Alcoholics need to want change

Being an alcoholic in recovery for well over a decade myself, I empathize with Jeff Gewert’s pain and anger as expressed in his column, “It took a village to kill my brother.” And I agree that alcoholism is a disease that is often misunderstood and treated ineffectually.

While I also agree that there is no one treatment method that will work for all, I do take exception with Gewert’s description of Alcoholic Anonymous’ treatment plan as relying chiefly upon turning the disease “over to God.” This is a simplistic analysis of the 12 Step program. The key, of course, is that the alcoholic must truly want to stop drinking. Addicts enter treatment facilities for any number of reasons, including legal, employment and family factors. If the primary motivation isn’t based in the self desire to quit, the alcoholic’s chances are slim, regardless of the quality of care and family/friend support he receives. Robert Nora Chicago