Do You Know What Your Addiction Is Doing To You?

Alcohol does many things to the human body. First, and the most important thing is that it is designed to get you feeling good and drunk as heck.  That is the main purpose in my opinion, and it does a great job at it.

Many people that drink alcohol can handle them self in a sense that they know when it is time to stop drinking alcohol and then there are those, such as myself, that don't know when enough is enough.  When we start out experimenting with drinking alcohol many of us don't realize if we are not careful this fun time drinking can turn into an addiction.  Do you know what your addiction is doing to you?  I bet not, for the simple reason, this addiction to alcohol has been slowly creeping up on you and now you can't figure out why in the world must you have alcohol every single day of your life.  Many of us can not live without this harmful poison in their bodies. We would start to go crazy and feeling on edge, nervous, shaky and the whole nine yards due to the absence of this poison we call alcohol not in your bodies.

Many people live, breathe, sleep with alcohol continuously on their minds. I have the right to say this because the minute I would wake, of course after drinking all night, my first thoughts were not, " I wonder how my day will be today." "I wonder if I will be productive today." No, the first thing I thought of was, "when is it time to have my first beer."  How pitiful is that I might ask you? I am sure many people that have an addiction to alcohol the same and some might even crack open a can of beer or take a shot of booze minutes after they wake up to start their day and get their head out of the clouds from the night before drinking alcohol.

When you start to think to yourself, what is this addiction I have doing to my life and what is it doing to my family and friends?  None of us that are addicted to alcohol ever for a moment think about the damage we are doing to our self and the hurt and pain we are causing to others, such as you family, spouse, and your children.

So, what do you think alcohol is doing to your body? 

• Are you gaining weight?
• Do you look in the mirror in disgust?
• Are you not getting along with your spouse?
• Are you feeling useless?
• Are you short with your children and friends?
• Are you missing work due to being hungover?
• Are you spending money on alcohol that you don't have to spend?
• Have you loss your positive attitude?
• Is you self esteem gone?
• Are your dream and goals put behind your addiction to alcohol?
• Are you beginning to be a loner and drink by yourself person?
• Do you head to the bars right after work?
• Do you have the "I don't give a shit attitude?"

These few things can define what and alcohol addiction can do to you.  The fact of the matter is many people that are addicted to alcohol can't even see it when it is right smack in front of their eyes.

Wake up people, as I did, and see the light and lets try to change your life around for the better with a positive attitude and living life sober.  Sobriety will never hurt or kill anyone, ALTHOUGH, your addiction to alcohol will in time make you lose your job, your family, your children, your health and in the end losing your life all because of an addiction to alcohol that can be avoided and stopped.  The only think you have to do is take action and stand up to the demons that are controlling your life.  

more » HubPages

How Life Can Change By Not Drinking Alcohol

Many alcoholics wonder how life can change by not drinking alcohol and I am here to tell you it is one remarkable journey.  To finally find sobriety in ones life is something many alcoholics don't think will ever happen.  Sobriety will certainly change your life and all those around you that love and care for you.

I can't stress it enough in my blogs and other sites I write on that sobriety is there for all those that want it, and anyone of us can achieve sobriety if you put your minds and hearts into it 110 percent.

So many of us live, breathe, and sleep with our addiction in first place in our life.  If only these people that have an addiction would realize that life is so much better living it sober.  You don't realize what you are missing out on in life by putting your addiction first before all else, and that includes the ones that put their addiction before their own families and friends.

Any of us can change our lives into a positive way if we would only look deep into what you are doing to yourself and others.  You just don't realize how grand life is because your addiction holds you back from seeking out and exploring what the world has to offer in a sober way.  I can tell you from my own experience with drinking alcohol, that surrendering to my addiction to alcohol has change the world I now live in.

Those that stand up to their addiction and what to change their life will then see what true happiness is living life sober.  I have accomplished many things since I have surrender to alcohol, such my life long dream to live where I grew up as a child and that is a home by the sea.  I would have never been able to fulfill that dream if I were still drinking alcohol.  My wife and family can now enjoy me as me and not the make believe person I was while I was drinking alcohol.

You wake up in the morning feeling healthy, refreshed, with no hangover and ready to enjoy your day all being sober and happy.  There is nothing you would be thinking of when you awake, wondering did I say or do anything last night that would have hurt someone else while I was drinking and acting like a fool?

You will enjoy each minute of each day being sober and look forward to the next. You will think and plan with your family what should you do next to have fun and enjoy each other, while if drunk you really wouldn't care now would you? I know I didn't.  I just wanted to drink and that was my day between drinking and hitting the toilet.  What a waste isn't it when you really think about it?  Don't get me wrong I am not a anti drinking guy because I loved to drink.  It's just that the drink didn't love me and wanted to destroy me and everything I had in my life.  If you can drink alcohol responsibly and not abuse it, than God Bless You.

There are millions of alcoholics in the world, including myself, that are not that fortunate enough to have a few drinks and walk away.  So, if you are one of those like myself, the answer is to stop drinking alcohol all together.  That is exactly what I did and I could not be happier.

Read more about an addiction program forever, click here.

Is Alcohol Ruining Your Life

Think about how your life was before you started drinking alcohol.  Is alcohol ruining your life or do you think you have a great life even being addicted to alcohol?

Many people would more than likely say that alcohol doesn't effect their life at all, but maybe they should take a closer look around them and see what is being effected by them being addicted to alcohol.

So many alcoholics live each day in denial and really don't see what is going on around them.  They can't see who is being effected by their addiction and who is crying inside that the alcoholic will not get out of denial and seek help.  They are basically blinded from their own addiction and don't have to willingness to surrender to the addiction that is slowly ruining their life, and I might add, slowly killing them self.

There is no one that can change an alcoholics life except the alcoholic them self.  If every person that is addicted to alcohol would stop and look at their life and those lives around them, they will realize that something is horribly going wrong.  Alcohol addiction not only ruins the addicted person's life, but their spouses, children, family and friends suffer right along with them.  The difference is that the alcoholic is slowly killing them self and making their families and friends start to become distant because of the lifestyle the alcoholic leads. So, the alcoholic is losing everything in their life ever so slowly and they don't see it coming until the bottom falls out completely and they hit rock bottom.  Then they may wake up and change their life. It's sad, but true.  Sometimes it takes a huge life upset in order for the alcoholic to realize there is no way to beat this addiction, except to surrender to it once and for all.

Alcohol will certainly ruin your life and others, but you have the power within to stop this poison from destroying everything you have.  All you need to do is admit that you have a problem and then DO SOMETHING about it to correct this addiction you have.

Once you step up to the plate and get out of the denial you are living with and take all the necessary steps to get and stay sober you will see how your life will begin to change in a positive way.  It's all up to you whether you want the life of addiction or a clean and healthy life of sobriety.  

Quit Drinking Alcohol And Start Living Life

Are you in control of your life or is your addiction to alcohol controlling life for you?  Quit drinking alcohol and start living life with doing what you want and doing it sober.

Don't let your demons control your life, because they will certainly do just that, and even more.  They will ruin everything you worked so hard to get in you life.  Alcohol can and will destroy you slow, but sure if you let your drinking get out of hand.  An addiction just doesn't pop up over night.  It takes time as you know.  There is no time frame that you will become addicted to alcohol, because these addictions sneak up on all of us slowly and before you know it, you are asking yourself, "what just happened to my life?" Your life will become out of control.  You will start to think unclear and make bad and hasty decisions.

Things start to happen such as missing work because of a bad night out drinking alcohol.  You begin to argue with your spouse or boy/girl friends.  You begin to get distant from you family and friends so that you can drink in peace with not being hassled by those that love and care for you.

Your addiction starts to take over your life and before you know it your addiction to alcohol is your first priority and everything else becomes secondary, including your own well being and your families and friends.  I can say this because this is what happened to me.  Don't let your addictions run your life, because an addiction will if you are not strong enough to say no more.

You may think it is impossible, but it is very possible to quit drinking alcohol if you have it in your mind and heart to change your life and live it clean and sober.  You need to admit that you have a huge drinking problem, and if you can get out of the denial you have been living in and face the facts you are an alcoholic and need and want help, sobriety will follow.

Granted, it will take much work and strong determination to get and stay sober, but what in life doesn't need hard work to make something good come out of it?

Having a positive attitude in life will indeed help you in quitting drinking.  Many people live their lives in a negative way and think they mean nothing in life, so they drink alcohol to ease the pain of feeling useless.  They are doing this to themselves.  Alcohol certainly helps get you into a negative mode and you then lose your self esteem and feel helpless to your addiction, but the thing is, you are not helpless or useless.  You are a human being and people do love and care about you.  The problem is you are beginning to be blinded by your addiction to alcohol and can't see past your addiction.  You might want to try sobriety out and see just how life can be lived without your addiction being with you.

You have to learn to love yourself and do good for yourself.  Respect yourself and believe in yourself.  There is a life after an addiction, believe it or not.  I thought there was no life at all without carrying my crutch everywhere I went and I am sure many alcoholics feel the same.

How To Face Your Inner Demons

Have you ever had something or someone in your life that you were scared to death to face?  How afraid are you to face that situation?  There is one thing many people that are addicted to alcohol are afraid to face and that is their addiction and the demons that lie deep with in them.

You have to be a strong and determined person to know how to face your inner demons.  Many of us learn the hard way and then there are those that nip it in the bud before it gets out of hand. The sad part is that we don't know what to expect when we decide to get clean and sober and are scared to death to live without our crutch and addiction by our side.  I know I was so afraid of how my body would react with the absence of alcohol and I am very sure every person with an addiction that wants to get sober feels the same.

We all have to learn to face our demons and addictions head on and not let anything or anyone stand in the way of us achieving long term sobriety.  I know it sounds easier said than done, but if you want a better life for you and your family you have to face this addiction problem head on and full force.

First and foremost, you have to want to change your life and get clean and sober in order to face your demons.  If you are not ready to stop drinking all together and completely then it will hard to face anything including your inner demons.

Be stronger than your addiction and stop letting your demons and addiction run and ruin your one and only life you have. Anything can be achieved in life including sobriety if you really want it bad enough.

Look at yourself, you are getting tired and more depressed each and everyday.  You think you are nothing in this world we live and no one even cares about you so why not just drink alcohol to ease the pain.  Don't run from your problems and turn to alcohol to try and solve them because I can tell you, "IT WILL NOT WORK", it only makes matters much worse.

So if you really want sobriety in your life again then I would advise you to stand up for who you are and stop drinking or using.  Stand up to your inner demons and start living the clean life like you were meant to do.

What Is A Functioning Alcoholic

Can you handle your alcohol? How do you get along each day with or without alcohol in your life?
Do you miss work or late to work because of a hard night before "drinking alcohol?"

What is a functioning alcoholic, and do you think you are one?  For myself, I would certainly consider myself a functioning alcoholic.  I never missed worked because of my drinking.  I went to work and preformed my job just like the sober ones, but the difference with me was my head was in a fog for most of the day until evening when I was right back to the beer and the fog would disappear and I thought I was thinking straight again.

The booze really does tricks on your mind and body don't you think?  There are so many people that are addicted to alcohol and go about their everyday lives as if they didn't drink at all and many people may not even know that these people have an addiction or a problem at all.  Have you ever heard the old saying, "I never knew he/she drank till I saw them sober?"

That is so true, but we are only fooling our self and no one else.  Even though we can function in our everyday lives does not mean we are not an alcoholic.  It seems that many that are functioning everyday and drinking at night gives the impression to their self that they do not have an addiction to alcohol problem.  That is exactly what I thought and I was dead wrong for sure.  It took me many years, as it may for those that have an addiction to alcohol, but hide it well, to admit there is a huge problem with our drinking and something must be done before the days that you never miss at work because of drinking, turn into something totally different and start to go into a full addiction and may change your life forever.

It can only go on for so long until something happens to your health, your job, your family life and possibly your own life.

So if you think by being a functioning alcoholic gives you the permission to continue to drink alcohol, you are mistaking, exactly what I thought.  Now clean and sober for over two years now, and counting, I now realize alcohol means nothing to me and I don't need it to have a so called great life. Having a great life revolves around sobriety and the ability to think and act straight and clear minded. Out of site, out of mind.

As the months and years have passed I totally have forgotten about my past addiction to alcohol and have not looked back only forward to a more and more brighter future and a clean and sober life.

The only time I think about alcohol now, is when I am writing about it, and that's the extent of it. Goodbye forever my addiction, you will never be missed, but not forgotten of how you almost destroyed my life!!

Overcoming The Fear Of Getting Sober

Have you ever thought to yourself how sobriety and living a clean life could change your life?  Are you afraid of getting sober? Have you ever thought to yourself by overcoming the fear of getting sober would change your life in so many ways?

I am here to tell you, that there is nothing to be afraid of when you want to get sober and live a life of sobriety.  I too was scared to death when I decided to get sober and I have to say the fear almost stopped me from even trying to get clean and sober.

Many people in our world have had many fears and things that they are truly afraid of trying, but if you are afraid of change, or simply trying to change, you will be stuck in the rut that you are presently in.  Being addicted to alcohol for so years seems like it is a huge part of my and your life and we are afraid to let it go and live life without our crutch.

Any of us can overcome anything in life including the fear of getting sober if we set our minds to it and have that pure determination to make a change.  Never be afraid of sobriety, but be afraid of what your addiction is and will do to you and your family.  That's the thing you must be afraid of my friends, your addiction!

Set you mindset and get the strength you need to overcome your addiction and get sober. If you have it in your heart to get sober than you will achieve it.  This holds true for anything in life as well.

Believe in yourself and be not afraid of getting sober for it will be the best thing you have ever done in your life, and when you have achieved your sobriety, you will thank yourself for standing strong to your demons and not letting them take over and run your life anymore.

Drinking Alcohol In Moderation

For all those that are addicted to alcohol, is drinking alcohol in moderation the way to go?  Can drinking alcohol for the alcoholic be controlled or should they just not drink at all?

For myself, I was not the kind of person that could have two or three beers or mixed drinks and call it the night till the next time.  No, I had to drink until I got that buzz my body longed for.  As many people that are addicted to alcohol they can't drink in moderation because once they start there is no end in site until the booze is gone or they are plastered.

It takes great will and strength to know when you have had enough and to limit yourself before you even walk out the door to go to a party or meet some friends at the local bar.  You need to set your limit of how much alcohol you will consume that evening. 

If you set your alcohol intake to 3 or 4 drinks, than that is all you can have, but many of us have great intentions to stick to our 3 or 4 drinks, but once we start having a good time and realize that we have hit our limit for the night we tend to cheat and say, "I'll just have one or two more drinks.  Well, if that's the case then we can not drink in moderation because if we could we would of stopped at the limit we set before we went out for the evening.

I truly believe that people, including myself are just fooling ourselves saying we have set our limit, but if you are not going to stick by your word then there is no reason to even set a limit at all.  These are the people that just should stop drinking all together, in which I did.

I could never stay true to my daily consumption, so why even try.  I knew in the back of my mind it would never work.  It didn't work in the past and would never work now, so I simply surrendered and quit drinking all together in which I might add was the best thing I have ever done in my life.

It's pretty sad when one can not even trust their self.  This is when you must decide what is best for you and your health.  I wish, and I am sure many alcoholics wish they could drink in moderation, but unfortunately it isn't possible for all.  I love my drink just as much as the next person, but it tends to be hard to stop and know when enough is enough, so in that case I must not drink at all.  I recommend to those with the same problem to not torture yourself and destroy you life with the tease of alcohol.  If you can't drink on occasion or in moderation just quit as I did and believe me you can have more sober fun that being that alcoholic drunk that doesn't even remember the night before.

So, if you think and know for a fact that you can not drink alcohol in moderation then you should consider doing what I did and that is to surrender all together and start living a clean and sober life.  You will not regret living a life a life of sobriety.  You will begin to start feeling your old self again and much happier and healthier.

Always stay positive and continue to keep a positive attitude in everything you do in life and by doing so things will start to look up and you will overcome your addiction to alcohol.  Stay focused, determined and have the willingness to change your life, and by doing these things you will find your sobriety once again.