Alcoholism.

About alcoholism.

There is no so-called cure for alcoholism. But many have recovered to live happy, healthy lives. If people can not quit drinking on their own, they are considered an alcoholic. Some alcoholics may be able to cut down their drinking for a short time, but then they find themselves drinking obsessively again. Alcoholism is a disease. It is not really something that they did or didn’t do. If normal people take a drink of alcohol, they are able to stop after they have only one or a couple drinks. Alcoholics’ cravings are so strong, that it causes them to never be satisfied with just one drink of alcohol. If they don’t stop drinking completely, the cravings will continue and spiral out of control. It is very hard on alcoholics when they try to quit drinking because of the terrible symptoms of withdrawal. Part of the withdrawal is that their body craves sugar. Although eating something sweet will help, it will be hard for them to quit alcohol on just that alone.

The problem.

Alcoholism tears families apart. Alcoholics are giving a big part of themselves to alcohol and their families are suffering from it. Their drinking takes away time they could be spending with their family. It usually also destroys their finances. Alcohol can ruin their health by giving them cirrhosis of the liver.

Different types of alcoholics.

Some alcoholics can keep a job, and function quite well at work. Others either cannot keep a job, or miss a lot of work because of it. Sometimes alcoholics go from job to job because of their drinking problems. Some alcoholics drink in secret, and no one knows the truth about them. Of course we all know about the ones that are on skid row, that have completely ruined their lives.

The solution.

Most people achieve recovery through Alcoholics Anonymous. There are few people that can recover on their own. The only way to overcome an alcohol addiction is complete Abstinence. In AA, they must go to meetings and follow a 12 step program. Alcohol Anonymous suggests that they go to 90 meetings in 90 days. Although they don’t have to go to that many meetings, it will greatly increase their chance of recovery. They will be given a sponsor to monitor their progress. They will be able to call their sponsor anytime day or night; if they feel they need a drink. The program is centered on a higher power, but they don’t have to believe in God to belong to the program. They can still go to the meetings if they are agnostics or an atheists. Alcoholics can make their higher power,” Nature", or" the greater good", etc. They just have to believe in a power greater than themselves. The meetings are free, but they do take up a collection. Most people donate at least one dollar.

More choices for recovery.

They can also go to a dry-out clinic. There are free clinics that they can go to if they don’t have insurance. The advantages of going to a clinic are: They will be in a hospital in case something goes wrong. They won't be able to drink, even if they want to. They will be with people like themselves and probably make them their friends. The nurses will give them medication that will help the alcoholics with their symptoms of withdrawal from alcohol. They will get their own bedroom (sometimes one room-mate), three square meals a day, therapy, and addiction experts that will work with them. Everyone there will do their best to help them overcome their addiction to alcohol. There are also outpatient clinics. But whether they go to inpatient, outpatient, or none at all, the most important thing is to go to Alcoholic Anonymous meetings.

Why it works.

The recovering alcoholics are all in the same situation, so they are able to feel that they are not so alone. They help each other by sharing their stories and encouraging one another. This in turn, helps keep them sober. They can feel they have a higher purpose. The people at the meetings, usually become their friends, and they hang out with them even when they are not in the meetings.

The downfalls.

One of the main downfalls of alcoholics is they fool themselves into thinking that they can do it all by themselves, when reality shows them different. It is hard for alcoholics to ask for help. Others are in denial saying that they are just heavy drinkers and choose not to address the problem at all. Another one of their greatest obstacles is that they must change their friends and the places that they go, in order to recover from their addiction. When they are asked to give up their friends that they have known for years, it is hard for them to do. Of course, if alcoholics hang around with their friends that are still drinking, and frequent places that serve alcohol, they will probably start drinking again. In special circumstances, withdrawal from alcohol (the DT’s) has killed people. Either way, withdrawal from alcohol is a very unpleasant experience. There are very few people that quit on there own without help, and if they do, they call it a dry drunk. A dry drunk is when an alcoholics are not drinking alcohol, but hey act the same, think the same, and make everyone miserable including themselves.