>>
>>Nice idea, though.
>>
>>
>>------------------------------------
>>'the problem centers in his mind'
>
>
>
>
>
>Is it not the pain of consequences exceeding the pleasure of drinking
>that can persuade an alcoholic to get/stay sober?

'fraid not. You're talking about common sense, here LOL! (oOr - yech!
worse, frothy emotional appeal!)

This may work fine for certain moderate or hard or problem drinkers,
but it does not produce results for anyone in whom the alcoholic mind
has taken root. AA goes so far as to flatly declare that nothing but
an act of God can overcome the compulsion to drink.

Some very enlightening reading here:

http://anonpress.org/bb/Page_21.htm
http://anonpress.org/bb/Page_22.htm
http://anonpress.org/bb/Page_23.htm
http://anonpress.org/bb/Page_24.htm