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.