Alcohol Freedom Blog

Freedom From Alcohol® happens to be more than the name of this site. It is a method and process that we employ to help people do exactly that – break free from alcohol.

If you think alcohol is playing a leading role in your life, the most important thing you can do is to listen to your body, how does it feel? Can you at least say you do not like how you feel?

Can you, will you – set your endlessly busy mind aside and get help before you have fallen completely into its progressive, tightening grip?

Alcohol addiction, alcoholism, or excessive drinking and its effects on health slowly gets worse over time; and often the person falling into its grasp is not aware of their path, or the pain and suffering inflicted on loved ones.

So if you are reading this post in a moment of strength and honest self-evaluation, please do one or more of these six things today to reclaim your life from alcohol:

1. Decide that you want to take control of your life again.
2. Take the alcohol screening test.
3. Think of the life you want and not the next drink
4. Believe in yourself!
5. Get inspired! Read Alcohol Success Stories.
6. Get help. Contact me or another healthcare practitioner today.

Ever since I was a young man in college, I dreamt of a life dependent on alcohol. Yes sir, work hard and party hard. Long days in the office with longer happy hours and a few two-martini lunches peppered in were for me. Loss of focus, trembling, night sweats and alienation of my family and friends were exactly what I had on my goal sheet.

Of course the preceding paragraph is written ‘tongue-in-cheek’; however, if you’ve known an alcoholic or someone who just called themselves “A Drinker” you can probably identify with this paragraph. Because of its progressive nature, alcoholism is particularly damaging and deadly because those affected have the illusion that they are in control. They say things like, “I don’t need to drink- I just like to drink.”

So some pertinent questions one who drinks excessively should ask themselves are:

• When did I stop designing and planning my life?
• And how did I become a drinker?
• Is this happiness?
• Is this the life I want?

There are no easy solutions, but what’s important for all of us, is critical for someone fighting addiction to alcohol: Focus on the life you want.

Focus not on your failures, the addiction or cravings, but on the life that you want to regain. Lay out a strategy. Write down your goals and the steps required to reach them. Think about how reaching those goals and how becoming free from alcohol would make you feel and how it would enhance the quality of your relationships and your career.

Alcohol dependence and craving is not easy to tackle on your own. There are many alcohol treatment plans available. Find one that is right for you and take action. Get help today and focus on your new tomorrow – now!

With the admission of US Representative John Sullivan of Oklahoma and Patrick Kennedy of Rhode Island that they are again facing a battle with alcohol, there has been a new discussion of HFA’s or High Functioning Alcoholics. Most alcoholics are not living on the street but are, to the outside observer, a productive member of society.

HFA, Functioning Alcoholic, or Functioning Alcoholism are not conditions or a diagnosis, but merely descriptions of the progressive nature of Alcoholism.

These terms are usually used to describe someone that is consuming alcohol at dangerous levels, yet they don’t display the typical signs of intoxication due to the body’s slow build up of tolerance to alcohol. They are usually well liked, productive and very few may realize that they have a problem at all. Slowly, as the levels of alcohol needed to incite a “high” in the alcoholic increase, their ability to be productive wanes and they begin to show more outward signs of withdrawal; including urges to drink more frequently.

As is true for any addiction, the alcoholic or excessive drinker has to want help before treatment can be effective. Because the effects of alcoholism slowly get worse, most deny that they have a problem with alcohol, and those who are functioning alcoholics will need to find their bottom before treatment can be successful. For some it can be the first sign of tremors or friends or loved ones’ finally confronting them with their concerns.

If you suspect that someone you care about is drinking more than they should, seek more information about alcoholism and have a frank open conversation about your concerns. And if you a professional worried about the stigma of in-patient care and your patient is ready to seek help, consider confidential outpatient options for alcohol treatment.

In a previous post about anti-craving medication, we discussed many medications that might be used to help combat alcoholism.  Anti-craving medication is a critical tool in the Freedom From Alcohol® Method; however, the program is much more than just a prescription to end your abuse of or dependence on alcohol.

Alcoholism is not caused by a missing chemical that can be replaced or permanently regulated by medication.  That said, anti-craving medication is a very useful part of the treatment of alcohol abuse or dependence and can help reduce the urge to drink alcohol or overindulge.  Even if you are attempting to curtail your drinking through abstinence, it’s not always easy to avoid social situations where alcohol is served. Anti-craving medication – along with a proven program – will help you see past the opportunity to drink and help you focus on what is best for your well being.

For example, many professionals feel pressure to participate in informal “Happy Hours” and formal client gatherings.  In reality, busy professionals who are trying to balance the reality of abuse or dependence and the need to be visible outside of the workplace often choose career ambition before well-being.  Unfortunately, alcohol abuse or dependence and a positive career path are usually mutually exclusive and those who feel compelled to attend these functions can damage their careers and their health. 

Anti-craving medications administered in alcohol treatment programs help patients resist the urge to drink and can help reduce binge drinking.  More importantly, over time, these medications clear the fog of alcohol so that the root cause of the alcoholism can be identified and treated.  Once control over alcohol is attained, a new life plan and journey can begin.

As alcoholics, we have experienced the sheer malevolent power of addiction. The disease of alcoholism takes prisoners and when it remains untreated, many will succumb to its destructive capacity. Experts call it a progressive illness since the more one abuses alcohol the worse their overall condition will become. It simply becomes progressively worse for the untreated, unfortunate alcoholic who lacks the constitution or support systems to fight back. Continue Reading »

Picture this scenario. The CFO of a fortune 500 company is sighted at a business function over-indulging in alcohol to the point where he/she becomes loud and overt in his/her conversations. Other executives take notice of this behavior and make a note to speak to Human Resources about this potential problem with alcohol and the ramifications of confronting the employee about any impending issues to this looming predicament.  Continue Reading »

Why do people in general consume alcohol? Is it because they like the taste of an exotic cocktail, or they want to appear sociable when in the company of others who are drinking? Or maybe they like the way one drink helps them relax just the tiniest bit or they enjoy a fine glass of wine with certain foods. These are totally acceptable reasons for imbibing, and millions of people who drink this way are doing so without ulterior motive. Continue Reading »

You may have been drinking for years and the cumulative effect of the alcohol and your actions has taken a toll on your health and your general existence.

Continue Reading »

As awful as an alcoholic’s life can become during the drinking days, there are times when in recovery an alcoholic will remember when things were pretty good – and this can lead to problems. Remembering when times weren’t so bad when drinking can certainly take you down memory lane – like having a few beers on a hot summer day after mowing the lawn while listening to a ball game.  An enjoyable experience at the time and if you weren’t an alcoholic this would be much more than a memory.

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“I cried to the Lord and He answered by setting me free” PSALMS 118:5

Alcoholism is such a destabilizing illness that can remove one from their life’s direction in a very short time. Heavy drinking leading to loss of family, livelihood, position in your community and your health can leave you exhausted and morally depleted. With their backs firmly against the wall and facing a frightful future, most alcoholics will turn to their Higher Power for the strength they need to make the difficult decisions. Continue Reading »