Jun
14
2009
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!
Nov
24
2008
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 »
Nov
17
2008
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 »
Oct
07
2008
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 »
Sep
26
2008
When you reach the point in your recovery where you dare step out and once again experience life, you should not forget to give yourself the encouragement you require to continue moving forward. Sometimes early in recovery we are so caught up in avoiding alcohol and that which makes us drink that we forget that we’ve done a pretty good job to get to this point in our sobriety.
Continue Reading »
Aug
11
2008
How does an alcoholic identify when he or she needs to adjust their way of thinking to be more receptive to a quality recovery?
What are the obvious signs of ego and how can they be overcome?
Everyone has an ego and some even need it to be successful, it is an integral part of who they are and what they do. To an alcoholic, an over inflated view of themselves is dangerous. Continue Reading »
Aug
06
2008
Bolte-Taylor’s horrifying yet exhilarating experience has convinced her that we all have the ability to access our right brain and the astonishing consciousness that exists and is waiting for us to tap into. We all have energy around us that is dictated by our right brain. We must find a way to make our right brain function or this creative energy source that is with us always, be the more dominant brain activity. To let ourselves go and explore the energy source that’s always available to us. Continue Reading »
Jul
31
2008
Once we have made a commitment to others and ourselves that we will do something about our drinking the situation becomes remedial. Nothing else takes priority over staying away from alcohol. It does not matter how badly you were addicted, the fact you chose to stop means you knew you had a problem. To what degree matters little since alcoholism is a progressive disease and once it has hold of you, it only gets worse.
Continue Reading »
Jun
18
2008
When it comes to alcohol abuse, there are no class divisions. Everyone is equally susceptible to the siren-like pull of its addiction. The drunkard on a bar stool each night drinking beer and shots after a shift cleaning other people’s offices is no different from the CEO of a bank drinking a three-martini lunch when it comes to alcohol dependence. The cure is the same for both, there isn’t one. Only a lifetime of vigilance, avoidance, abstinence or modified drinking behavior will help both alcoholics.The detoxification from the alcohol may be more or less severe depending on different factors; each will suffer through a withdrawal based on the severity of their dependence. Physical health will be equally affected, pre-existing conditions aside. Emotional factors may vary based on mental capacity and again any pre-existing mental impairment. Rehabilitation and level of care may show understandable differences based on the ability to pay. Obviously, there are financial considerations for available forms of treatment for one alcoholic over the other. Continue Reading »
Jun
09
2008
94% of the time they miss the diagnosis of alcoholism
If you have decided you’re going to do something about your alcohol problem, talking to your doctor about treatment will probably do some good. As long as you are frank and honest about your drinking problem your primary physician will likely assist you with the help you need to attain sobriety. However, if you expect your doctor to confront you about your drinking problem based on an examination with no input from you, chances are your drinking problem will go undiagnosed. Continue Reading »