This is the third and final part of this series of posts at www.TalkingSober.com where we have been looking at the phenomenon of becoming addicted to the idea of being addicted .

I am suggesting this phenomenon is an aspect of the modern day approach to 'recovery' that some addiction professionals and counselors create.

Part 1 began with: Not long ago I was chatting with a friend Peter who asked me how I was travelling being a non-drinker.

"Fine. Really well, thanks" I said.

Then Peter asked, "What are you doing these day about your recovery?"

"How do you mean?" I queeried.

"You know. You're an alcoholic; aren't you supposed to be doing something like AA or some other ongoing group recovery program?"

"Only some people continue on that path" I said, "because they are hoodwinked into being addicted to the idea of being addicted."

"You're in denial" Peter quipped and we carried on with a robust conversation about addiction, treatment and recovery.

Part 2 began: 'There is no treatment for addiction, although an entire industry is based upon the illusion that addiction is a treatable disease.' - Jack Timpey, Rational Recovery Founder (www.rational.org). I agree with that statement 100%.

And so we conclude with the following.

I drank booze for many years. Over thirty years in fact. It caused me countless problems.

When I tried to control my drinking I failed. When I tried to stop my drinking all together I needed help and got it from a range of professionals trained in a variety of therapeutic approaches.

I did the rehabs, the hospitals and the time off work to 'home detox' under a physicians care. The medical treatment for the physical aspects of alcohol dependency are vitally important and are not being disputed by me here.

I also worked hard on my thinking-about-drinking, or more importantly - I worked harder on my thinking-about-NOT-DRINKING and every thing related to being a sober person, 24/7.

Believe me when I tell you I became mentally exhausted and all counseled out from the hundreds of hours of seeing the professionals.

We talked about drinking and we talked about how I must never forget that fact I am an 'alcoholic' who could fall victim of 'my disease' at any moment. And it is for that reason, I would be told, that I would need to attend therapy sessions or group sessions for many years to come.

But I also found that as time rolled along I began to challenge the notion of being tagged an 'alcoholic'. Don't get me wrong. I totally accept I was addicted to alcohol when I was drinking.

I began to dispute that my drinking behavior was something outside of my own control. It just wasn't sitting right with me. It never really did but, hey - the experts sere telling me so. Who was I to argue?

However when it suited me to blame my 'disease', my 'alcoholism' or my addiction for some of my behavior I didn't have a problem with this notion. How weak of me! Weak and dishonest.

So I took control of my counseling and therapy sessions (something some people will tell you is impossible if you have an addiction).

I reached a point where I only wanted to discuss all the positive aspects of making choices not to drink anymore and of my plans for the future as a non-drinker.

There are so many things to talk about of a positive nature when changing from a drinker to a non-drinker that there simply isn't time left in the normal forty-five minute counseling session to be looking backwards at the problem. Besides that - I'm more of a 'glass half full' thinker by nature anyway.

I also totally subscribe to the idea that once you recognize and acknowledge a problem, any problem, then you help to solve that problem by seeing yourself as becoming a part of the solution and only see yourself as moving towards the solution rather than trying to move away from the problem.

The opposite way to do it is like moving backwards into the future while keeping your focus on the past.

There is also a theory among so called addiction and alcohol/drug specialists that alcoholism is a disease. Something to do with brain chemicals or genetics. In other words, addiction is something outside of the control of the person.

Bottom line is this; the jury is still out on that. We still don't know in an absolute and conclusive way what role brain chemicals and genetics play in alcoholism or any other addiction for that matter.

As for me, I decided once and for all that I was no longer going to play the part of 'victim' as far as my addiction went.

I made up mind that addiction wasn't something being done to me, rather I was doing the addiction. I was acting out addictive behavior.

I also made a decision to stop attending group meetings, counseling sessions, psychologists and psychiatrists appointments. Sometimes when I was leaving home to attend therapy I used to kid to my partner 'See you love. I'm off to give the therapist another payment on his Porsche!' Well, not any more.

My last sip of any alcoholic drink was June 2007. After those thirty long and miserable years of boozing and through the countless hours/days/weeks of being in therapy of one sort or another I finally said, 'Enough is enough'.

For once I took control of the problem rather than the problem controlling me.

I stood firm and proclaimed 'I'm not going to drink again. That's the beginning and the end of my therapy. Forget the rear-vision view of trying to solve the problem. Give me a windshield view of the solution and let me keep moving forward, thank you very much!'

What that means for me today is I am no longer addicted to being addicted. I am free of the addictiveness of the entire recovery industry. As for the addiction to alcohol, I simply decided I wasn't going to drink again.

It has worked that way for Jack Timpey of Rational Recovery, and it is working that way for me.

I know it can work that way for others too.

Postscript: I do not advocate making changes to any addiction treatment plan without firstly discussing your ideas with your professional worker(s).