| This just in: heavy alcohol use can interfere with | | | | weight...there's an idea. New cure for obesity: stop |
| relationships! | | | | ingesting thousands of calories of alcohol. |
| "I don't want to stop drinking. I want to drink | | | | Hint #1: If you are not alcoholic, it is no problem to not |
| moderately, like two or three beers a night. If I do that I | | | | drink alcohol. Non-alcoholics do not have to "control" |
| can get my wife/girlfriend/husband/boss off my back. I | | | | their drinking; they can take it or leave it. Real alcoholics |
| think if I just stick to beer, maybe wine when we go | | | | CANNOT consistently drink moderately. Period. |
| out to eat, I'll be okay. It's the hard stuff that's a | | | | Hint #2: If you cannot stop drinking and stay stopped, |
| problem." "Or maybe I could drink beer during the | | | | you deserve help. Find a therapist who actually knows |
| week, and the other stuff, just one or two...maybe | | | | something about alcoholism recovery, not one who will |
| three drinks, on weekends." | | | | try to "teach" you to "control" your drinking. Normal |
| This is the wish of every alcoholic: to drink like a | | | | drinkers do not have to control their drinking. If you are |
| "normal" person. If alcohol has caused a problem in | | | | not a normal drinker, or a non-drinker, you are a |
| your life, a legal, health, job or family problem, why | | | | problem drinker and you deserve recovery. Drop in at |
| would you want to drink more of it? Is that seductive | | | | a 12 step support group...it's free. You have nothing to |
| liquid, alcohol, so important that you are willing to risk | | | | lose. |
| another DUI and probable jail time? Or is the price of | | | | Hint # 3: When/if you stop drinking, lots of feelings will |
| your drinking just a disappointed wife and another night | | | | come up. You will have to find a way to deal with |
| passed out in front of the television? I know, you're just | | | | them. |
| tired after a tough day. You deserve a drink. Right! | | | | One three part definition of alcoholism goes like this: |
| You have not had "a drink" in a very long time. | | | | |
| Choosing alcohol over your family makes some very | | | | 1. Compulsive Use |
| clear statements, ones that are devastating to spouse | | | | 2. Inability to Control the Amount Used |
| and children. It says that the alcohol is more important | | | | 3. Continued Use in Spite of Adverse Consequences |
| than they are. Want to argue that? If you are alcoholic, | | | | More simply put, if alcohol is causing a problem in your |
| of course you do; alcoholics spend a lot of time and | | | | life, you probably have a problem with alcohol and |
| energy justifying and defending their drinking. If your | | | | could probably call yourself alcoholic. |
| spouse's request that you stop drinking or your | | | | If alcohol is not causing a problem, if you can take it or |
| children's hurt and disgusted looks are important to you, | | | | leave it (not substituting alcohol in pill form like Xanax |
| pay attention and put them ahead of your precious | | | | and other benzodiazepines, smoking your alcohol in the |
| alcohol. If you don't like being awake (un-passed out) | | | | form of favorite herb marijuana, or snorting something, |
| during the evening, don't like being sober and | | | | shooting up, or using transdermal patches of Fentanyl), |
| emotionally present, give yourself a break and get help. | | | | then you are probably not alcoholic. Remember, an |
| The need for a drink, even just a beer, to provide you | | | | alcoholic is just an alcohol addict and addicts are able |
| with comfort in your own skin just might signify a little | | | | to substitute one drug for another. |
| problem. You think? Consider "taking a few months | | | | What have you got to lose if you actually try living |
| off" from drinking...hmmm...just do it to lose | | | | alcohol and drug free...just for a while? |