Do You Need Alcohol Treatment?

Alcohol is a drug, pure and simple. But the way ifpretty safe bet I wouldn't be queuing up for a second
affects people is quite different. Statistics indicate thatslice! When an alcoholic pours the juice down his
one out of every 10 folks is alcoholic, or at the verythroat, then all the above upsets plus more are quite
least, has drink problem. So consuming lots of boozeoften the norm, yet unlike the cake, he develops no
on a regular basis does not necessarily get youhealthy fear or regrets, and is usually ready for
hooked. In fact, if you locked 10 people in a room for aanother bout soon after. This really does emphasize
year and had them drink a quart of whisky a day, atthe denial of this destructive disease. Unfortunately,
the end of the experiment, 9 would be happy if theymost alcoholics have to go through the physical and
never saw another drop of alcohol for as long as theyemotional wringer, and quite often to deaths doorstep,
lived, but the remaining one would be begging for morebefore they even consider alcohol treatment of any
of the same. It is this remaining one that would requirekind.
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 therealise that all he has to do in order to stay sober is
biggest problems is that his or her mind tells them therenot pick up that first drink. However, getting sober is
is no problem. If only other people would get off theirone 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, spendAnonymous or AA. AA is a fellowship of men an
all my spare time and money boozing, and continuouslywoman who have lost the capacity to control their
bounce in and out of failed relationships. Yet denialdrinking. Many find that the support of the fellowship
kept me from owning my problem which is a commonand the 12 step program of action is the only way for
characteristic of most alcoholics. It was only when I hitthem to stay sober and live happy and joyous lives.
rock bottom some 30 years later that I saw the lightOnce 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 itthat do relapse usually pick up right where they left off,
grips the mind of an alcoholic personality, it tells thewhether it was 2 weeks or twenty years earlier.
drinker they have no problem at all and to continuePersonally, 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 fearnumber of years now and after loosing my youth and
to protect them from the perils of alcohol. Let's look atearly 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 mehonest with myself and put a plug in the jug.
a splitting headache, diarrhea, disorientation, vomitWhat about you. Are you ready to look at alcohol
attacks, and problems with the law. There would be atreatment?