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People find confidentiality, hope at program by Michael Baker  Public Relations Entertainer Mitchell Hedberg once said that alcoholism is the only disease that other people can yell at you for having.    “People can be very accusatory when they confront you,” Hedberg said. “They’ve got no problem saying, ‘Dang it, Mitch, you’re an alcoholic!’”    “It’s not the same with other diseases,” he said. “No one has ever yelled, ‘Dang it, Mitch, you have lupus!’”    Hidden within Hedberg’s quip is the bleak truth about alcoholism. Despite the extensive psychological and physiological damage that alcohol abuse can inflict, many people still view it as a separate entity from diseases like cancer or AIDS. They see alcoholism not as a serious illness, but rather as a serious character flaw.    The new Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) group at MUSC should help to dispel that myth. The program, which started six months ago at the university, is specifically designed for MUSC employees who feel that they are or could potentially be alcoholics.     Jane, whose name has been changed for her privacy, has been a member of Alcoholics Anonymous for more than 19 years. She says that AA rescued her from alcohol abuse. Now, she is glad that others have access to the internationally renowned program that saved her life.    “When I was first starting in Alcoholics Anonymous, I had people there to hold my hand and help me through the process,” she said. “Now, I get a chance to flip the situation and help others who are going through what I’ve experienced.”    For Jane, acknowledging that she had a problem was an incredible burden, not only for her, but for her family as well. A large part of their struggle sprang from the public’s popularly held misconceptions about alcoholism—misconceptions to which the family was not immune.    One hurdle in Jane’s recovery was her inability to accept that she needed help. She grew up believing that alcohol was only something that affected the bottom ranks of society.    “We weren’t rich, but I was still too embarrassed to admit that I had a problem,” she recalled. “Alcoholism was something my family, especially my mother, saw as a problem of the lower class.”    The true turning point came when Jane, overcome with desperation, began to take stock of what her alcoholism was costing her. It was a heartbreaking analysis. She recalled doing things that, in her mind, couldn’t be forgiven. Her self-respect and her self-esteem evaporated, leaving her with nowhere else to turn.    “Before I entered Alcoholics Anonymous, I hated myself, hated what I had become,” she said. “AA showed me a way out.”    More important, she said, “They helped me realize that I wasn’t a bad person; I was simply a sick person.”    At Jane’s first AA meeting, her concerns over image and class were immediately tested. The man sitting next to her had long, unwashed hair, dirty toenails, and wore flip-flops and ragged shorts. The experience, albeit superficial, challenged Jane’s pride and her commitment to recovery.    However, as she became more involved in Alcoholics Anonymous, Jane began to appreciate the program’s approach. She was pleasantly surprised when she recognized other Charlestonians of varying social classes at the meetings, noting that external factors didn’t affect how people related to each other. People bonded through sharing experiences with their illness.    “There were no judgments from others, no dues to pay or membership fees, no ulterior motives for being at the meetings,” Jane said. “We were all there because we wanted to get help.”    Jane worked through the 12-step program with the aid of her sponsor. It helped to have someone who had already been through each step and could share her experiences and empathize with the struggle to stay sober. Even after she completed the steps, Jane understood that sobriety is a day-to-day, ongoing commitment.    People often associate alcoholism and binge drinking with negative feelings, but Jane pointed out that drinking isn’t just a painkiller. For instance, how do you celebrate when you get a promotion? At weddings? At social events? The temptation to drink is so common that most people don’t think twice about it. Most people, but not recovering alcoholics.    “As an alcoholic, you’re never cured,” Jane said. “Even after the 12 steps are done, the disease is still there, telling you that it’s OK to have just one drink.” Nevertheless, Jane knows that the specter of alcohol abuse remains with her. After almost 20 years without alcohol, the risk of a relapse will always be there.    “It’s just a matter of deciding if having a drink is worth the risk,” she says. A brief pause, her voice lowers, and her gaze drifts to the floor. “For me, it isn’t. The things I’d lose: a husband who loves me, the respect of my family, my career.    “Sobriety has given me so much, and I don’t want to risk that.”     That’s why Jane decided to become a part of MUSC’s AA group.      Having experienced its benefits, she’s glad that MUSC employees will have local, on-campus access to an AA program. Jane and other Charleston AA members worked with MUSC and a third party—Claire Hoefer, director of the Employee Assistance Program at the university—in order to bring Alcoholics Anonymous to MUSC.     “It’s nice to have a place to go, to touch base, to be safe,” Jane said. “At AA, I can deal with my emotions, whether they’re bad or good, without being judged.”    The phrase “one day at a time” has become a cliché in some circles, but in Alcoholics Anonymous, it’s as important as ever.    For information about where and when you can attend an AA meeting at MUSC, contact the Employee Assistance Program office at 792-2848. For more information on AA meetings in the Tri-County area, call 723-9633.       Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to petersnd@musc.edu or catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Community Press at 849-1778.