One of the major villains of the modern world is none other than Alcoholism. This disease, which was once considered a harmless inability to curtail one’s extravagances, today accredited the responsibility of destroying millions of homes and devastating an even more shocking number of lives. However, it is not uncommon to find many people disregarding this disease as, “Something that happens to other people” or even justifying their excesses as only “a passing phase.” And it is this attitude that organizations and even governments are fighting against, as these notions are the very roots of the vicious disease that is alcoholism.
A major factor that makes alcoholism such a difficult disorder to cure is that the victim of alcohol abuse does not understand the horrifying effects his consumption of alcohol warrants. The most widely accepted way to ascertain that you are not a victim yourself is to analyze your drinking habits. If you fall in the category of people who consume more than 4 drinks a day, or 14 drinks a week, then it is a sure sign that something is amiss. Also, if your resort to alcohol as a means to alleviating your depression, or drink more out of habit than as an occasional indulgence, you are already stepping across the fine line that separates moderation and addiction. This may be the best time to talk to your doctor about your habit, because you, as the victim, may not be the best judge of whether you are indeed going overboard. So, you may often find yourself making excuses to justify your drinking or even be defensive when you are spoken to about it.
Another prominent way to access whether you are indeed going overboard, is to gauge what the people closest to you are saying. If, for even an instant, you are struck by the possibility that there is some truth to their observations, don’t dismiss the thought. Make that call to your doctor and set up your appointment without any further delay. The most important reason for you to give up on that bottle is ‘you’. Think of all the physical ailments that alcohol abuse could cause you and those which already afflict you. From liver cirrhosis, to gastrointestinal disorders to even cardiovascular problems, alcohol literally wreaks havoc on your body. Also, if you are resorting to alcohol to alleviate your tensions, you may be surprised to know that alcohol, in itself is a depressant. The momentary high that you feel in followed by rapidly increasing bouts of depression, to the point that it becomes a vicious cycle where you have to drink to rid yourself of the depression that alcohol has brought on to you.
Look for reinforcement in all its forms once you have made the decision to quit. Make a list of all the reasons which prompted you to take the first step. From your physical health to your family ties, every reason is reason enough for you to quit. Tack this list to your refrigerator, your dresser, or any place where you can see it often. This will give you the much-needed motivation when you are feeling particularly low and egg you on stick to your resolve. At times like these, it also helps if you talk to friends and family and let them help you overcome any hurdles that impede your path to recovery. If you do recourse to alcohol to ease you through psychological trauma, seek the advice of a trained counselor to rid you of these problems. Group therapy sessions have also proven to be immensely beneficial as they allow victims to share their experiences and consult with others who have been through similar times.
Divide your process of recovery into milestones and reward yourself with every one that your achieve. Your rewards could be anything that means the most to you a quiet dinner or a movie with your family, or even buying yourself something you’ve always wanted. Your new way of life will invariably result in you saving on all the money that you formerly spent on alcohol. You can make use of this money as an enticement to stick to your resolution, until it blends into your daily routine. There are several other techniques you can use to alleviate your withdrawal symptoms like hypnosis or acupuncture or simply a relaxing massage.
The first month of your de-addiction program is bound to be the most difficult. However, once you’ve eased through that crucial phase, make it a point to redesign your social and personal interactions to avoid any circumstances which may prompt relapses. This could involve avoiding those weekend “Let’s get sloshed” sessions with your colleagues from work, or even keeping away from all the people you associated with, during your addiction. Many of these associates may be in the denial phase themselves, and hence not recognize the need for you to take the drastic step to curtail your drinking habits at all. What’s more, they may even try, in all innocence, to coerce you to break your program “Just once,” assuring you that a single drink will not do you any harm. And before you know it, the one drink multiplies into two and then four and before you know it, you’re back right where you began.
The road to de-addiction may sound arduous when you start, but don’t let that deter you from your decision. Take that first step today and stick to it will all your will. You’ll soon find a beautiful new world unfold right before your eyes which is based on people you love, situations where you are in control of your actions relationships which are based on mutual trust and respect.
Latest Entries
- Top Five Strategies for Combating Modern Threats: Is Anti-Virus Dead?
- Comprehensive Backup and Recovery of VMware Virtual Infrastructure
- American Spa
- An Improved Architecture for High-Efficiency, High-Density Data Centers
- Choosing a Reliable and Powerful IT Infrastructure at a Price You Can Afford
- Creating and Managing Access Management Policies for Sharepoint
- Simplifying Network Security with a Single Source Provider
- Mitigating Fraudulent Transactions
- Choosing a Content Delivery Method
- Microsoft Exchange Server 2003: Best Practices for Data Storage Setup
No Comments
Leave a Comment
trackback address
You must log in to post a comment.