#wellnesswednesday
Do you or do you know someone who suffers here are a couple of facts:
Alcohol is addictive. You will find many people who will argue with this statement, but alcohol fits all the definitions of a harmful and addictive drug;
1. You need to take more and more of it to get the same effect
2. Your body becomes physically dependent on alcohol.
3. People die from alcohol abuse
An alcoholic is someone who has become physically dependent on alcohol. Alcoholism is permanent, it can not be cured. An ex-alcoholic is simply one who has not had alcohol for a long time. If the “ex”-alcoholic has one drink they are hooked again and have to go through the whole drying out process again.
Alcoholism treatment centers allow the alcoholic to live in a supportive and alcohol free environment while giving up the drug. Psychological advice is available and group therapy sessions help many recovering alcoholics.
Alcoholics Anonymous are one group that holds support meetings for alcoholics. AA has groups in most towns and cities in most countries and many recovering alcoholics find the group sessions to be an essential part of STAYING a recovered alcoholic.
Given the toxic nature of alcohol, if the substance was discovered today, it would never be licensed as a drug or food. It is only the entrenched nature of the alcohol industry and the fact that so many jobs depend on it that make it politically unacceptable to ban alcohol. Alcohol kills many more people on a daily basis than die of drug-related crime or addiction.
It’s ok to seek help and there is nothing to be ashamed of, society is more accepting of alcohol than it is of drugs which makes some of us stay in denial about how much we abuse it!
If you or a loved one suffers, please encourage them to seek help:
SAMHAS
Substance Abuse And Mental Health Services Administration
1-800-662-HELP (4357)
Or find local churches in your area that offer weeknight AA meetings
๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ช ๐. ๐ข๐ฑ๐ฎ๐น๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ป๐ญ
โEmpowering Recovery One Life at a Timeโ
Olivia B. Shepherd 
I’m proud to say that I’m a recovering alcoholic. August 14th will be my 4-year-sobriety date. It was bittersweet though when I had stopped. It was then I learned of my mental illness/disorders.
Drinking for me was self-medicating, but it pushed me to suicide ideation. That was all I could think about and even attempt twice throughout the tail end of 2014 straight through to August 2015.
It was the hardest and scariest time of my life when all came crashing in.
But, I can at least live to tell the tale. ๐
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So happy for you, I’m still struggling at bit do acknowledge I have a problem! I know that I’ll be able to kick it…
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Olivia… If I may be candid;
It was the most freeing experience for me to finally give up a close to 35-year-old addiction.
Even to this day, if I smell a drop of it, UGH! makes me sick.
I hope your day comes soon for you to experience the freedom from alcohol. God Bless, You!
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Thank you so much I know it will!!!
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Alcohol has touched my family, my dad is an alcoholic, its awful, an awful affliction and hard for the family to live with too.
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