Alcoholism: The Progressive DiseaseAlcoholism: The Progressive Disease
RAW Recovery Podcast
Dion talks through alcoholism as a progressive disease, using his own story and AA material to show how drinking and its consequences intensify over time. The episode raises hard questions about denial, relapse and the daily work needed to stay sober.
39:23•2 Oct 2026
Alcoholism: How a Progressive Disease Quietly Takes Over
Episode Overview
- Alcoholism tends to worsen over time, with tolerance, consequences and loss of control increasing even when someone appears to manage for a while.
- Long periods of being dry do not reset the disease; returning to alcohol can escalate quickly and severely.
- Mental obsession and physical sensitivity to alcohol mean many drinkers plan, hide and justify their drinking long before they admit they have a problem.
- Regular self‑inventory, as in step 10, helps identify when emotional pain signals something that needs to change in thoughts or behaviour.
- Curiosity, asking honest questions and taking preventive action can reduce future emotional and physical pain in recovery.
“Alcoholism is progressive physically, mentally, emotionally, neurologically, socially, rationally, and in all its consequences.”
How do people cope with the challenges of staying sober? This RAW Recovery Podcast episode centres on Dion, an alcoholic in recovery, breaking down why alcoholism is often called "the progressive disease" and how it quietly tightens its grip over time. You’ll hear him contrast early drinking years with later chaos, describing how tolerance grows, consequences stack up, and control slips away long before someone admits there’s a real problem.
Dion shares his own experience of quitting at 18, staying dry for a decade, and then returning to drinking that eventually brought him jaundice and a six‑month prognosis.
As he puts it bluntly, "From the day I drank anything, I've been an alcoholic." Drawing on the AA Big Book, he walks through a classic story of a man who stayed "bone dry" for 25 years, only to die within four years of drinking again, using it to highlight how the disease progresses even when alcohol isn’t being consumed.
Dion links this to modern ideas about alcohol use disorder, talking about brain changes, increasing obsession, and the way drinking shifts from fun to simply trying to feel "normal". There’s plenty of practical reflection too.
He talks about step 10, daily self‑inventory, and the uncomfortable but useful role of pain: "Pain is pretty much the touchstone of all change." At the same time, he stresses curiosity, asking hard questions, and stepping in front of pain with honest prevention rather than waiting for disaster.
The tone is raw and conversational, with humour sprinkled between serious points, making the episode ideal for people questioning their relationship with alcohol, those in early recovery, or anyone supporting someone who drinks. If you’ve ever caught yourself asking "How bad is it really?", this conversation might prompt a tougher question: "Where is this going if nothing changes?"
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