Results: On alcoholism and problem drinking
1.
1.
I highly recommend Stephen King's book "On Writing" to anyone who appreciates the craft of writing. Have you read this book? Yes
8%
•
159 votes
No
82%
•
1693 votes
Not Applicable
10%
•
213 votes
2.
2.
King speaks of his alcoholism and, in one of my favorite lines, says, "telling an alcoholic to control his drinking is like telling a guy suffering the world's most cataclysmic case of diarrhea to control his Sh@%ing." Do you feel there is validity to this colorful analogy? Yes. In the throws of addiction, a person's behavior is largely involuntary.
30%
•
614 votes
No. A person makes a choice everytime they take a drink, even a lifelong alcoholic.
17%
•
348 votes
Addiction is seeded in the primal, survival mechanism of the brain. Its drive is powerful and involuntary. Resistance requires training the brain to respond differently.
19%
•
391 votes
Alcoholics can stop drinking entirely, but there is never such a thing as moderate drinking for an alcoholic.
16%
•
335 votes
Not Applicable
35%
•
715 votes
Other (please specify)
1%
•
16 votes
| Other Answers | Percentage | Votes |
| 0.08% | 2 | |
| not sure | 0.08% | 2 |
| never experienced so i don't know | 0.04% | 1 |
| i have been told it is the hardest thing to give up and control, so yes i like the analogy | 0.04% | 1 |
| do not drink and empathize with alcoholics | 0.04% | 1 |
| not christian, is he? | 0.04% | 1 |
| i know a place where king held up to write one of his books and when he left the room they cleaned out a whole lot of liquor bottles. guess this proves who drank them and where he gets his creativity | 0.04% | 1 |
| once you make up your mind to stop and want to stop, it becomes possible to stop | 0.04% | 1 |
| complicated...maybe a bit of all of the above | 0.04% | 1 |
| i think (much like smokers), if they really want to quit, it's alot of self control. but it is a disease. | 0.04% | 1 |
| dont know | 0.04% | 1 |
| i don't know. :) | 0.04% | 1 |
| yes, there is validity in the analogy, and more than 1 of the choices is true. | 0.04% | 1 |
| somewhat involuntary | 0.04% | 1 |
3.
3.
I went through rehab twice. The first time, I entered myself. The second time, I was not given a choice. Neither time "cured" me. Like most addicts, I stopped after trying and failing numerous times and utilizing what I had learned from various sources. Have you every been in rehab for addiction? Yes
8%
•
160 votes
No
66%
•
1361 votes
Not Applicable
26%
•
544 votes
4.
4.
Did you enter on your own or because you were forced? It was my choice to get help
5%
•
104 votes
Intervention by friends/family led me to rehab
2%
•
51 votes
Sentenced to rehab by the court
3%
•
54 votes
Employer persuaded me to enter rehab
1%
•
24 votes
Spouse said, "Get help or get out."
1%
•
16 votes
Not Applicable
88%
•
1816 votes
5.
5.
In March of 2000, Audrey Kishline, author of the book "Moderate Drinking" and founder of a movement that says problem drinkers can drink in moderation, had a blood-alcohol level three times the legal limit when she hit a car head-on while traveling west in the eastbound lane of an interstate, killing both people in the car (a father and 12 year old daughter). Are you familiar with this story? Yes
6%
•
124 votes
No
69%
•
1433 votes
Not Applicable
25%
•
508 votes
6.
6.
Do you know a way to determine if someone has the disease of alcoholism or just a bad habit of problem drinking? Yes
23%
•
478 votes
No
50%
•
1028 votes
Not Applicable
27%
•
559 votes
7.
7.
The organization Moderation Management runs support groups and programs to help "problem drinkers" (not alcoholics) reduce their alcohol consumption. It has about 500 members nationwide. Do you feel it is worthwhile? Yes, for some people who have a history of mild substance-abuse problems
35%
•
718 votes
No, if it is just a bad habit, they can overcome it on their own. The organization is potentially very harmful to some.
10%
•
214 votes
Undecided
24%
•
497 votes
Not Applicable
31%
•
636 votes
Comments