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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 25, 1982)
Alcoholism: a killer disease without a cure By David Brown Ot the Emerald During the Prohibition, there was an Oklahoma whiskey so cheap that "for 50 cents you could buy a pint And you poured the top off of it because that was the fuel oil," Bill B insists to an attentive audience packed into a high school cafe teria, "You forced it down and said, God, that's good,' " he contin ues through a shuddering grimace Alcoholism, a disease without cure, is what bonded together speakers and their audience in a warm atmosphere of laughter, smoke and camaraderie at an evening speaker's meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous And because of those feelings, Bill B is a "grateful alcoholic." A friend once told him AA was a journey, not a destina tion He adds "you ain't never going to get there, but what a fantastic journey " Before he joined — on April Fool s Day. 1950 — "I was all front and no back," laughs Bill, another speaker. "The tnings I said at the time I thoroughly meant." But one drink and it all went out the window, he says We all drink for different reasons but we become al coholics for the same reason We've got an allergy of the body that gets coupled with an ob session of the mind " The most important fact for the public to realize is that al Like many other diseases, al coholism touches all segments of society Serenity Lane's pa tient list includes physicians, nurses, professors and Univer sity students Generally, patients come to Serenity Lane through interven tion by friends or family. “To do a good intervention, it takes more than one person It takes a body of people." well versed in what they're going to do and how they're going to do it. O'Connor says You need somebody willing to take that risk It’s tough love It's risky, stressful It's hard work," she says Addicts must be helped to create a crisis for themselves, so to speak, to get them into treatment And then, when they make that committment you don't let them off the hook," Well, I need to finish this term Wrong1 Because all you're doing is pouring money down the tube You're not doing well in school You're going to do worse, she says Although the illness is not the addict's fault, it is the addict's responsibility to get out of it. O'Connor says Treatment at Serenity Lane is “strictly therapy and educa tion" The 30-day program in cludes two classes and two therapy sessions per day An ongoing support system is formed following release, O'Connor says But the alcoholic is not necessarily the one with the We all drink for different reasons but we become alcoholics for the same reason.' coholism is a progressive illness which kills people every day, says Lois O'Connor, patient coordinator for Serenity Lane Alcoholism Treatment Center That's what we confront in treatment, recognizing that they're dealing with an illness, realizing that it's not because they're a useless weak person, O'Connor says JOAN LITTLEWOOD AND CHARLES CHILTON S OCT. 27 -30 NOV. 3 -6, 10- 13, 17 - 20 DEC. I - 4 ARENA THEATRE (Villard Hall) 8 p.ill. for inkols and information call trttd-4101 PRESENTED BY UNIVERSITY THEATRE Oregon Daily Emerald problem "A problem doesn't cause them to drink That's a myth A chemical imbalance causes them to drink,'' O'Con nor says Al-Anon, a branch of AA, deals with the problems of co alcoholics During the speaker's meeting, Diana talked of her son, Billy (not their real names) Photo by Bob Baker This new Raleigh Hills facility, like Serenity Lane, is one of the 30 organizations in the Eugene-Springfield area offering alcoholism treatment programs inrougn Mi-«non, uiana came to grips with the tact that she doesn't like Billy when he's drinking She learned to see him as an individual who must deal with his own life and problems, and treat him accordingly She no longer bails him out ot covers tor him Billy still drinks after quitting high school, has been in jail a number of times, ending up in violent, drunken confrontations, she says But he has begun to look at himself and take re sponsibility, she says. Co-alcoholics live a super ficial life under stress. They live with resentment, denied of the one they love, feeling hate, feeling jealous of the bottle and the money spent. They feel guilty as they lie to the addict's boss, covering for him. "You don’t feel close to (ad dicts) because they don't want anybody to feel close to them. 'All that needs to be dealt with when the addicted person is getting well so that there is no garbage left over When you are with an alcoholic, you are Cultural Forum presents Randy Barber author of "The North Will Rise Again” "Pensions, Politics & Power” will speak on Monday, October 25 at 7:30 p.m. Room 167 EMU FREE not communicating, O Connor says The third week of Serenity Lane's 30-day treatment plan is family week “You have to be able to remove the alcohol. You have t6 say here's my dad that I love and care about and there's the alcohol ’ Take the alcohol away and you've still got this man,” ternative treatment program O'Connor agrees “A ver'y very low percentage of people who are alcoholics get treat' ment." If ‘you're not sure where you want to go with (alcohol), or what’s happening with it,” then Drinking Decisions attempts to provide the information needed to make a decision, Shan non-May says. ‘A very very low percentage of people who are alcholics get treatment. ’ u oonnor says. Serenity Lane also has an outpatient clinic for those who are too busy to stay the 30 days Despite the numerous treat ment options in Eugene, nearly 90 percernt of those needing help don't get it, estimates Jackie Shannon-May, program manager and counselor at Drinking Decisions a local al i he program otters classes through Lan'fe Community Col lege for adults and youth. Classes are also offered for parents of drinking youth. About 30 organizations in the Eugene-Springfield area offer help through a variety of approaches tailored to in dividuals and their special cir cumstances. BASKIN-ROBBINS QM) ICE CREAM STORE 1365 Villard Street ONLY (by McDonalds) 484-1031 Offers Super Treats for ALL OCCASIONS • Ice Cream Cakes, Pies or Individual Goodies • Decorated to your Specifications REMEMBER SPECIAL FRIENDS FOR: 9>* p\nn'voQs % 'nr Jobs H/e//n CoodQ °Oe p\e( rades ,dQ,eS H. ^t^eaVjOTS ^ <70/1 Big and Little Brothers and Sisters °'/ And just about anything else . . . CALL 484-1031 • We will deliver ON campus with $10.00 minimum order. • Prices range from $6.50 to $17 00 OWNERS Ellie and Larry Hanson U of O Alums 24 HOUR NOTICE PLEASE Page 7
