Alcohol Addiction

Hi, today I came across a comment on my blog and I would like to address it , in hopes of helping others in this situation, I will call this teenager, miss B:

I’m just a teenager in high school but i know i’m an alcoholic… been having a lot of issues with friends, in one instance it was even over me being an “alcoholic”… i drink anything i can find as my parents don’t drink so there is rarely any around- alcoholism runs through both sides of my family including my dad which is why he no longer drinks at all… i drink any and everything i can and its almost always alone.. i just don’t see the issue with it…. leaving myself sober and open minded alone on a friday night is much more detrimental to myself… i wouldn’t be doing anything anyways but making myself depressed…alcohol is an escape from my severe anxiety…”

Please miss B, do not despair I am here to help and give you suggestions to get you through this rough time.

Symptoms of Alcoholism:

• Drinking alone or drinking with only people that drink out of control with you
• Drinking to escape from whatever problem you do not want to face
• Seeing other family members drink to escape their problems as well, it becomes a learned coping skill in that family
• Drinking excessively decreases you concentration level or ability to focus on what is making you hurt at the moment
• Lack of self esteem, you don’t feel good about yourself so you drink because it lowers your guard and makes you feel more friendly or more appealing to be around with, remember people that really love you, love all sides of you and that is the people you need to keep around, people who stand by through the good and the bad, not just when everything is good

Many People Suffer From Alcoholism, You Are Not Alone:

• It has no age limit
• It has no cultural distinction
• It has no economic distinction

Where Can You Get Help:

• Counselors for individual counseling at local community mental centers, schools, colleges
• Alcoholics Anonymous
• Church groups that run substance abuse groups
• Improving your self esteem by individual counseling, making friends that don’t drink (like other classmates or church group friends), or/and being around people that love you and won’t want you to keep drinking
• Please note true friends or loved ones do not want you to self destruct, they want you to be the best you can be in a drug free body

Don’t Make Excuses, Take Responsibility:

• Don’t make excuses because you see family members drink, you drink, you know what is right from wrong and being under the influence of alcohol is never good for anyone:

1. Causes liver cirrhosis (No age time frame) which is terminal
2. If you drive under the influence you can kill yourself, the people in the car with you or passengers in the car you crash against (if you want to see for one minute what that must be like, take a look at a website of mothers who have lost their children and not only offer support groups but go out in the community to educate people about the affects of drunk drivingMADD
3. If you kill someone driving under the influence that guarantees you prison time and take it from me I used to be a counselor at a prison, that is the last place anyone wants to end up in
4. If you lose your balance and hurt yourself for example, you hurt your head in the fall, you can suffer a concussion or head trauma and that can have other ramifications as well
5. People have a choice to make and if you see people around you in self destruct mode you can opt to make a better decision for yourself, you can chose to be drug free, I have seen older children teach their parents the value of a drug free life and the parents have changed their ways because their own kids have shown them a healthier path
6. Don’t give up on yourself, we are all special and unique in our own way

Things You Can Do Other Than Drink:

• Hang around family or friends that love and care for you and want the absolute best for you
• Watch a good movie on the television or rent one
• Read, there are all kinds of books out there, explore one
• Sing and/or dance, music is meant to be enjoyed
• Pray for strength, no matter what religion, there is always hope in praying
• Write in a journal
• Exercise, try going for walks, all physical activity is good for you
• Drink teas when you are really stressed out, caffeine free teas there are all kinds of flavors out there, enjoy one

Miss B. I hope this article has helped and remember miss B are a courageous person, you made the first step, you reached out and I am proud of you, good look on your journey and please let me know how it turns out.

Final Thoughts:

• Drinking does not solve problems, it creates them, an addiction is hard to get rid of but it is not impossible, it takes time, courage and determination, you can do this !!!
• You can quit, I believe when you are ready, you can do anything in life you set your mind to do, you are stronger than you think !!!

Good Luck !!!