--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There's no recovery from alcoholism, it…" description: "\"There's no recovery from alcoholism, it is an incurable disease. And it also is a disease that tells you, you don't have a disease.\" — Malachy McCourt" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7dc/malachy-mccourt-10845_alcoholism_there-s-no-recovery-from-alcoholism-it-i_2280632.jpg" --- # There's no recovery from alcoholism, it is an incurable… ![“There's no recovery from alcoholism, it is an incurable disease. And it also is a disease that tells you, you don't have a disease.” quote by Malachy McCourt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7dc/malachy-mccourt-10845_alcoholism_there-s-no-recovery-from-alcoholism-it-i_2280632.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7dc/malachy-mccourt-10845_alcoholism_there-s-no-recovery-from-alcoholism-it-i_2280632.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7dc/malachy-mccourt-10845_alcoholism_there-s-no-recovery-from-alcoholism-it-i_2280632.jpg) > “There's no recovery from alcoholism, it is an incurable disease. And it also is a disease that tells you, you don't have a disease.” [Malachy McCourt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malachy-mccourt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Alcoholism is a chronic, incurable disease that often blinds sufferers to its existence, creating denial and hindering recovery. **In simple terms:** Alcoholism is a lasting disease that hides itself. Key Takeaway Recognize the disease and seek help. Themes addiction denial health stigma awareness Mood somber urgent empathetic Type educational advocacy cautionary When to use this quote - rehab programs - support groups - public awareness campaigns Key Concepts chronic illness self‑deception public health Questions to Reflect On - Why do people deny their addiction? - What support can break denial? A Different Perspective Recovery may be possible with treatment, despite the claim of incurability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alcoholism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alcoholism/) [Disease](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disease/) [Incurable disease](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/incurable-disease/) [Recovery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/recovery/) ## Related quotes > [“Alcoholism is...an incurable disease. You will have it for life. Just like you can't turn a pickle back into a cucumber.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hideo-azuma/alcoholism-is-an-incurable-disease-you-will-have-it-for-life-just/) Hideo Azuma > [Remember that alcoholism is incurable, progressive, and fatal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/remember-that-alcoholism-is-incurable-progressive-and-fatal/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There is no such thing as an incurable disease, only incurable people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-siegel/there-is-no-such-thing-as-an-incurable-disease-only-incurable-people/) [Bernie Siegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-siegel/) > [We are born with two incurable diseases, life, from which we die, and hope, which says maybe death isn't the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-greeley/we-are-born-with-two-incurable-diseases-life-from-which-we-die-and/) [Andrew Greeley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-greeley/) > [Love is like an incurable disease. No one who catches it wants to recover, and all its victims refuse a cure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pacifiersucker/love-is-like-an-incurable-disease-no-one-who-catches-it-wants-to/) Pacifiersucker > [I was most incorrigibly devoted to versifying, and all my spouse's wholesome admonitions had no manner of effect on me; in short, I believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laetitia-pilkington/i-was-most-incorrigibly-devoted-to-versifying-and-all-my-spouse-s/) [Laetitia Pilkington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laetitia-pilkington/) > [The conscience of an artist worthy of the name is like an incurable disease which causes him endless torment but occasionally fills him with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-rouault/the-conscience-of-an-artist-worthy-of-the-name-is-like-an-incurable/) [Georges Rouault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-rouault/) > [Life is an incurable disease.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-cowley/life-is-an-incurable-disease/) [Abraham Cowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-cowley/) > [Old age is an incurable disease.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca/old-age-is-an-incurable-disease/) [Seneca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca/) > [In 1962 I was diagnosed with this incurable disease.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-ann-mobley/in-1962-i-was-diagnosed-with-this-incurable-disease/) [Mary Ann Mobley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-ann-mobley/) > [Great passions are incurable diseases.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/great-passions-are-incurable-diseases/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [“Evil is an incurable disease, and some people were just born with it - passed down through generations. It's in their DNA”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niedria-d-kenny/evil-is-an-incurable-disease-and-some-people-were-just-born-with-it/) [Niedria D. Kenny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niedria-d-kenny/) > [I hope they get a f\*ckin' incurable disease living up there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jersey-shore/i-hope-they-get-a-f-ckin-incurable-disease-living-up-there/) Jersey Shore > [“Assumption is one dreadful and incurable disease, which sticks to the soul and wiggles across the skin.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aniruddha-sastikar/assumption-is-one-dreadful-and-incurable-disease-which-sticks-to-the/) [Aniruddha Sastikar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aniruddha-sastikar/) > [“I knew that Amy couldn’t have died from a drug overdose, as she had been drug-free since 2008. But although she had been so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-winehouse/i-knew-that-amy-couldn-t-have-died-from-a-drug-overdose-as-she-had/) [Mitch Winehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-winehouse/) ## More by Malachy McCourt > [I see the way I look upon organized religion, I was a victim of that of mythology, and of cruelty, and all the absurd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malachy-mccourt/i-see-the-way-i-look-upon-organized-religion-i-was-a-victim-of-that/) [Malachy McCourt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malachy-mccourt/) > [The Supreme Court gives corporations the same rights as a human being. It's absurd. You can't do that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malachy-mccourt/the-supreme-court-gives-corporations-the-same-rights-as-a-human-being/) [Malachy McCourt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malachy-mccourt/) > [We are spectators to violence, and therefore are, how well we don't know and make sure we don't know the difference of real violence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malachy-mccourt/we-are-spectators-to-violence-and-therefore-are-how-well-we-don-t/) [Malachy McCourt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malachy-mccourt/) > [I would like to do away with all kind of - all weapons. A dream - totally. Including the bow an arrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malachy-mccourt/i-would-like-to-do-away-with-all-kind-of-all-weapons-a-dream-totally/) [Malachy McCourt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malachy-mccourt/) > [“Kenneth Tynan once said that the only people who can do Russian drama, outside of the Russians themselves, are the Irish. I presume that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malachy-mccourt/kenneth-tynan-once-said-that-the-only-people-who-can-do-russian-drama/) [Malachy McCourt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malachy-mccourt/) > [Do whatever you want because that's not what you are. That's what you do for the moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malachy-mccourt/do-whatever-you-want-because-that-s-not-what-you-are-that-s-what-you/) [Malachy McCourt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malachy-mccourt/) > [I absolutely love the public transportation system in New York. No matter what, no matter how people complain, it is the best in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malachy-mccourt/i-absolutely-love-the-public-transportation-system-in-new-york-no/) [Malachy McCourt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malachy-mccourt/) > [When an English man speaks well, for example now, and this is another way of putting us down, they say he's "eloquent" you see.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malachy-mccourt/when-an-english-man-speaks-well-for-example-now-and-this-is-another/) [Malachy McCourt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malachy-mccourt/) > [Once I know I'm an alcoholic then it is my obligation, duty to see what I can do about healing myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malachy-mccourt/once-i-know-i-m-an-alcoholic-then-it-is-my-obligation-duty-to-see/) [Malachy McCourt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malachy-mccourt/) > [The alcoholism got me and I ruined my first marriage with drinking and the lying and the deceit and infidelity, and all of that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malachy-mccourt/the-alcoholism-got-me-and-i-ruined-my-first-marriage-with-drinking/) [Malachy McCourt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malachy-mccourt/) > [Resentment is like taking poison and waiting for the other person to die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malachy-mccourt/resentment-is-like-taking-poison-and-waiting-for-the-other-person-to/) [Malachy McCourt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malachy-mccourt/) > [To lose one parent is a tragedy, to lose both is utter carelessness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malachy-mccourt/to-lose-one-parent-is-a-tragedy-to-lose-both-is-utter-carelessness/) [Malachy McCourt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malachy-mccourt/) > [Organized religions have all the facets of organized crime, except the compassion of organized crime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malachy-mccourt/organized-religions-have-all-the-facets-of-organized-crime-except-the/) [Malachy McCourt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malachy-mccourt/) > [This is the place for me where every single dream I ever had came to fruition and I love it dearly. I love ya,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malachy-mccourt/this-is-the-place-for-me-where-every-single-dream-i-ever-had-came-to/) [Malachy McCourt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malachy-mccourt/) > [To me a saint is a severely edited sinner. That's what I think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malachy-mccourt/to-me-a-saint-is-a-severely-edited-sinner-that-s-what-i-think/) [Malachy McCourt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malachy-mccourt/) [Explore all 63 Malachy McCourt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malachy-mccourt/) ## More Alcoholism quotes > [And, when night Darkens the streets, then wander forth the sons Of Belial, flown with insolence and wine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/and-when-night-darkens-the-streets-then-wander-forth-the-sons-of/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [“I am made of a thousand ghosts. Only you can shoot me down.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-james/i-am-made-of-a-thousand-ghosts-only-you-can-shoot-me-down/) Bella James > [“Alcoholism is a choice... not a life sentence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-norman/alcoholism-is-a-choice-not-a-life-sentence/) David Norman > [If you decide on having an alcoholic at your party, make sure it's a large gathering. This way, until the alcoholic begins removing their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-sedaris/if-you-decide-on-having-an-alcoholic-at-your-party-make-sure-it-s-a/) [Amy Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-sedaris/) > [There are plenty of alcoholics who can be magnificent when drunk: it does not make them any less alcoholic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ingrid-bengis/there-are-plenty-of-alcoholics-who-can-be-magnificent-when-drunk-it/) [Ingrid Bengis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ingrid-bengis/) > [“If you threw Elvis and a scarecrow in a blender, topped the whole thing off with Seagram's 7 and pressed dice, you would make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-portes/if-you-threw-elvis-and-a-scarecrow-in-a-blender-topped-the-whole/) [Andrea Portes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-portes/) > [The fun, joy, and humor dry up in a relationship when one of the partners is swimming in gin. To my way of thinking,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ginger-rogers/the-fun-joy-and-humor-dry-up-in-a-relationship-when-one-of-the/) [Ginger Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ginger-rogers/) > [“Bourbon, Kentucky bourbon especially, is like Dante’s Inferno in a glass, fire walks down your throat, lungs, and heart and everything in between with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-crown/bourbon-kentucky-bourbon-especially-is-like-dante-s-inferno-in-a/) [Bruce Crown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-crown/) > [“There are various reasons why an individual might habitually consume large quantities of alcohol, but they all effectively boil down to the same thing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/there-are-various-reasons-why-an-individual-might-habitually-consume/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [He who has once taken to drink can seldom be said to be guilty of one sin only.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-more/he-who-has-once-taken-to-drink-can-seldom-be-said-to-be-guilty-of-one/) [Hannah More](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-more/) > [I was drunk: Christian and drunk. They just don't go together. But that's what happened. And the next day, obviously God had honored those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-hamilton/i-was-drunk-christian-and-drunk-they-just-don-t-go-together-but-that/) [Jim Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-hamilton/) > [When a woman drinks it's as if an animal were drinking, or a child. Alcoholism is scandalous in a woman, and a female alcoholic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marguerite-duras/when-a-woman-drinks-it-s-as-if-an-animal-were-drinking-or-a-child/) [Marguerite Duras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marguerite-duras/) > [Alcoholism, the opium habit and tobaccoism are a trio of poison habits which have been weighty handicaps to human progress during the last three…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-harvey-kellogg/alcoholism-the-opium-habit-and-tobaccoism-are-a-trio-of-poison-habits/) [John Harvey Kellogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-harvey-kellogg/) > [The worst thing you can do for your loved one caught in alcoholism or addiction is to help the person continue in the deception…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-t-anderson/the-worst-thing-you-can-do-for-your-loved-one-caught-in-alcoholism-or/) [Neil T Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-t-anderson/) > [“Not much more than a broke disgrace who's hooked on tonics, so excuse him if his poker face has puke on it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannibal-lecture/not-much-more-than-a-broke-disgrace-who-s-hooked-on-tonics-so-excuse/) Hannibal Lecture [Browse all 388 Alcoholism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alcoholism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There's no recovery from alcoholism, it is an incurable disease. And it also is a disease that tells you, you don't have a disease.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Malachy McCourt" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malachy-mccourt/there-s-no-recovery-from-alcoholism-it-is-an-incurable-disease-and-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Alcoholism" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malachy-mccourt/there-s-no-recovery-from-alcoholism-it-is-an-incurable-disease-and-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7dc/malachy-mccourt-10845_alcoholism_there-s-no-recovery-from-alcoholism-it-i_2280632.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7dc/malachy-mccourt-10845_alcoholism_there-s-no-recovery-from-alcoholism-it-i_2280632.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7dc/malachy-mccourt-10845_alcoholism_there-s-no-recovery-from-alcoholism-it-i_2280632.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There's no recovery from alcoholism, it is an incurable disease. And it also is a disease that tells you…” — Malachy McCourt", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Malachy McCourt", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malachy-mccourt/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There's no recovery from alcoholism, it...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malachy-mccourt/there-s-no-recovery-from-alcoholism-it-is-an-incurable-disease-and-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malachy-mccourt/there-s-no-recovery-from-alcoholism-it-is-an-incurable-disease-and-it/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```