Regarding the Nov. 18 letter, “Can’t extoll AA and deny ‘disease’”: I agreed with everything the writer said until I read the fourth paragraph. Up until then he sounded as though he was familiar with Alcoholics Anonymous, the Big Book and the disease concept.
Then, in the fourth paragraph, and I will paraphrase, the writer calls addiction contagious and a slow-growing virus that children were exposed to in homes that were toxic with emotional and mental “carcinogens.” “A verbally, physically or sexually abusive home.” Then he adds, “rigid,” “hyper-religious” and “hyper-atheist” homes, etc. He has a right to his opinion, but I don’t know where he got his facts.
After many years of exposure to Alcoholics Anonymous, and through reading, I have never heard nor read the above statements attributed to alcohol addiction.
Certainly there are addicts who were raised in abusive homes, but not all abused children become addicts. Nor are all addicts raised in abusive homes.
Recently, I met some great members of the “Unchained Brotherhood, MC,” a clean and sober group who were collecting food for the Everett Gospel Mission outside of QFC. I mentioned the letter to them and they stated that they had come from stable, normal and loving homes. As did I!
I was the third of six children raised in a Christian home with two good parents and I became an alcoholic. Why? I don’t know. All I now for sure is that my disease almost killed me.
On Dec. 12, I will celebrate 33 years of continuous sobriety. I couldn’t have done it without the program of AA, medical intervention, prayer, a very supportive family and friends.
There is alternative help in the community for addicts, but it is my personal joy to welcome sick and lonely people from all walks of life into our program and watch them accept sobriety and succeed! Now that is contagious! It’s called recovery!
God bless the ones who don’t make it.
Pat Browning
Everett
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