We live in the Dark Ages of Alcoholism/Addiction Treatment

We live in the Dark Ages of Alcoholism/Addiction Treatment

As a long time time AA member (29 years), I read Byron Holocomb’s article “Alcoholism is a character disorder” and Lee Somerstiens related article,“Alcoholism rips through all of society”.

Somerstien has described what I call the AA “Party Line” . For 50 years “Alcoholism Activists” have promoted the idea that Alcoholism is a “Disease”. Most prominent was Marty Mann, an early AA . Mann founded the National Council on Alcoholism, through which she “educated” the general public about alcoholism and shaped the modern alcoholism movement .The treatment industry and AA in general have uncritically accepted the idea that alcoholism is a “disease”.

What is less well known is that one of the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous, Dr.Robert Smith, did not believe that alcoholism is a disease:

“Doc dwelt on the idea that this was an illness, but Doc was pretty frank with me. …..He pointed out that probably it was moral or spiritual illness, than it was a physical one”*


We live in the dark ages of Alcoholism/addiction treatment. We have spawned a whole treatment industry that falsely believes and promulgates the “disease concept”.But if not a disease or a genetic defect then what is alcoholism? What causes it?After all, it must have a cause.

Most treatment professionals would say it is “genetic”,possibly an allergy, or,more honestly, that they don’t know what causes it.

To understand the cause it is necessary to understand why the alcoholic drinks. Although he may say it is because he “likes” to drink,that is a lesser truth. The greater truth is he “likes” it because it relieves the pain of conscience.

Researchers are beginning to find some clues about this, and it has to do with what is commonly called post traumatic stress syndrome.


**The post-traumatic stress field generally considers drug abuse and alcoholism to be symptoms of stress caused by the underlying post-traumatic stress condition.

One form of post traumatic stress disorder is child abuse. Health Canada describes one of the consequences of child abuse to be : “chronic substance abuse/dependence”.***

Alice Miller PHD has this to say about Alcoholism and child abuse:

“ Disassociated from the original cause, their feelings of anger, helplessness, despair, longing, anxiety, and pain will find expression in destructive acts against others…. or against themselves (drug addiction, alcoholism)****

People with PTSD are more likely than others with similar backgrounds to have alcohol use disorders both before and after being diagnosed with PTSD, and people with alcohol use disorders often also have PTSD.*****

Sixty to eighty percent of Vietnam veterans seeking PTSD treatment have alcohol use disorders.******


Now you may be thinking, “Maybe that’s true of some , but not everybody was abused ”. And that is true. But my experience is that most alcoholics have been traumatized in varying fashions and degrees. The thing they all have in common is that have hated as a result of trauma.

Let me say it plainly and simply. Hate and resentment is the root of alcoholism. And, yes, forgiveness is the cure. And that is an issue of character.

Ted W.




*P.219, The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd edition.
**Etiotropic Trauma Management by Jesse Collins
*** The Consequences of Child Maltreatment: A Reference Guide for Health Practitioners . A Reference Guide for Health Practitioners was prepared by Jeff Latimer for the Family Violence Prevention Unit, Health Canada.
****“The Newly Recognized,shattering effects of Child Abuse,By Alice Miller
*****National Center for PTSD Fact Sheet
****** Ibid.