Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Words From One Alcoholic To Another

Here are my words from one alcoholic to another and my questions to you.

Can you say that you love yourself?
Can you say you love your families and friends?
Can you say you put your addictions above all else?
Can you stop your alcohol or drug addiction?
Can you say you love your addiction more than anything else in your life?
Can you say you are happier being drunk or high?

These are just a few questions to think about if you are suffering from an addiction of any kind and don't know where to turn or how to get clean and sober.  My advice to you goes as follows, and this is only my personal experiences with drinking alcohol and not Medical advise to you.

Lets start with question number one shall we, regarding, do you love yourself.  I think anyone suffering from an addiction has a underlying problem deep down in them self and doesn't know how to express their feelings, so they keep this inside and possibly drink or use to get a release from whatever maybe bothering them deep down inside.  Many of us may not really know what the problem is, but know something is not right with their life.  I felt that something was bothering me inside, but couldn't pin point exactly what it was, so I drank alcohol to get that feeling of freedom from whatever problem was bugging me and before I knew it I was addicted. I now know that drinking alcohol never did answer that mysterious question of what was bothering me deep down and in fact, drinking alcohol will never fix or heal anything.  It will only mask the problem for a short time until you sober up and reality sets back in.

Question number two is in regards to loving your families and friends so do you really love them and have unconditional love?  We all say "I love you" but do you really mean it or just saying it to save face?  Can you honestly say you love your families and friends enough to stop drinking or using drugs?  I bet not only because your addiction has taken over your life and is first and for most number one in your life and everything else is secondary and above all, you really don't love them because you are hurting all of them deeply by your actions and behaviors regarding your addictions.

Question number three is in regards to putting your addiction above all else and I can honestly say that I did put my addiction before anything and never thought once about who I hurt by doing so.  There are some tell tail signs that I can tell you regarding my actions and putting my alcohol addiction first above all.  I will never go anywhere unless there was alcohol being served and if it wasn't served I would bring and hide my own stash.  It is like having a broken leg and you need to bring your crutch with you to help you deal with your broken leg and help you walk.  Well alcohol was my crutch and I didn't feel comfortable going anywhere without it.  I am sure just about any alcoholic can and will agree with me by their actions and the way their life is without their own crutch. Addiction come first for the alcoholic and everything else is next in line.

Question number four is about stopping drinking and using of drugs.  Do you think you can walk away from your addiction and never look back.  Of course you can, But you really don't want to for the fear that lies inside of you and your fear of how you will survive without you addiction in your life.  When I quit drinking alcohol, I was scared to death and I fear of how my body would react with the absence of the alcohol I learned to love and what was a huge part of my life.  Any of us can quit drinking or using if and only if you have made your mind up that you have had enough and what your old life of sobriety back.  When you have finally made your mind up to surrender to your addiction and have admitted you have a problem and need help is when you life will begin to turn around all for the better, but you must be determined and willing to do what it takes to make this huge change in your life..

Question number five is loving your addiction more than anything else in life and I can say for myself, I loved to drink alcohol and treasured the feeling it gave me and the confidence and so called strength it gave me, so I thought.  I would be mingling with the best of the drinking and felt so in with the other alcoholic. I felt like I really fit in with all that were in the same boat as I was saying to myself that this is a great life and the hip thing to do.  I would say that anyone that didn't drink alcohol didn't know what life was really about and just to have fun.  Man was I dead wrong on that one.  Now sober I feel so sorry for those that are still addicted to this horrible disease of alcoholism and this is exactly why I write every night in hopes I will hit home to someone in need of a clean and sober life.

Question number six is all about being happy and if you think you are a happier person being drunk or high.  Many people that are addicted to drugs or alcohol really forget what true happiness is in their life.  Many of the addicted think by drinking or using will make them a happy person, but in fact they are getting more and more depressed as each drink is drank and each drug is used.  Sure in the beginning you think, wow this crap is good and I feel like I am on the top of the world and nothing is bothering me now as long as I continue to stay buzzed.  Yeah right, what about when the buzz wears off?  How do you feel then?  I bet you felt like crap, and this is exactly why we drink and use again, to get that feeling of so called happiness back into our life.  In fact, we are all drinking our life away.  As each day passes, you will never be able to regain that day back again.  It is gone forever.  If you really want to experience true happiness in your life, try changing it and stop drinking alcohol and work on getting and staying clean and sober.  Remember, we all are here on earth but one time so why not be happy in a natural way and clean way. 

I am not a Doctor or a Therapist by no means, but I can tell you a few things about drinking alcohol and how to ruin your life if you let your addiction get the best of you.  I am here to say that I am clean and sober for over two years and my life couldn't be better, so why can't you at least give sobriety a shot and give your one and only life you have a second chance and let yourself experience true happiness in the light of being Clean and Sober.

5 comments:

  1. Any suggestions for someone that has an addicted friend that does not want to change? His addictions are alcohol and porn. I care for him deeply. He just fell down stairs in his home, broke ribs, does not want to change. This was on xmas eve, with his son in the house.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous, I am sorry to hear about your friend, but sometimes it takes a long time and many down falls in an alcoholics life before he/she realizes that they must change there way of life or simply die from their own addiction that is so avoidable if if want it to be. It took me many years to come to my senses and realize I had a real problem. The reason it took so long was that I simply was not ready to surrender to my alcohol addiction and until that happens to your friend there is nothing anyone can do until he is ready to stop drinking. I wish you all the luck and continue to give support and try to make him realize life is good being sober and he doesn't need to slowly destroy himself. It can be stopped before it is too late. Support him NOT enable him.
    God Bless and stay strong.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks for the feedback. Because of the pain from broken ribs, he has strong pain meds now which he is taking with alcohol. I told him if he wants to ruin his life, so be it, but don't jeopardize anyone else's. He owns a business, they drink at the office after work, people gift him expensive wine, scotch, booze. His brother(business partner)has a big drinking problem, wife wants intervention, black outs, ect. Son drinks, smokes pot, Dad see's it as no biggy. I feel helpless. I was a drinker years ago, sober 2 years now, I know the pain alcohol causes and feel helpless watching this talented man choose to go down the tubes. He had a mild heart attack and now has a heart stint. He thinks he is 'bullet proof'. Yikes, but I guess there is nothing I can do...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous- i am so sorry for taking so long to reply to your comment. man your friend is really in denial. Yes many alcoholics think they are bullet proof. I was one of those 4 years ago. Congrats on your 2 years sober. That is so wonderful!! I hope and pray your friend snaps out of this horrible life he leads. Hopefully he will see the light and change his life around for the better. Hang in there and I will pray for you and him.

      Delete
  4. Great read and an interesting perspective. I haven't had a drink for 14 months and work very hard at keeping it that way. My life is amazing and I wouldn't swap it for the hell that is alcohol addiction and was my life until I stopped drinking. Although I am in AA and am a believer in the 12 step program I still enjoy reading other people's perspectives. Great post.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for reading and I hope these articles help you in your quest to live a clean and sober life.