Alcoholism
At stage four of the twelve steps to recovery from alcohol addiction, an addict might turn to his or her family doctor for further help.
It is widely believed that alcoholics need to be trotted along to a dependency self help group at the first available opportunity and undoubtedly these groups are invaluable support for recovering alcoholics. However, a family doctor will have access to certain information which tells him how the body is coping with alcohol addiction and the withdrawal process. An honest interview with a trusted medical expert at this stage can be invaluable, especially if the addict is also suffering with physical or mental elderly problems.
A recovering alcoholic going through the twelve steps will begin to experience the first threads of success at stage four and begin to feel a winning sense of self worth. By this time, some ugly truths have been faced and some fearsome dragons slain. The addict is beginning to understand how to avoid social occasions where their resolve might be challenged and learn how to avoid dangerous scenarios where it becomes extremely difficult to resist the temptation to drink. The addiction itself has begun to grow whiskers and is no longer quite so scary. Elderly problems which might accompany the alcoholism will probably by now have been recognized as a separate issue to the problem of alcohol dependency.
Stage four is a time of readiness for the recovering alcoholic. It is a time of polishing armour and making a final push, as the final stages through the twelve steps are concerned with review and helping others. At stage four the alcoholic might still be in the process of self analysis and although this process never really stops, at stage four it is still the major part of being ready for the final stages of recovery.
At this point in the process, the alcoholic has admitted openly, honestly and completely that they are addicted to alcohol and will probably have accepted they will be unable to drink ever again. One or two will be so elated over their successes that they will vow never to drink again: for others the path is rockier. Addicts with elderly problems to contend with in addition to their alcohol dependency might have taken a while longer to reach stage four.
By stage four, recovering alcoholics will have mastered the art of sharing their problem with others and be receptive to hearing about other people’s difficulties. The first three stages are heavily concerned with self analysis and so stage four allows a brief breathing space for the addict to review his own journey and be ready for what lies ahead.
A certain serenity might have been achieved by stage four that will have been noticeably absent in someone with an alcohol dependency in the first three stages of recovery. The ability to recognize danger zones has become fine tuned and those with elderly problems will be less stubborn; more receptive to advice; less arrogant about their entitlement to respect due to their great age.
Alcohol Recovery: The State of Readiness and Wanting to Change is part of Boomer Yearbook’s continuing series of baby boomers psychological coaching tips and how to alleviate elderly problems. We believe knowledge is power. We’d love to hear what you think.
Alcohol Recovery
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Tags: alcohol addiction, baby boomers, Elderly Problems, Psychological Articles