| Alcohol is a drug, pure and simple. But the way if | | | | pretty safe bet I wouldn't be queuing up for a second |
| affects people is quite different. Statistics indicate that | | | | slice! When an alcoholic pours the juice down his |
| one out of every 10 folks is alcoholic, or at the very | | | | throat, then all the above upsets plus more are quite |
| least, has drink problem. So consuming lots of booze | | | | often the norm, yet unlike the cake, he develops no |
| on a regular basis does not necessarily get you | | | | healthy fear or regrets, and is usually ready for |
| hooked. In fact, if you locked 10 people in a room for a | | | | another bout soon after. This really does emphasize |
| year and had them drink a quart of whisky a day, at | | | | the denial of this destructive disease. Unfortunately, |
| the end of the experiment, 9 would be happy if they | | | | most alcoholics have to go through the physical and |
| never saw another drop of alcohol for as long as they | | | | emotional wringer, and quite often to deaths doorstep, |
| lived, but the remaining one would be begging for more | | | | before they even consider alcohol treatment of any |
| of the same. It is this remaining one that would require | | | | kind. |
| some kind of alcohol treatment, but only if he wanted it, | | | | Many alcohol treatment programs are focused on the |
| and here lays the problem. | | | | mind not the body. The recovering alcoholic has to |
| When it comes to alcohol and the alcoholic, one of the | | | | realise that all he has to do in order to stay sober is |
| biggest problems is that his or her mind tells them there | | | | not pick up that first drink. However, getting sober is |
| is no problem. If only other people would get off their | | | | one thing, but staying sober is quite another. This is |
| case and leave them alone, all would well in the world, | | | | why most alcoholics need to continuously be in |
| or so they believe! Speaking from personal experience, | | | | recovery or some kind. |
| I was a sicky drinker. I would throw up most mornings, | | | | Many choose to become members of Alcoholics |
| suffer splitting hangovers at least once a week, spend | | | | Anonymous or AA. AA is a fellowship of men an |
| all my spare time and money boozing, and continuously | | | | woman who have lost the capacity to control their |
| bounce in and out of failed relationships. Yet denial | | | | drinking. Many find that the support of the fellowship |
| kept me from owning my problem which is a common | | | | and the 12 step program of action is the only way for |
| characteristic of most alcoholics. It was only when I hit | | | | them to stay sober and live happy and joyous lives. |
| rock bottom some 30 years later that I saw the light | | | | Once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic and there is no |
| when I was drying out in an alcohol treatment center. | | | | returning to the bottle unless through choice. Those |
| Alcohol is cunning baffling and all powerful and once it | | | | that do relapse usually pick up right where they left off, |
| grips the mind of an alcoholic personality, it tells the | | | | whether it was 2 weeks or twenty years earlier. |
| drinker they have no problem at all and to continue | | | | Personally, I found AA to be the perfect alcohol |
| drinking no matter what. When you really think about it, | | | | treatment program for me. I've been sober for a good |
| this really is a crazy condition. There's no healthy fear | | | | number of years now and after loosing my youth and |
| to protect them from the perils of alcohol. Let's look at | | | | early adulthood to the booze, I have a life today that is |
| this from a logical perspective. | | | | indescribably wonderful, and it all started the day I got |
| Say I ate a piece of strawberry cake and it gave me | | | | honest with myself and put a plug in the jug. |
| a splitting headache, diarrhea, disorientation, vomit | | | | What about you. Are you ready to look at alcohol |
| attacks, and problems with the law. There would be a | | | | treatment? |