Catch Yourself Before You Fall Into An Addiction

How many people do you know that have fallen into an addiction? They don't get addicted because they are out for a death wish I can tell that much. I had fallen into an alcohol addiction myself, but over many years of drinking alcohol I had fallen, and caught myself, and picked myself up.

Catch yourself before you fall into an addiction. These addictions whether be drugs, alcohol, hoarding, sex, eating and many more things that people get addicted to are controllable if you have the strength to walk away and not let those demons inside you take over your life.

I was one of those people that just didn't have the strength to say no and walk away from the demons that controlled my life. I admit, I was weak and didn't really care what happened to me, but as I didn't know, I wasn't only ruining my life, I was ruining the ones that loved and cared for me, my family and wife.

The way to catch yourself before you fall into an addiction is to don't start doing drugs or drinking alcohol to start with. Yes, I know, you may think I am talking crazy, How can we predict if we will get addicted to any type of drug when first starting our experimenting with drinking or using?

Don't get me wrong I am not anti-drinking because I loved to drink, and loved how it made me feel, but the point is, I didn't know when to stop. I didn't know when enough was enough. I didn't know how to catch myself before I became fully addicted to alcohol. I'm sure any alcoholic, such as myself, the first thing we think of when we open our blood shot eyes in the morning, is what time is it, and when should I start drinking alcohol again?

Now being clean and sober for over 5 years now, and looking back on those dim days of my life, I can not believe I let those demons control my life like they did, and how they control millions of other people's lives all over the world the same way.

It is pitiful and sad that this liquid can destroy a humans life and everything that belongs to us humans, including spouses, families and friends.

We must be stronger than our addiction. Many of us will learn the hard way, and in some cases it will unfortunately be death by addiction. A overdose, drinking so much that you get alcohol poisoning and losing our good health, our looks, our families and friends all for the love of alcohol.

Think about it as I did. Is it really worth all of that because we are just plain weak and can't stand up to our demons and shut them down in their tracks. Learn the word "NO." Learn to live without your crutch.

Remember God gave all of us only one life, so we should use this beautiful gift of life to the fullest and not destroy it with drugs and alcohol. If you are addicted to anything, think about giving your only life a second chance.

You can read more in my other blog Crushing Alcohol Addiction.

Are You Proud Of Your Sobriety Date?

For anyone that has been addicted to drugs or alcohol for a good part of their lives, sobriety seems like it would never be in their future, but I am here to tell you, anyone can get and stay sober if you want to change your life as I did over 5 years ago.

When the person with an addiction decides they want out of this horrible addiction they have the question comes to mind, "will I be able to live a life without alcohol or drugs?"
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That was the very question I asked myself 5 years ago when I stopped drinking alcohol. It sure was hard. When a person has had drugs or alcohol in their life for so long and depend on it throughout their everyday life, it is very hard to just say goodbye, in fact it is a scary thought.  At least it was for me.

The happiest and most scariest day for me was the day I decided to surrender to the demons that have ran my life and other lives for so long.  I finally got out of the denial I lived in for so long thinking, "I don't have an addiction and anyone that thinks I do are totally nuts."  I just like my alcohol.  Dead wrong statement for sure! I was addicted, and like I said, when I finally admitted it I was on my way to recovery and a sober life.

For all the alcoholics and drug addicts out there that have got sober the question is, "Are you proud of your sobriety date?"  I know I am and can't wait till that date comes around each year.

October 27th 2009 is my sobriety date.  The time flew by and I still can not believe I have been clean and sober for 5 + years. granted in the beginning it was a tough ride wondering to myself, "will I be able to do this life change?"

I stayed positive and kept telling myself.  "I will not let my demons run or ruin my life for one more second."

Be proud of your sobriety date as I am.  Brag to all that told you that you were an alcoholic or drug addict.  Show them it is possible for anyone with an addiction to change their life around.

Now 5 years later I write each and every night on many different websites trying to get the word out to people that are struggling with an addiction, that there is always hope for all involved.  So make up your mind to change your life and just do it.  You will be surprised of just how strong you really are, when in fact you thought you were doomed for life with your addiction.

Alcohol Abuse - DEATH by Self-Destruction

For anyone that abuses alcohol must know what the outcome will be in the future right?  If you don't know, then this title should tell it all. Alcohol Abuse - DEATH by self-destruction is how I would word it.  Sooner or later your alcohol abuse will catch up with you and it will not be a pretty thing.

Sooner or later your alcohol abuse will start to effect your health, if it hasn't all ready.  We really don't know what our bodies are doing inside right?  Sooner or later our body will tell us, and then it may be too late to fix or heal anything.

All of us alcoholics are killing ourselves slow, but sure.  It is really sad to see all the people that abuse alcohol ruining their lives with drinking too much and not knowing when enough is enough.  For these alcoholics it is never enough.  I would know, because back 5 years ago it was never enough alcohol to please me and get me to that state of mind alcohol did to me.

Probably many of you that read my articles are getting sick and tired of hearing about alcohol, and if so, that is too bad, just leave the site. I will continue to write about alcohol, and what your life will be like if you don't change your ways, until my fingers no longer move on this keyboard.

I know what can happen because alcohol was my life for many of years until I finally realized where my life was headed, and it was not good. So, I got out of the denial I lived in for so long and changed my life for the better, and I have to tell you, it was the best thing I could have ever done in my life.

No one just wakes up one morning and says to themselves, "I think I will abuse alcohol or do drugs to self-destruct myself."

That is not how it happens as you may know.  We start off drinking alcohol, and in many cases nowadays, at a very young age, just to see what alcohol feels like and how we would feel drunk.  Then you like the way alcohol makes you feel, BUT now it takes more alcohol to get to that buzz you had the first time and then it escalates to more and more alcohol and before you know it you can't live without it. You are addicted and alcohol now is running your life.  The same thing goes for drugs, although I never used them, so I am not a expert on telling you what drugs do, but I do know it too will kill you in the end just as abusing alcohol will do.

Don't self-destruct yourself with something that is very avoidable.  The way out of this self-destructing life is to simply NOT DRINK OR USE DRUGS.

IT'S THAT SIMPLE!

ALCOHOL ADDICTION - Where Is Your Life Headed?

Unfortunately, there are millions of people that have an alcohol addiction, and in other cases addicted to drugs as well. It is so sad to see so many people in the world having these addictions that will in the end ruin their life, and the lives they share, and in other cases, DEATH by self-destruction.

Here are a few things from my own experiences of being addicted to alcohol, and have been tagged as an alcoholic for the rest of my life. I made my bed so I must now lie in it right, BUT I was strong enough to admit that I had an alcohol problem and I did something to change my life.  I stopped drinking alcohol and couldn't happier.

Alcohol addiction, and where your life is headed is something to really think about if you care to live a longer, healthier and happier life.

I thought many times over the many years I drank alcohol that I should really slow down or quit drinking alcohol for good, BUT I didn't have the willpower to just stop drinking and never touch alcohol  again.

I thought, "how can I survive without alcohol in my life. Wouldn't life be boring I thought to myself."  "What would my drinking buddies think if I decided to just stop drinking?"

Well, back in October of 2009 it finally hit me and I thought, "where is my life headed if I continue to drink and ABUSE alcohol?"

1.  I thought long and hard of my past with drinking and abusing alcohol.
2.  I thought of the hurt I put on others by my actions, and things I said to the ones that loved me and          cared for me.
3.  I thought of all the money I was blowing on alcohol when my family needed more important things        such as food.
4.  I thought about all the quality time and family gatherings I missed out on because I wanted to stay          home and drink.
5.  I thought about my health and what my physical appearance started to look like.
6.  I looked in the mirror and said to myself, "I look like crap and not what I used to look like."

Do any of these statements ring a bell to you yet?  I hope so because I think all of us alcoholics have thought about this, and deep down wanted to get sober, but we just didn't have to willpower to stop.

Well, for myself the statements above made my make a change in my life and a HUGE change in my family's life as well.

Any of us can do this, as I did, if you truly want a new life for yourself.  It just takes some Massive Action on your part to make this happen for you.  It won't be easy, BUT anything good in life doesn't come easy and that includes GETTING and STAYING SOBER.

God Bless all of you that are suffering from an addiction. You can do it!!! It is worth trying and trying HARD. You will not be sorry you changed your life, I Promise You!

Why Alcoholics Are Afraid Of Sobriety

For all those people out there in the world that loved to drink and abuse alcohol, something has happen to many of them, and that is, they couldn't live one day without alcohol.  They turned into an alcoholic and they ask themselves "why alcoholics are afraid of sobriety?"

There are millions of people in the world that are suffering with this addiction to alcohol and they are afraid to change their lives and live their life clean and sober.

It is truly hard to stop drinking alcohol.  I know this because I was one of those alcoholics that never wanted to change my life for the simple reason, I depended on alcohol as part of my everyday life.

I was afraid of sobriety as many alcoholic are.  We are so used to having alcohol each and everyday and hesitate to change because we don't know what we will feel like without alcohol on our lives, so we continue to drink and abuse alcohol.

The more we drink, the more we want and need to get to that buzz we had the last time.  It takes more and more to get to that point of feeling good, buzzed or just plastered drunk.

It truly is a sad thing, because each day we drink and abuse alcohol we are missing out on one more precious sober day.

For myself, I loved to drink just as much as the next person.  I couldn't go one day without drinking and getting to that point of feeling buzzed or drunk.  Many of us are functioning alcoholics, as I was and I am not ashamed to say so.  I messed up my life and the people that shared my life.  I takes a strong person to say, " I have had enough and I want my sobriety back into my life."

Sometimes it takes many years to realize that a change has to be made as it took many years for me to do so, but I finally did it and couldn't be happier today.  I never knew what a day, week or month felt like being sober.  In fact, now as I write this I have been sober for over 5 years and I continue to write about alcohol addiction in hope to help someone out in the world that is suffering from the addiction I had.

So you ask, "why alcoholics are afraid of sobriety?"  The answer I can come up with is through my experiences with drinking and abusing alcohol.
1. We are so used to having alcohol in our bodies each and everyday.
2. We are afraid of being without alcohol even for one day, for the fear of how we will feel without it.
3. Many alcoholics are afraid of what their drinking buddies will think of them if they become clean and sober and decide to change their life around.
4. Many alcoholics are of getting sick with the DT's if they stop drinking alcohol.  (In that case those people should seek a Rehab. Center to detox in a safe manner with the proper medical help.)

Don't be afraid to change your life for the better, because in the long run, you will thank yourself for making that change.  REMEMBER: Everyone of us are here on Earth just one time, so why would we want to live our one and only life drunk, and miss out on the precious things life has to offer, and that includes having quality time with our loved one, such as your Parents, Spouses, Children and in many cases Grandchildren. 

Fighting For Your Life In Recovery

When someone has been addicted to alcohol or drugs for most of their lives there comes a time that many will say, "enough is enough".  This was my life while drinking and abusing alcohol for many years.

I started drinking alcohol at the age of nineteen because of something that came into my life that I felt I couldn't handle being sober, so I took up drinking thinking this would be the fix all of my problems, and was I ever wrong.

Nothing got fix, in fact with drinking and abusing this drug over the years I depended on alcohol each and everyday as a result.  As the years went by I realized, "I am an alcoholic!" I thought that just drinking to feel good would wind up me being an alcoholic in the future.

There was one thing though.  I knew deep down inside that I was addicted to alcohol, but I just never wanted to admit to others, and I in turn I really lived in denial.  I told myself, and other I could stop drinking alcohol anytime I wanted, but I knew for a fact that this addiction to alcohol got the best of me and it showed according to others that knew me, including my wife and children.

Fighting for your life in Recovery would be the next thing I would have to do, once I finally got out of the denial I lived in for so long, and decided to get and stay sober.

As you all might know, especially those alcoholics out there that are reading this, it is not a easy thing to say goodbye to the one thing you love and depend on each and everyday.

If I wanted to save my family, and in the long run, save my own life, I would have to surrender to the demons that had control of my life and the lives of my family.

On the night of October 26, 2009 I finally made up my mind to surrender once and for all to the demons of alcohol.  I sat in the garage as I usually did all alone ready to open my first of many beers for that night and all of a sudden a voice came in to my head.  That voice was the voice of God,

Many of you may not believe it, and then some of you just might.  I wrote a hub on this experience of the night of October 26th and it is titled "A Life Changing Whisper."

That was the night that changed my life.  To be able to hear the words of God in my head.  I sat with a beer in my hand not even opened yet.  I sat and listened to the words spoken to me and to tell you truth those words frightened me to death, because I knew right then that I MUST do something to change my life right that moment.

I put the beer down, that I never opened, and said to myself, "tomorrow October 27, 2009 will be the change in my life, and I will never ever pick up a alcoholic drink for the rest of my life."

October 27th is only day away as I write this and it will be 5 years clean and sober for me.  This is something I never thought I could ever do.  I thought all those years that I drank, why stop drinking now, the damage is already done with all the years I drank and abused alcohol, so why bother now was my words for many years."  I was wrong in that statement I said to myself.

So ever since that day in October of 2009 my life has changed in so many ways, but believe me it was not easy to say goodbye to my addiction, BUT I did it and so can you!

Remember, each and everyone of us only have one life to live, so why would we destroy it with an avoidable addiction to either alcohol or drugs?

I truly can't believe in a few days I will be clean and sober for 5 years! My sobriety not only changed my life, but I have changed the lives of my wife, children, families members and dear friends, and I am not talking about the so called friends I drank with because they are all out of my life ever since I stopped drinking alcohol, for we now have nothing in common.  Sad to say, But very true.

So just remember, you need to fight for your life while in recovery, because everyday there may be some type of temptation or urge to drink again.  I (we) will always be alcoholics no matter how you look at it, but we all must be stronger than the demons that once ran our lives, and other lives that we were so close to.

Be strong each and everyday of you new life. Stay clean and sober and try to help others as I do to make them understand that there is HOPE for every alcoholic and drug addict. 

If you get sober and just happen to relapse, get back up and try again until you get it right. Anything is possible in life if you truly want it bad enough and that includes a life of  long term sobriety!

Why Do So Many People Abuse Alcohol?

Here is a question for us all of us that drink and abuse alcohol.  "Why do so many people abuse alcohol?"

These are my thoughts, and my experiences of why I drank and abused alcohol, and maybe some of my thoughts here may reflect on your life as a person that abuses alcohol to the extent of being addicted to it.

• I thought that drinking and abusing alcohol would solve any problem I might of had at that moment and beyond.
• I thought that more people would take a liking to me because I was cool and drank alcohol.
• I felt as if I could really speak my mind more openly without being nervous when speaking.
• I thought that I knew all the answers to everything when I drank.
• I thought that I was a fun person when I drank and acted like a fool.

The fact is that I just loved the feeling that alcohol gave me.  When I first tried alcohol at a very age it was just out of curiosity and a experiment with the guys.  That curiosity and so called experiment turned into an addiction to alcohol.  I couldn't live a day without it as the years went by and was so used to having the buzz that alcohol gave me, it turned out to be a huge part of my everyday living.

I didn't mean to get addicted to alcohol.  I didn't wake up one day and say, "I want to be an alcoholic."  This goes for anyone that has an addiction of any sorts.

I never knew by drinking alcohol as just an experiment with my friends would turn out to be a horrible addiction to it.  This crap we call alcohol, if we are not careful will take hold of your body and soul and then watch out, because once those demons get hold of you it will be hard to get rid of them.  It took years and years to get my demons off my shoulders.

PLEASE don't let alcohol get the best of you because we all know that once addicted your life will slowly change for the worse.  You will begin to loss everything one by one as I came so close to doing until I finally had the strength and willpower to say NO MORE and finally surrendered to my inner demons.  

I have to tell you that by quitting drinking has changed my life completely around all for the better.  If I knew, in which deep down I did know, I would of stopped drinking alcohol years ago, but that is the past and now I am working on my recovery and my long term sobriety and know I am beating the demons inside of me each and everyday.

Don't let alcohol ruin your life and the lives of all the people that are in your life.  Be strong and have the willingness and desire to change your life as I did.

If I could do this and get sober so can anyone that has an addiction to alcohol.  Keep that positive attitude in your life every single day and believe if you want sobriety back into your life than it will happen just like it happened to me.

Don't get me wrong, I am not against having a couple of social drinks with family and friends, BUT if you can not control your drinking and drink responsibly then you should consider not drinking at all.  That was the huge problem I had.  I could not just have one or two drinks and call it a day.  It was never enough alcohol for me once I got started drinking. I needed to feel that buzz my body longed for each and everyday. If you feel you can not get sober on your own then PLEASE ask for the help you need to help you get sober and live that beautiful life of sobriety!

You can read more of my articles written on HubPages on addictions, sobriety, positive attitudes, Jersey Shore Living and much more right HERE.
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I Quit Drinking Alcohol So Now What?

So I quit drinking alcohol so now what is the question I asked myself, and I am sure many people that have quit drinking have asked the same question to themselves.

Now what?  Well you are about to start and new and joyous life, BUT you have to stick to your guns and never let those alcohol demons back into your life.  This is where it gets hard for many alcoholics after they have stopped drinking alcohol.

They are bored.  They don't know what to do with themselves because they were so used to having a drink in hand and being in bars and pubs drinking them up with their drinking buddies.  At least this was the life I had, and I am not speaking for anyone else, but I am sure those that have this addiction to alcohol understand exactly what I am talking about.

WHAT IS NEXT YOU MIGHT ASK?

• You quit drinking, and you are now sober, and the next step is to stay sober.
• You  can now enjoy your life sober and start spending quality time with your loved ones that maybe you never did when addicted to alcohol.
• You will be able to start saving money that you were spending on alcohol and not on your families.
• You can now see for your eyes how you are starting to change not only physically, but mentally.
• You can start living the life you so well deserve.
• You need to stay away from things, places and people that will tempt you to start drinking again.
• There will be so many things will be able to do now being sober, such as getting behind the wheel of you automobile without any worries of getting into an accident because of being drunk, being pulled over and getting that DUI. 
• YOU WILL BE FREE!

Granted, there will be days in the beginning, and even far into sobriety, but you can not give in no matter what it takes to say NO!

I have had many times in my recovery that I just wanted to throw in the towel and take a drink. Why?
The reason was maybe that day something went wrong in my life or something just didn't work out like I'd planed it to.  I stood my grounds to my demons and say NO I can not do this!

Back in October of 2009 I made a promise to myself that no matter what happens in my life, good or bad I will never pick up an alcoholic drink again, and I am a man of my word and would never break a promise especially to myself.  Sure it was hard to say NO I can't do this, but as the minutes passed by that urge and temptation to drink passed.  I knew if I gave it some time that feeling and urge to drink would go away, and it did.

You have to be a strong person and much stronger than your inner demons.  The demons are waiting for you and I to mess up and start drinking again.  This way if you and I do drink alcohol again our demons will have full control of our lives once more, but this time if we break and drink it will be harder to get rid of this demons that are out to kill us.
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So get sober, stay sober, and start to live the clean life like I have since 2009 and will continue for many years to come.

Abusing Alcohol And Your Life Ahead

I have nothing against anyone that drinks alcohol, but abusing alcohol and your life ahead can be disastrous in the upcoming years.

What I mean here is that drinking to much, or doing to much of anything can be harmful.  For a guy like myself, I only wished I could drink only one or two social drinks, but in my case, and in many cases, we that abuse alcohol just don't when we have had enough to drink.  We continue to drink until we have had our fill of alcohol for the day and get to that buzz or high we all long for.

I have been sober since October of 2009 and have not touched a drop of alcohol, although there were many times I had that urge or temptation to pick up that drink and get drunk just like the old times.

I made a promise to myself back in October of 2009, telling myself I will never touch another drop of alcohol no matter how good or bad my life get.  I continue to keep a positive attitude at all times and continue to tell myself that drinking and abusing alcohol helps nothing in life, in fact it only make matters worse.

You will never realize what you were doing to your bodies and those people that loved and cared about you until you have been clean and sober for some time and then it hits you exactly what you have been doing to destroy your one and only life.

Drinking alcohol and having a good time is okay by me if and only if you drink alcohol responsibly and not drink and abuse alcohol.  That is the part that just didn't go right with me and so many other people that have an addiction to alcohol. 

If you are one those that are abusing alcohol than you really need to sit back (in a sober state of mind) and look into your future and see the life that is ahead of you.  If you truly look hard enough you will see that your life will be going nowhere except downward to rock bottom.

Once you see what is going to happen, and you except this, you might want to make a huge change in your life as I made that change in my life.  I am not telling you what to do because it is your life, but I am just warning you of the outcome that is ahead if you continue to drink and abuse alcohol. It won't be a pretty thing, so act now and get yourself sobered up, and live that one and only life you have with long term sobriety.

There is hope for every alcoholic, if you really want to change you life.  Your life is not over just because you have a addiction.  Your new life is waiting for you!  Now, all you have to do is to go after that new life and make good of it.  Sobriety cost nothing except your acceptance that you need help and you are willing to change your life for the better.

Put the drink down once and for all and start living the life you were put on this Earth to live.

If you think alcohol will not ruin your life, you are dead wrong.  You just have to wake up and see it for yourself, and not let someone like me tell you in an article like this one.  I write these articles because I went through all of this and finally realized after many years of drinking and abusing alcohol that my life was going nowhere and I needed to change, so I did, and could not be happier.

Alcohol will ruin your life if you let it!

Read more of my articles here on the Clean Life, and my articles on HubPages.

How To Stop The Urge To Drink Alcohol While In Recovery

Here is how to stop the urge to drink alcohol while in recovery from what works best for me now being sober for over four years.

As we all know, or for anyone that has an alcohol addiction problem, we know that urges and temptations to drink alcohol come over us more than once while we are trying to stay sober.  For myself when those urges come over me I look back at the dark days of hell when I drank and abused alcohol.

It is a reminder of just how my life was, always depending on the alcohol to make me have a good day, so I thought.

You need to really think of what you put your body through, and not only that, what you put your family and friends through while you were drinking and abusing alcohol.  You know that when we drink too much, and are addicted to the substance that just may ruin your life, and the lives of others, you have to realize once you are sober and that urge comes about you can not give in ever!

The demons that are still inside us are just waiting for us to mess up and pick up that one glass of alcohol.  That one glass of alcohol that will be the ruination of out sobriety.

I know for myself, if I were to touch one sip of alcohol it would be the end of my long term sobriety, and I am sure it would be the same for anyone that has been sober for some time.  All of us have to be stronger than any urge or temptation to drink alcohol and it has to be forever.

Here is what I think about when that urge to drink comes over me:

• How I felt while drinking and abusing alcohol.
• What I put my family through all those years of drinking.
• The money I spent on alcohol instead of spending it on my families needs.
• The massive hangovers every morning.
• What I began to look like over time appearance wise.
• How I felt physically and mentally.
• How negative I became.
• How I felt sorry for myself and wondered why nothing ever went my way.

These are just a few things I think of when that urge to drink comes over me.  Believe me it is enough to say NO to alcohol.

Back in October of 2009, the 26th to be exact, I made a promise to myself that no matter what ever happened in my life, whether it be good or bad I would never pick up an alcoholic drink ever again and believe me, many things have happened over the last four years, some good and some bad, BUT it was never enough to make me drink alcohol again.

I always thought drinking alcohol would solve all my troubles in life and once I became sober I found out that that theory, or saying was dead wrong!  Alcohol solved NOTHING, it only made matters worse!  

Now being sober for the last four years I feel so much better.

My appearance has improved 100%.

All the weight I gained while drinking has disappeared, and I am back to the weight I should be.

My family and married life has changed 100%, all for the better.

No more massive hangovers.

My appetite is going strong.

I am now 100% a positive guy and very happy with the life I now live.

My health is great and I am finally a very happy man!

My dream of living by the Ocean has become a reality, something that never happened as hard as I tried when I was drinking.  Nothing ever worked out for me as hard as I tried.

I guess the old saying is right.... You can't be helped unless you are willing to help yourself first!

What Should You Do If You Are Just Tired Of Drinking

The question is, "what should you do if you are just tired of drinking?"  Have you had enough of the life you are leading drinking and abusing alcohol each and everyday?

I bet you would love to stop drinking alcohol, but you are afraid of how you will feel with the absence of alcohol in your body right?

Here is what I did to overcome my addiction to alcohol.

• I took a long and hard look at the life I was leading.
• I looked at all the things I missed out on because of my addiction to alcohol.
• I looked into my families eyes and saw fear on each face I looked at.  The fear that I just might die because of my addiction.
• I thought of all the money I spent on my addiction.
• I looked at the appearance of my body and how it was failing.
• I thought of all the morning waking up with a huge hangover.
• I thought of all the things I said and did when drunk.

So what does someone do if they are too tired of drinking alcohol?
You need to make up your mind once and for all that you want and need sobriety back into your life. You need to want sobriety and not be forced in to it.  If you don't want sobriety for yourself first, than what anybody says or does won't help you whatsoever.  (At least that was the way my life of alcohol went for me.)

Make up your mind to stop drinking and stick to your decision and don't let anyone or anything change your mind ever!

Everything gets old after a while, including drinking your life away.  It least it got old for me, and so what did I do? I stopped drinking and will never touch a drop of that poison again as long as I should live.

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Go Cold Turkey Or Go To Alcohol Rehab.

Go cold turkey or go to alcohol Rehab. is what I want address in this post because of a few comments from readers on my previous post regarding going cold turkey is deadly.  Well, yes we all know that cold turkey is dangerous and could be deadly, but why did I choose going cold turkey when I decided to stop drinking alcohol?

The first thing was I was so afraid to even go to the Doctors for a check up because I was so worried of what he may find regarding my health due to over drinking for so many years.

I took a HUGE chance going cold turkey when I decided to quit drinking and I would not recommend anyone to do like I did.  It is very dangerous, and could indeed be deadly.

Go to a Rehabilitation Treatment Center to get the proper care and guidance for this life changing thing. I say life changing because it was sure a life changing experience for me.  To drink alcohol every single day of the week for many years and to not have one drop of alcohol is sure a experience.

If you do have a addiction to alcohol and want to stop drinking, PLEASE check yourself into a Rehab. Center to get the Professional help you need to get better.  They will be right there for you and keeping you safe from anything that could happen during detox from your addiction to alcohol or drugs.

I was so foolish to go cold turkey, but I was a shamed, and afraid to be placed behind closed doors to get help, so I did it myself, and thank God nothing happened bad to me during this time.

Get out of denial.  Make up your mind you want to stop drinking alcohol forever.  Ask for Help. Check into a Rehab. Treatment Center and start living the life of Sobriety!

Why It Is So Hard To Stop Drinking Alcohol

There are many reasons why it is so hard to stop drinking alcohol.  The number one reason for so many alcoholics is that they are just not ready to stop drinking and start living a life clean and sober.

As for me, it took many years to finally realize I was slowly killing myself by drinking and abusing alcohol. If you truly want sobriety back into your life, you will need to first get yourself out of the denial you have been living in for so long.

I know that I lived in denial for many of years, thinking and saying that I had no problem with alcohol whatsoever.  Once I got out of denial and admitted that I truly had a huge problem with this addiction I had, it made it easier to stop drinking and start to live the life I was put on this Earth to live, and that was living sober, not drunk.

Many people just don't want to change their live, or they are simply afraid to get sober worrying about what might happen if they gave up alcohol.  They worry about if they would get sick for not having alcohol in their system, something they are so used to having.

They may worry about losing their long time drinking buddies, but do they worry about dying or losing their family because they pay more attention to the addiction to alcohol they have then their own spouses, children, fathers or mothers?

When I finally got clean and sober back in October of 2009 I never realized just how easy it was once I made my mind up to quit drinking.  The thing is, that you must want to stop and not be made to stop drinking.

I have to admit though, it was hard in the beginning when I stop drinking alcohol, and the reason being was, I was so used to having alcohol everyday of the week, and to go from that to nothing was a hard adjustment to make, but I made up my mind that I had enough of the life I was living and I wanted a new life for not only myself, but my wife and children as well, and that was enough for me to stick to my guns and never go back to the old ways of drinking and abusing my body anymore.

I did it when I thought it would never happen, and so can you!!  Keeping a positive attitude is a must my dear friends, and staying away from all temptations, and people that are still drinking is a MUST.

Abusing Alcohol And Your Body

Abusing alcohol and your body is one thing we the alcoholics never think about.  Once we get that first taste of alcohol of the day, the eye opener so they say, we think of nothing but trying to reach that buzz we had only hours before.

It truly is sad for me to think and talk about something like alcohol that was a huge part of my life, and my families life as well for so many years.  Being sober now for over 4 years I get sick to even think about what I put my body through all those years abusing alcohol and my body.

Now is the time like no other for each alcohol and anyone who is addicted to alcohol and can't seem to stop drinking.  Sobriety is right at your finger tips if and only if you choose to change your life for the better.

I have found out through my own experiences with drinking too much, that drinking and abusing alcohol and your body is so foolish.  I often asked myself, "why can't I just have one or two drinks and call it the day just like others I watched through my dark days of addiction?"

They seem to be perfectly satisfied with one or two drinks, and I and other alcoholics just can't get enough alcohol in our bodies.  I think for myself that I was just too weak and let the demons inside me run and try their hardest to ruin my life.

I often wonder till this day, why and how did I get clean and sober 4 years ago?  Why couldn't I have done that years before?

The answer I came up with was, "I JUST WASN'T READY TO CHANGE MY LIFE!" I guess you just have to hit rock bottom in order to do something drastic to change you life.

A dear friend of mine, and the one that changed my life with his website says in his addiction site, TAKE MASSIVE ACTION!! Taking action to change your life is great but MASSIVE ACTION is what needs to be done in order to have success and sobriety in your life.

Just remember this one thing when you are abusing your body with alcohol.  Each and everyone of us have only BUT ONE life here on Earth, so why would we destroy this one and only body with alcohol when we can just stop drinking and start living clean and sober?

I know it was super hard for me to quit drinking alcohol, as it is for all of the alcoholics out there, but I made my mind up and stuck to the promise I made to myself saying,  "I will never, after this day (October 27, 2009, my sober date) touch another alcoholic drink for the rest of my life no matter how good or bad life gets!"

Once you make up your mind, and stick to that decision, you are on your way to living the life of sobriety just as I am right now.

I did it and so can you!!  Get out of denial, and just take a look around at the lives you are taking down with you all because of your addiction to alcohol. It is so possible if that is what you want out of the one and only life you have. Get out of denial, think positive and be stronger than your addiction, and believe me things will start to get better each and everyday from that point on.

Check out some other articles I have written about alcohol and positive attitudes in life.

Over Drinking During The Holidays

Many people like to drink alcohol, but over drinking during the Holidays gets to be too much for many of us.

I only wish for myself, and others that have an addiction to alcohol, is to be able to have just a couple glasses of wine, or one or two glasses of beer just to be sociable during this Holiday season.  The problem for myself, and so many other people is that we just can not have one or two alcoholic drinks because it just doesn't satisfy our needs, and why is that?

When we have a dependence on alcohol, and being so addicted to it, means that there will be no satisfaction to those that would have those one or two drinks.  That is why if you or I do have an addiction to alcohol and have got sober, like myself, there is no way that we can have even one alcoholic drink, because you and I know for a fact that we would be doomed and more than likely relapse and go back to our old ways of drinking and abusing alcohol everyday of the week.

Those that do not have an addiction to alcohol, but like to have that one or two social drinks, just keep in mind not to over drink during the Holiday seasons.

Accidents and getting sick from over drinking can happen to any of us whether you have an addiction to alcohol or not, so just be careful not only during the Holiday Season, but every time you sit down and have that alcoholic beverage.

Be safe, and I wish each and every person that read this a Happy and Prosperous Christmas and New Years.

MY Warning Signs Of Getting Closer To Rock Bottom

Hundreds of thousands of people drink alcohol all over the world.  Some drink to be social and relax after a hard days work, and then there are those, like myself, who just don't know when enough is enough, and when to stop drinking alcohol.

Some people that drink too much alcohol and don't know when to stop drinking begin to depend on alcohol everyday of their lives, as I did for many of years.  It started as just a fun time out with the guys, to being full blown addicted to alcohol.

I couldn't go one day without alcohol in my system.  It was now a huge part of my life, and the life I had before being addicted to alcohol was my dear family, my wife and my children.  Those people were put behind my addiction to alcohol when alcohol finally took over me.

My warning signs of getting closer to rock bottom were getting clearer as each day and week passed. I asked myself, "why do I depend on alcohol so much?"  "Why can't I go a day without drinking alcohol?"  So in reality, deep down inside me, I knew I was doing wrong in my life, but just didn't have the willpower to say no more, and to just surrender once and for all. My demons have taken over me and wouldn't let me go until, October 27, 2009 when I stopped drinking forever.

This was getting frightening to me, and was effecting my family life too.  I saw it coming slow, but sure, but I couldn't change my way of life all because of this addiction I now have.  I was afraid to try and stop drinking alcohol because I didn't know if anything bad would happen to me regarding my health and getting sick from no alcohol in my body.  Not only that, I wasn't ready to surrender to this addiction to alcohol I had.  I loved the buzz alcohol gave me, although hated the hangovers in the morning, but once that first alcoholic drink was drank I was like a new man, or was I?

WHAT WERE THE WARNING SIGNS FOR ME HEADING CLOSER TO ROCK BOTTOM:

• I needed to drink everyday, sick or not.
• I started to drink alone.
• I hid my alcohol from family and friends.
• I didn't want to ever eat with my family.
• I never ate anything until I had my fill of alcohol for that day.
• My appearance was getting worse as the weeks went by.
• I gained so much weight from the alcohol. (beer)
• I stopped wanting to go with my family to family affairs.
• I would never go anywhere unless I knew there was alcohol being served.
• If I went somewhere where alcohol WASN'T being served, I brought my own and hid it.

So, rock bottom for me was right around the corner, and if I didn't realize it when I did, I would have lost everything I worked so hard to have, and that includes my family.

Don't let yourself go to the point of being so close to rock bottom like I did.  Catch it before it is too late my friends.

Mine you, I have NOTHING against anyone that drinks alcohol.  I just wished I could drink socially, but that is impossible for me, so I just don't drink.

Drink alcohol and have a good time, BUT drink responsibly, and don't abuse alcohol or your body. You will pay for it in the end, so please be careful, and think before you drink and NEVER DRINK AND DRIVE!

Why Is It So Hard To Stop Drinking Alcohol

There are millions of people in the world that drink alcohol.  Some can handle their alcohol and then there are some that just get addicted and wind up abusing alcohol.

For those that got addicted to the booze and want to stop drinking often ask them self, "why is it so hard to stop drinking alcohol?"

I know for a fact, trying to stop drinking alcohol is a very hard thing to overcome since you have been drinking and abusing it for so long.  Somewhere deep down inside us (the alcoholic) wants to live a life of sobriety, but the alcohol that has been in our life for so long wants no part of leaving our bodies.  The demons are settled in us, and very content as long as we feed them the daily dose of alcohol.

But, watch out if we decide to slow down or simply stop drinking all together. That would really piss off the demons inside each alcoholic, and they will put your body through the tortures of hell.  We all know how we feel if we stop drinking.  I know that I felt like crap for sometime, but I keep telling myself that I can and will beat this addiction to alcohol I have.

Any alcoholic can do the same if that is what you want in your life.  Many alcoholics are very content with drinking alcohol everyday of their lives and don't care what the consequences will be in the future.

If you truly love yourself, you will not put your body through this painful thing we call alcohol addiction.  You can stop drinking if you want to!  You are the one that is in full control of the one and only body you have.

Give your life a second chance and just try to stop drinking and see how your life will begin to turn around as mine did back in 2009.

A would recommend highly to seek Professional Help if you do decide to stop drinking.  You have to detox the right and safe way.  It will be very dangerous if you try to stop drinking on your own as I did.  I made up my mind to quit drinking back in October 2009 and simply went cold turkey.  Yes I was scared to death for things I heard about going cold turkey and the dangers of doing so.

I took upon my own to do it anyway regardless of the outcome.  Why, because I was afraid to go to any Doctor or Rehab. Center for the worry of what they may say to me regarding my long relationship with alcohol. I even thought to myself, "it just might too late to heal my body and live a sober life."

With that said, I chose to go Cold Turkey anyway.  I took a huge change and worried every minute of the day and night, wondering if something horrible was going to happen to me.  Will I get sick by not detoxing the correct and safe way? I was a nervous wreck I must say.

Once I made it through the first week or so without a drink, and my nerves started to get a little better, I knew I could make it and change my life.

So Lets Get Back To The Main Question Of Why Is It So Hard For You To Stop Drinking Alcohol?

• Is it that you are simply not ready to stop drinking?
• Is it that you don't know how you will survive without alcohol in your body?
• Is it that you feel that your drinking friends will look down at you because you stopped drinking?
• Is it that you feel you would have no more fun at parties or any kind of functions?
• What is stopping you from changing your life?
• There must be something holding you back from living a life of sobriety.
• You must know the answer of why it is so hard to quit drinking.
• Are you simply afraid of living clean and sober because you have been drinking for so long?

Stopping drinking is not as hard as most people make it to be.  I thought I would never in a million years be clean and sober again, but I sure fooled myself.  If you want something bad enough in life you will achieve it, and that includes your sobriety.

The only thing holding you back from sobriety is, you and you alone.  You make the call my friends.  I guess it depends on whether or not you wish to live or die.

Does that word DIE frighten you?  It should.  We all were given a gift of life and many of us chose to ruin the one and only life we have with the addiction to alcohol and drugs.  

Life is precious and we should start to cherish our life a little more than we do.  Get sober and get healthy again.  Live the life you were given in a clean and sober way, and stop making excuses of why it is so hard to quit drinking.

Put your mind to it and it will happen.  Think positive and act positive and you will see results, and that includes anything in life.  Negativity will get you nowhere in life, but pure depression.

It is not hard to stop drinking.  I did it and so can you!  The only way to stop drinking alcohol is to JUST STOP!  It is that simple.  Now, make up your mind to get sober and do it.  Time is wasting away, and your life clock is ticking away as you hesitate on getting sober and finding your sobriety.

Making Peace With Yourself After An Addiction To Alcohol

Making peace with yourself after an addiction to alcohol was harder than I thought.

When I stopped drinking alcohol in October of 2009, I never thought that my earlier addiction to alcohol would haunt me for many years to come.

It was a very hard decision to stop drinking alcohol, because my entire life revolved around alcohol for so many years. Alcohol ran my life and included in that, were the people that loved and cared for me.

I never realized how I hurt them with all those years of my drinking, but now being sober, I now know that you and I could destroy the lives of your own flesh and blood and we would never even realize it.  That is so sad to me now thinking back at those horrible days of my addiction to alcohol.

None of us ever think about others in our life that we are hurting, while we are so much in denial, and don't even think for a moment that we have an alcohol problem.

You know, you or I can not turn back the hands of time and make things better of what we messed up over the years of alcohol abuse, but we can fix our life now and make things better for ourselves and the ones that loved and cared for us while we abused our lives.

If you happen to have an addiction to alcohol or drugs, just stop and think for a moment and look around you and see with your own eyes what you are doing to others.  They don't deserve to go through the hell you are putting them through by your habit of drinking your life away.

They don't deserve being pulled down to rock bottom along with you. This is what bothers me the most.  I put many people, such as my parents, my spouse Linda (of 32 years) and my children through hell.  They saw their husband and father drink every night of the week, and they got to the point when they were older, that they were embarrassed of my life style and they way I acted and talked when getting that buzz and drunk on.

Abusing alcohol, and being so selfish can, and will destroy families sooner or later if you and I don't do something to change it.  We, the alcoholics are the only ones that can make things right in our life and make the lives of those that love us right.

Please don't get me wrong, I have nothing against drinking alcohol at all.  I loved alcohol just as much or ever more than the next person, but I was one of those guys that never knew when enough was enough.  More, more I would say to myself until I got that drunk on that I was so used to having.  In the meantime, it took more and more alcohol to get to that point that I was satisfied.

So getting back to my earlier statement, I never knew how my alcohol addiction would haunt me for years to come, meaning, yes I got sober, but I did ruin many things along the way to my sobriety and I felt, and still feel ashamed and upset of my past lifestyle.  But, I have made it right now, and with that said, I am proud of myself and happy my family stood by my side through all the hell I put them through.

It is my turn to help others now understand that if you have an addiction of any kind, never give up hope. You can change your life.  All you have to do is to DO IT!

I still, to this day, feel bad for what I caused my family and friends to have to go through while I was having a great time drinking my life away.  I remember the arguments and fights (verbal - never physical) over my abuse of alcohol and what I was doing to myself.

So many times I was told to stop drinking, or least slow down. I just let those words go in one ear and out the other.  You know what I am talking about, I am sure of it. None of us alcoholics what to hear the true because, WE CAN'T handle the truth. And why is that?  Because we all live in DENIAL, that is why.  We don't think for a minute that we have a drinking problem, and the people that tell us we do, don't know what they are talking about.  Does any of this sound familiar to you?

Once you own up and admit you are an alcoholic, and want to stop drinking alcohol, is when you will start to feel peace in your life.  You will not have your demons running your life anymore.  You will feel FREE and at peace with yourself, and at that time you will begin to have peace in your family life as well. Those that you hurt along the way while you were drinking and abusing alcohol will feel that peace in their life too, and will be so happy and proud that you took action and changed your life as I did.

It is the time to make things right in your life, and the people that are in your life.  They too will feel that sense of peace as well when they see that person that they love and care for being clean and sober and getting their life back on track.  In that case, everyone involved will be getting their lives back on track.

It is then you will feel the peace in your life, that you let your demons go and are now living a sober life.

You will start to see how your appearance will improve and will start to feel so much better, physically and mentally.  You beat your demons, and now it is time to take care of yourself and others in your life.  Before, all we thought about is to feed our demons and give them the alcohol they needed to thrive in our bodies.  Bye bye demons, you will no longer run and try to ruin my life for not one more second.

This is what you have to think about and tell yourself in order to make that huge change in your life.  Sobriety will not just come to you.  It will take hard work to get sober and then stay sober forever, but once you make that life change and stick to it, you will be so proud of yourself that you won the battle between you and your inner demons.

Don't get me wrong, it will be a battle for the rest of your life to stay sober.  Your demons will be hanging out in your body just waiting for you to mess up and start drinking alcohol again.  They will never go away.  It is up to you to keep them where they belong, and where they belong is NOT IN YOUR LIFE anymore.

So, if you want that peace in your life and continue to have that peace, DON"T ever give in to the demons of alcohol no matter what happens in your life from now on.  There will be urges, craving for the rest of your life, but never give in, NEVER!  

No ones life is a bed of roses.  There will always be something that will come up that will upset you, or you may have a sickness in the family, or financial problems, but whatever pops up in your life, never give in and turn back to drinking alcohol, because it will NOT solve anything! 

Stand strong and keep that positive attitude at all times in your life and you will see how being strong and positive will help you stay sober.

The past is the past and now it is time to make things right for you and yours.  Get sober, and stay that way, and you will see what a great life awaits you and yours. 

Admitting Your An Alcoholic Is The First Step

There are millions of people all over the world that drink alcohol, but how many of them will admit they have a drinking problem?

Admitting your an alcoholic is the first step towards a new life and a life of sobriety.  That's of course if you really want to get sober and live that life of sobriety.  I know so many people that really think they have no problem whatsoever with their alcohol consumption.  In fact, I was one of those people back almost four years ago.

Denial is a huge thing when it comes to drinking alcohol, drugs or any kind of addiction for that matter.  We never think we have a problem, but many people that know you and see you and your actions know better.  They can talk to you until they are blue in the face and you will look at them like they have two heads.  I know I did when someone approached me and told me I drink too much and I might have a problem.

If we, including myself, just would look at our lives and see which way our life is going, and if you have your eyes wide open and be open mined you will see exactly where you are headed in the future if you continue to drink and abuse alcohol.

If you ignore what you see, and what you have been told by others, then the future will not be a surprise as you look back at those statements, because you were told, and you saw your life through your own eyes, but blew everything off because you were living in denial and never believed a word.

I know for a fact, for me, I knew deep down inside that I have a serious drinking problem, but never wanted to change my life for I was so afraid to be without my alcohol.  I was afraid to admit to my family and friends I was a true alcoholic. Although I was a functioning alcoholic, this was one of the reason I thought there was no problem with my drinking.

After all, I never missed work because of those late nights of drinking and never got into fights at bars.  I never got a DUI and never arrested for drinking in public or drinking and driving.  So I thought to myself, "what seems to be the problem with my drinking?" See, that is how I thought, and I am very sure many alcoholics can relate to these words I speak.

When I speak of the first step admitting your an alcoholic means to get out of your denial you live in and take a good hard look at your life and the lives your are taken down on the way to your rock bottom.  Remember you are not only hurting yourself, you are hurting many people that love you and care for you, such as your spouse, children, parents and your friends.

Don't let yourself down or the people that love you.  Stand up to your addiction to alcohol and tell your demons goodbye once and for all.  You don't need alcohol believe me.  Once you have got sober and stay sober you will then realize why in the world was I killing myself when all I had to do is to stop drinking.

Yeah I know, it sounds pretty easy by just writing this, but anyone can stop drinking alcohol anytime you want.  The problem is, and the question is, "Do You Really Want To Stop Drinking?"

If you said yes I would love to stop drinking alcohol, then you are on your way to a new life of sobriety.  Yes it will be hard and yes it will not be easy by any means, but if you have that determination, the willingness and the desire to change your life it will happen.

You have to make up your mind and just do it and stick to it with no cheating whatsoever.  You will need to stay clear from your drinking buddies, the bars and anything that has anything to do with alcohol.

As time goes by you will find it easier and easier to live each day without your crutch, the demons of alcohol.

God Bless to all those that have made it to sobriety and those that are trying so hard to get sober.  Never give up hope because your life is full of hope and sobriety is just sitting there for your taken, so go after it and don't look back at your horrible past of addiction.

Stay positive and strong to yourself and never let anyone or anything stand in your way of changing your life and living that one and only life you have, clean and sober.

When Is it Time to Seek Help And Enter A Rehab.

While we all enjoy our alcoholic drinks, some of us don't know when to quit or don't know when we have had enough of the poison that just may kill us in the end.

When is it time to seek help and enter a Rehabilitation Treatment Center?  Many people that have an addiction to alcohol may think they don't need any help whatsoever and they think they can stop drinking alcohol whenever they want.

It isn't that easy my friends.  You may think you can stop drinking alcohol, but have you tried to get sober, and stay sober for any length of time?

The time, in my opinion to seek help is:

Can not miss one day without drinking.
Can not go anywhere if alcohol is not being served.
Missing work because of that horrible hangover.
Spending money you don't have to support your addiction.
Fighting and arguing with your family, spouse and friends.
Not remembering what you did the night before.
Blackouts from over drinking.
Appearance of how you are changing week by week.
Weight gain or loss.
Waking up in the morning and the first thing you think of is when you can have that next drink. 

I tried this before and it only lasted for a short time and the reason for that was, "I simply wasn't ready to change my life and live a life of sobriety.  I am very sure you know exactly what I am talking about.

As for myself, I was one of the few fortunate alcoholics that could stop drinking alcohol on my own.  Many alcoholics, or I should say all alcoholics should look into getting themselves admitted into a Rehabilitation Treatment Center for the correct and safe way to detox if they want to get clean and sober.



It can't be that you are forced into going into these Centers, although being forced into being admitted to a Rehab.Center might save your life.

I know alcoholics that went into Rehab. for a month or a 90 day stay, and found themselves staying and being a part of the counseling for others that have been admitted in that same Rehab. Center for the same reasons, being addicted to drugs or alcohol.

It has helped them to stay sober and kept them away from the outside world of addiction, and their  friends that are still using and abusing.

They are to this day helping others as they were helped during their stay in Rehab.

The name of the game here is to get yourself sober by entering into a Rehab. Center, and then help others that are suffering from an addiction to drugs and alcohol as you were. Then, spread the word of sobriety to help others realize there is always hope for anyone that had any kind if addiction.

FIND A REHAB. CENTER IN YOUR AREA.

National Alcoholism And Substance Abuse INFORMATION CENTER

If you have an addiction to drugs or alcohol, seek the Professional Help that will get you sober and by doing so in a safe and healthy manner.

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