The important thing is that we have an obsession in our mind, and whatever that obsession might be, the only way to recover is through the mind itself. 

A Program For You
All Obsessions Are Similar

We have been talking about an obsession with alcohol, but there are many different kinds of obsessions, and many people have them. Remember, an obsession is any idea that overcomes all other ideas, and it is so strong that it can make you believe things that aren't true. Some people are obsessed with eating certain foods.
 
When some people with a food obsession eat a piece of chocolate candy, it can trigger a reaction in their bodies, in the same kind of way alcohol triggers an allergy in alcoholics. Once compulsive overeaters start eating, they can't stop, and they go on a binge, just like alcoholics do with alcohol. Then they emerge from the binge remorseful, with a firm resolution not to do it again- also just like alcoholics. Not surprisingly, pretty soon they start running around feeling restless, irritable, and discontented.

They want to start feeling better, and they begin to remember that initial pleasant feeling they get when they eat candy or whatever their favorite binge food is. The next thing you know, their minds have convinced them that they can safely eat it. So they eat some, which triggers their physical craving, and they just can't stop. Their lives become a living hell, just like the alcoholic's does. Their obsession starts to destroy their lives and the lives of everybody around them.

Now, all of this happens not just because they have a physical reaction when they eat certain foods, but because they have a mental obsession to eat them . There is another fellowship, called Overeaters Anonymous, which uses the Twelve Step program to help people overcome their obsessions with certain foods.

There is also a fellowship of people who are obsessed with gambling, called Gamblers Anonymous. It uses the same Twelve Step program to overcome not a physical problem, but an obsession with gambling. We have known exactly like those of alcoholics who are still drinking. They go on gambling binges and lose all their money; then they feel remorseful and swear they'll never gamble again. But sooner or later, they start feeling restless, irritable, and discontented. Their obsession kicks in, and their minds convince them to make just one two-dollar bet. Sure enough, pretty soon they can't stop, and they're caught in the cycle again. Their obsession starts to destroy their lives and the lives of people around them.

There is another group of people who are obsessed with, of all things, stopping other people from drinking. This is no joke- it's a very real obsession, and is very serious. It is exactly like the obsession that alcoholics, and compulsive gamblers, and compulsive overeaters have. These people will try every known way to stop other people from drinking alcohol. They'll have them put in jail. They'll run them through the divorce courts. They'll take their car keys away. They'll throw people who drink out of the house, put their clothes on the porch, and then move them back in at midnight. They'll try everything in the world to stop another person from drinking. And guess what? In the process they destroy their own lives and the lives of everybody around them. Their obsession makes their lives a living hell. Finally, they swear off getting other people to stop drinking. They stop chasing after people for a while, but pretty soon they get restless, irritable, and discontented. Their minds begin to search for a way to feel comfortable again, and their obsession kicks in and pretty soon they go again. They are exactly like alcoholics.

It all comes down to this: All obsessions are pretty much the same. The fact that we're allergic to alcohol isn't what's most important. The important thing is that we have an obsession in our mind, and whatever that obsession might be, the only way to recover is through the mind itself. That means find a way to live without drinking, or gambling, or overeating, or whatever. This is a real problem not only of alcoholics but, in some form, most of the human race today.