Doug Thorburn

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Doug Thorburn is an amateur researcher of alcoholism who has interviewed hundreds of recovered or recovering alcoholics and written several books on the topic. The most important of these books is Drunks Drugs and Debits: How to Recognize Addicts and Avoid Financial Abuse.

In his books, Doug Thurburn argues that, although an alcoholic may drink alcoholically for years or decades before this becomes obvious, we can detect early-stage alcoholics by their destructive behavior. This is useful because, once detected, alcoholics can be avoided or convinced (via disenableing) to undergo treatment.

Many of Doug Thorburn's ideas are consistent with the disease model of alcoholism. Thorburn has stated:

Alcoholism is a genetic disease and thus is the cause, rather than the effect, of its associated symptoms. Thus, alcoholics cannot learn to drink in moderation and total sobriety is necessary for treatment.
Rather than passively waiting for the alcoholic to "hit bottom" on his own, we should take steps to ensure an alcoholic feels as many of the painful consequences of his behavior as possible, for example by cutting off all financial and emotional support, communicating his problem to other friends and relatives, and getting a DUI conviction. This will cause him to decide to quit drinking sooner.
Alcoholism can mimic many personality disorders, including bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder, and Narcissistic personality disorder. Often, these disorders have alcoholism as their underlying cause; in this case, therapy for the disorder is only treatment of a symptom, and will often merely enable the addict to drink more.
80% to 90% of incarcerated prisoners have alcoholism or other drug addiction. Doug Thorburn often quotes an alcoholic recorded in the book Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How Many Thousands of Men and Women Have Recovered From Alcoholism who says, "If everyone [could be in AA], there would be no need for jails".

[edit] Published works

- (June 2005). Alcoholism Myths and Realities : Removing the Stigma of Society's most Destructive Disease. Galt Publishing. ISBN 0-9675788-2-5.
- (April 2004). How to Spot Hidden Alcoholics: Using Behavioral Clues to Recognize Addiction in Its Early Stages. Galt Publishing. ISBN 0-9675788-6-8.
- (August 2002). Get Out of the Way!: How to Identify and Avoid a Driver Under the Influence. Galt Publishing. ISBN 0-9675788-4-1.
- (February 2001). Drunks, Drugs & Debits: How to Recognize Addicts and Avoid Financial Abuse. Galt Publishing. ISBN 0-9675788-3-3.