Drunk, Abstinent, Sober, What?
From the video’s text:
http://www.findmadeleine.com/ MADAME SARKOZY This person is not thought to be truly sober, and thus, a distinction is made in AA between being dry, or abstinent from alcohol consumption, and being sober, or living a life of abstinence based on the principles of AA. In AA, sobriety is a state that can only be obtained by both abstaining from alcohol and working the twelve steps of AA because, according to the AA Big Book (page 64), alcohol(ism) is only a symptom of the underlying spiritual disease directly addressed by the Twelve Steps. If that malady is successfully treated, its symptoms (including, but hardly limited to alcohol consumption) cease to be a concern
The meaning of the term alcoholism varies considerably in different contexts. For common and historical usage, it refers to any condition that results in continued consumption of alcoholic beverages despite negative consequences. Medical definitions describe alcoholism as a disease, addiction, or dependence that results in difficulty with controlling one’s alcohol consumption. Alcoholism can also refer to as a loss of control over one’s alcohol consumption, a preoccupation with or compulsion for alcohol, and an impaired ability to recognize the effects of alcohol consumption. Some but not all definitions specify a current use of alcohol and include the effects of long-term heavy alcohol use, including dependence and withdrawal. Alcoholism is characterized by the continued use of alcohol despite harm to the drinker and people associated with the drinker.
This harm may include the development of medical complications, occupational or educational loss, or interpersonal complications. While alcohol use is necessary to develop alcoholism, use of alcohol does not necessitate the development of alcoholism. The amount of alcohol consumption required to develop alcoholism varies greatly from one person to the next. Although the biological mechanism of alcoholism is uncertain, some risk factors for alcoholism have been identified. These factors may include a person’s social environment, emotional health and genetic predisposition Many terms are applied to a drinker’s relationship with alcohol.
Use, misuse, heavy use, abuse, addiction, and dependence are all common labels used to describe drinking habits, but the actual meaning of these words can vary greatly depending upon the context in which they are used. Even within the medical field, the definition can vary between areas of specialization. The introduction of politics and religion further muddles the issue and exacerbates ambiguity. Use refers to simple use of a substance. An individual who drinks any alcoholic beverage is using alcohol. Misuse, problem use, and heavy use do not have standard definitions, but suggest consumption of alcohol beyond the point where it causes physical, social, or moral harm to the drinker.
Social and moral harm are highly subjective and therefore differ from individual to individual. The term abuse has a variety of possible meanings. Within psychiatry, the DSM-IV has a specific definition involving a set of life circumstances which take place because of substance use. Within politics, abuse is often used to refer to the illegal use of any substance. Within the broad field of medicine, abuse sometimes refers to use of prescribed medication in excess of the prescribed dosage or to use of a prescription drug without a prescription.
Within religion, abuse can refer to any use of a poorly regarded substance. The term is often avoided because it can cause confusion due to audiences that do not necessarily share a single definition. Dependence also has multiple definitions, but is not as commonly used as abuse outside of the medical profession.
Physical medicine considers dependence to be the body’s physical adaptation to the persistent presence of alcohol. Psychological medicine considers dependence to be a person’s mental reliance upon something to maintain their mental status quo. These two are occasionally differentiated as physical and psychological dependence. Within the field of psychiatry, alcohol dependence is the term referring to alcoholism. As a result, a diagnosis of alcohol dependence does not necessarily indicate the presence of physical dependence.