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by Donald B. Ardell, Ph. D.
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Wellness in the Headlines
(Don's Report to the World)

A Wellness Perspective On Alcoholism (Encore)

Monday March 17, 2003

Many a person has been saved from summer alcoholism, not to mention hypertoxicity, by Dostoyevsky.

Roy Blount Jr, Reading and Nothingness, Of Proust in the Summer Sun

What is the official wellness attitude towards alcoholism? Is it seen as a disease that should be treated, or a legal or moral problem that should be censured? Or, something else? My sense is it's "something else," but what, I don't know.

In part, that's because there is no official wellness position on alcoholism, or anything else. Wellness is just a term without a sanctioning body to promote and enforce attitudes, definitions, practices or other matters, as exist with medicine and hundreds of recognized professions. Wellness promoters do not have the equivalent of an American Medical Association that adopts official positions, sets standards of practice, enforces licensure requirements and otherwise governs the quality and direction of those who employ the term wellness or promote it in varied ways for a living or otherwise.

This is altogether a good thing. It is much too early in the evolution of the concept to define the best or most beneficial fashion in which to define, present and advance wellness ideas, positions and the like. This is not an unprecedented situation. Consider, for example, that no nation speaks for democracy (though Mr. Bush sometimes seems to think he can do so), no priest or minister/rabbi/shaman or witch doctor represents the "official" position of those who claim to be religious and so on. Even the National Wellness Institute (NWI), the closest entity there is to a leadership institution for the wellness concept and movement, does not presume to define wellness attitudes.

Some would like the NWI to develop the capacity to perform this role in a credible fashion, but it has not happened yet and, as a trustee of the organization, I can assure you that it is not likely to occur anytime soon. However, leaders, followers and everyone in the movement do hold opinions on nearly everything, and I am no exception. I'm only too pleased to offer up mine on alcoholism! There! I finally got around to the topic of wellness and alcoholism.

Based on what I have conveyed so far, you can agree that all I have to offer is my own wellness view on alcoholism. Anyone who seeks to live and/or promote such a thing is entitled to a view on any topic, just like everyone else. We can all also insist on our right to have and express views on this and a few hundred billion other topics on which we are NOT experts, if so inclined. On that basis, I have a wellness perspective on alcoholism.

How best to view, prevent and treat alcoholism remains highly controversial: persuasive advocates line up on opposite sides of a "disease/not a disease" debate. As noted, this is not the focus of my life work and I do not claim special expertise based up any original research. However, IF I had a problem with alcohol, which I don't (except for an occasional glass of Pinot Noir or Cabernet Sauvignon wine, I don't even like the stuff, including beer!), I would adopt an "I alone am responsible" model. I would not favor the hapless victim perspective that puts the blame on genetics, or the AA notion of powerlessness and dependence upon a "higher power," whatever that means. (For the record, it means whatever you want it to mean!)

Furthermore, I have no use for censure and moralisms that amount to beating up on those struggling with the problem. Instead, I favor education, maximum assistance and, after a suitable period of additional responsibility-based outreaches mixed with tough love, natural consequences. If, after all this, the alcoholic continues to indulge in drinking, stop interfering with the harsh consequences of the freedom model -- back off and respect the apparent desires of the alcoholic to drink him or herself to death. Freedom sometimes requires that we grant others the right to do that which we don't like, provided it does not directly and immediately hurt others. Naturally, the destructive drinking of alcoholics is ruinous to the drinker's family but one ultimately can't be forced to do the right thing, or refrain from doing awful things. Naturally, society must do what it takes to prevent the alcoholic who chooses self-destruction from getting behind the wheel of a car or otherwise posing a threat to the well being of others.

What's your "official" or unofficial position on this topic? What do you consider a wellness-inspired approach to alcoholism or the alcoholic? As always, I welcome and appreciate hearing from you.

All the best. Look on the bright side of life.

Domain: mental
Subdomain: factual knowledge

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