Reddit reviews Under the Influence: A Guide to the Myths and Realities of Alcoholism
We found 12 Reddit comments about Under the Influence: A Guide to the Myths and Realities of Alcoholism. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
First of all, it is so incredibly awesome that you are ready to change. Many people here would kill to have their alcoholics acknowledge their problem and want to stop drinking. For that, you rock.
So, your wife definitely needs to learn what's up. This is a hard reality: You can not drink. Period. Ever. You know this.
Alanon will teach her that she can't control your drinking; however I don't think it will teach her how and why YOU are powerless over alcohol. If you want her to really understand alcoholism, I highly recommend this book (both of you should read it!).
I see my husband's illness like constantly being starving while everybody around you is enjoying donuts, talking about the donuts, offering more donuts, hey, who's bringing the donuts tonight? but you are not allowed to eat a thing. Now, how is getting together with friends and specifically going to the donut shop to eat tons of donuts for one evening good for him? Do I force him to go just because I want to go there? No. Because his recovery is as important (if not more important) to me and my family and I am willing to radically change my life to support him. I admit that I was resentful as hell at first (mmmm delicious donuts). I do miss going out in those situations. But with patience and willingness to try new things, our lives have changed for the better.
You could try sitting her down to have a serious conversation: tell her how important it is to you to stop drinking; how you need to drastically change your life and throw all your cultural social conditioning (i.e., social times must include alcohol) out the window. It is so important that she support you. Tell her that it helps if you do not go out with friends in situations where there is drinking involved. Try hanging out with new friends (maybe from AA?) who don't drink. They are amazing people too.
In the meantime, you definitely should go back to AA. Am I reading correctly that you are bringing her to your meetings? Or is she somehow otherwise not happy with you going to them? Just go by yourself and study that amazing AA Big Book. Focus on your own recovery and keep the plug in the jug. Best to you.
See the book Under the Influence. This book helped me immensely with understanding alcoholism and reducing my shame and guilt. Reading this book was eye opening and made acceptance more "acceptable".
It may not be what you are looking for, but it was very important in my recovery. After reading it, I understood the physical nature of the disease and could identify with all the stages.
If the family members that gave you those occasionally drink alcohol, gift them one of these three books next year (or for their birthday).
A much better book is Under the Influence.
Straight, no-bullshit science of why we drink, and the havoc booze wreaks in our brains and our bodies as we continue down and along the CA road.
It’s not preachy at all (unlike, say, This Naked Mind which teaches you to judge other boozehounds after quitting), just “here’s what’s going on as you keep on.”
In fact, it’s effective at helping cut back because you’re learning “damn, I’m fucking myself up in a dozen others ways I had no idea about too?” Or at least for me. And I thought I knew a good amount of how I was fucking myself.
Also good detail about why WDs are no bullshit thing to fuck around with.
I’m not familiar with Alcohol Explained, but if its recommended by r/stopdrinking, I’m ready to write it off sight unseen (if a bit curious about wanting to see the extent of its bullshit and then wanting to tear it to pieces in rebutting it... thereby getting myself banned from SD).
Too bad about the title, because if you truly want alcohol to be explained in a comprehensive, science-y way that’s also accessible and talks about both the physical and psychological things it does, you want Under the Influence (Amazon link) .
is https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0553274872 the book you are referring to? I have just ordered it btw.
Ah and This Naked Mind is the other garbage fire which is embraced by /SD - I have read it and it is so bad. So bas as they are detrimental to the people reading them.
Under the Influence is a great source of information.
I'm reading Under the Influence: A Guide to the Myths and Realities of Alcoholism.
If you haven't read it, OH MY GOD, you gotta get this. I got it on my tablet in Google Play for like ~$7 and it is so good.
The physiological realities of what has happened to me, my predisposition, hell, I'm in this book.
Since I stopped drinking and started honestly looking at me and my life and everything that has led up to this day things are finally starting to make sense. I was playing a game against a dealer with marked cards and stacked deck.
It sounds like some of her hurtful words could be due to her alcoholism. I have a parent who is a recovering alcoholic and I'm very proud of them--but they made the choice to quit and get help. If she's not willing to do that, I would stay away and tell her why. If she hits rock bottom and decides to get help then you can pursue a relationship then if you choose--she has a lot to make up for. This book helped me to understand my parent and my whole family read it. It might be good for you and your husband to do the same. Feel free to pm me if you have any questions about dealing with an alcoholic parent. Good luck! <3
https://www.amazon.com/Under-Influence-Guide-Realities-Alcoholism/dp/0553274872/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1502691022&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=under+the+influence
Let's see here..
>http://www.amazon.com/Under-Influence-Guide-Realities-Alcoholism/dp/0553274872/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1341243227&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=under+the+influence
I'm not buying a book to prove your point. Sorry.
>http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02791072.1994.10472598
Again, another one that I would have to buy. Should I even continue checking?
>http://www.springerlink.com/content/20224867655022r3/?MUD=MP
Hrm.. Another one by Irving Maltzman.. One scientist does not a peer review make.
>psycnet.apa.org/journals/amp/40/3/371/
Another paying book? Sorry man. I asked for links that I don't have to pay money to read. You provided none so far.
>http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/alcoholism/DS00340/
FINALLY! One that doesn't require me to pay some money.
>http://www.faslink.org/alcoholism--defined%20&amp;%20explained.htm
This is a site ran by people who make money saying it's a disease and supporting AA. Nice try. Not credible.
You have 1 link (the Mayo Clinic) that says it's a disease. I looked at the references and the CDC lists it that way as well.
Dependency on alcohol, also known as alcohol addiction and alcoholism4, is a chronic disease. The signs and symptoms of alcohol dependence include—
A strong craving for alcohol.
Continued use despite repeated physical, psychological, or interpersonal problems.
The inability to limit drinking.
Wow.. So I would consider that credible and I'm willing to agree then that it's a disease.
So I had better get drunk so I can get disability (after all, I have a disease).
Also, if it's a disease, why aren't we treating it like a disease? I mean, REALLY treat it as such? Why hasn't the main treatment for it gone unchanged since the late 20's?
If it is a disease (which I'm honestly amazed the CDC says it is), then we aren't correctly treating it as such.
I haven't done the research on it on my own yet, but the rehab center I went to banned all sweets and caffeine. The logic being that sugar and caffeine causes spikes and crashes in your energy levels, reducing the craving temporarily, but increasing it substantially when you crash (and leaving you in a state in which your will power is greatly reduced due to being tired and irritable.)
It's based on some of the ideas formulated in this book http://www.amazon.com/Under-Influence-Guide-Realities-Alcoholism/dp/0553274872 , and to be honest from personal experience I tend to agree. When I left rehab 10 days ago I resumed caffeine intake and my cravings did begin to increase. Now whether this is because of the caffeine or because of leaving a rehab environment and entering the real world I can't say. But it makes sense, your body doesn't always distinguish one craving from another. It just craves and we try to satisfy it with whatever makes sense.
Alcoholism does run in families, and it is progressive. What you've written here makes me believe that total sobriety would be best for you. I honestly wish I'd had to courage to stop drinking a decade before I did, my life could have been so much better in so many ways if I wasn't getting intoxicated all the time.
Sobriety can be incredibly liberating. When managing and controlling alcohol is an ongoing struggle, choosing complete sobriety removes all of that stress from your life. I think of it like finally splitting from an abusive spouse. It was a big change, but it was absolutely a change for the better.
You may find AA meetings helpful. You may find the book Under the Influence helpful. Drinking: A Love Story is one of my favorite books about recovery. It's a memoir, a personal story, and is very powerful.
If you truly want to understand the physiological effects of alcohol on an alcoholic, I recommend the book called Under the Influence. And it is a disease. The alcoholic can NEVER drink again. There is no getting over it.