How Alcohol Destroys lives and What to do about it !

I can’t imagine that there is one person out there that hasn’t been touched by alcohol in some way. Either they themselves realize they can’t control their drinking, or they have a friend or family member that is having problems, losing everything, and still remaining in the unrelenting cycle.

Alcohol related illness effects one in every three women was a surprising fact I found. The body isn’t meant to receive more than four oz. at a time and yet….Drinking 6-8 drinks per week has been on the rise for decades. It’s acceptable. It’s glamorous. It’s easy. It’s fun. 

Nope. It’s poison (literally). It’s filled with chemicals and pesticides. It’s high in calories (640 cal in a bottle of white wine for example). It’s numbing. It’s dangerous. It’s a liar. ? I’m not a prude. I witnessed it’s effect on my father, brother, and my only son.

I was determined not to fall down that rabbit hole. The term “Rock Bottom” as they talk about, for some that resulted in more alcohol to wash away the awful feelings of the downward spiral of hopelessness. It was a simple way to subdue the incredible pain and guilt felt, at least for those moments. Drinking to oblivion was just a blanket to throw over the mess their lives had become. It wasn’t a way out…just a cycle that kept them enslaved !

I’ve tried my best to support these family members, especially my brother, but learned through all the tears and frustration that this wasn’t something I could control. It had to be him that wanted to help himself. Until that happened, nothing was ever going to change. Jail time, job loss, divorce, and losing friends and family members didn’t seem to make him flinch. At least while he was polluted, nothing mattered! What an awful way to live !

My father and my son managed to still work and get by, but with my son, there were many dangerous moments. I cringed when the phone would ring later in the evening anticipating that call ! Blackouts, being robbed, and beaten finally seemed to shake up his energy to stop. I hope and pray forever ! My father on the other hand, died very young at 49 and I know alcohol played a part in his quick demise. It’s no wonder I’m writing this as it’s a demon that comes and stays. I’ve seen it up close.

I hope whoever is reading this, if it applies to you or someone you know, don’t lock yourself away but get help in a group like AA or support through family members. There is so much information out there to begin the journey of recovery. Life can be sweet again !

Once you’re away from “it” you realize the gifts you have missed hiding behind “it”. Using it as a aid to sleep, to celebrate, to unwind, to calm down, to have relationships, to gain courage. No need. Your body needs clear channels to be running throughout to stay healthy. Nerves calm. Joy enters. The body is restored. ♥️???

While I am not a expert in this field, I wanted to be able to provide at least one reference for those that do want help with their alcohol addictions, but don’t know where to start. Besides AA, I recently came across this material searching the web. Craig Beck seems to know what he talks about as he’s been down the same miserable path as many have. He’s walked the walk and has a program that can possible be a new beginning. Who knows? I was impressed and wanted to offer something that might help others. He is providing a Free E-book and webinar which possibly could help your loved one get on the road to recovery.

Disclosure: I am not affiliated with Craig Beck and his program, but this sounded like a possibility. And maybe it will offer some hope ! Praying ! It ultimately is up to each individual to decide what to do and make your own decisions. I wish you all well.

The following is direct from Craig Beck’s website:

Craig Beck – The Stop Drinking Expert

Here are just a couple of the beneficial transformations you’ll probably encounter when you choose to live a sober lifestyle:

1. You may meet cool new friends.

Whether you decide to go to a twelve-step program like AA, an online how to stop drinking program such as the Stop Drinking Expert, living a sober way of life will lead you to cross ways with men and women you might never have normally.

For instance, I have around FIFTY friends who I know from meeting them on other sober living websites and portals. I have come across a lot of them in everyday life and can’t envision my life these days without their friendship and encouragement.

Challenging facets of daily life have a way of leading you to individuals, opportunities, and locations you’re meant to discover, and becoming alcohol-free is no difference. Trust me, you will discover that the individuals you meet through this decision end up being so important in your life, sober buddies are the best buddies.

2. Time to follow your heart.

Consuming alcohol continuously uses up a great deal of your time (and life). Often it also uses up most of your leisure time, to the point that you don’t have the first clue what to do with yourself when you quit drinking.

When I drank, I would never do anything or go anywhere unless I could drink. That rules out a lot of cool, fun things!

I never invested quality time my photography or exercising or learning new skills, which were all things I had adored doing in the good old days before alcohol stole all my time and energy.

No matter what was available to me, I always picked drinking alcohol, even when there were much better things on offer.

Quitting drinking opened my eyes

The moment I got clean, I immediately discovered that I had all this quality time to work at the important things I had liked doing at some time. I started to pack my spare time with those passions instead of drinking alcohol and discovered that doing this was a lot more satisfying.

For lots of people, too much time on their hands is one of the most frightening and highest relapse causing areas of teetotalism, but it does not need to be. Simply devote some time considering what you want to do or what you would love to study, and after that make it come about.

Make oneself adopt a meticulous timetable, or, if need be, have another person keep you answerable to observing that routine. As time passes, leisure time will become much less frightening and more relaxing.

3. You will start to feel so much better

It’s obvious that drinking alcohol in vast quantities can bring about exceptional harm to the liver, renal systems, pancreas, and other crucial parts of the miracle machine that is our body. Nevertheless, drinkers frequently do not consider lasting harm when they consume alcohol, making it easy to brush under the rug.

Booze has temporary consequences on bodily health and wellness too. Consuming alcohol intensively for a couple of years can result in excess weight gain. It can also impact your skin, making you break out in spots or have a yellow shade to your complexion – sexy right?

No more hangovers from hell

The morning after headaches from hell is one more temporary consequences of drinking that folks typically disregard as the price to pay for drinking.

Hangovers can be totally incapacitating for many individuals. When you quit drinking, you get the gift of being able to overturn these temporary consequences. You’ll discover that you have much more stamina and probably even an easy loss of body fat (without killing yourself in the gym).

Your sleep routine will most likely be much more stable, which also serves to help when it concerns energy levels. Physical health and wellness may be boosted in a variety of ways by just eliminating drinking.

4. You will save your hard earned money.

Alcohol consumption is costly, particularly when you consume alcohol every day and drink at clubs. When you have a drinking problem, it’s likely simple to rationalize shelling out the cash and writing it off as a basic need. It’s only when you quit drinking that you’ll recognize exactly how much money you were using on booze.

For instance, say you’re a red or white wine enthusiast and you consume a $10 bottle of supermarket plonk daily. That’s $70 a week, $280 a calendar month, $3,360 annually. Even with low-cost booze, it accumulates quickly. When you quit drinking, that cash you shelled out on liquor is money in your wallet.

Sure, you can take up other pastimes that require cash. Odds are the new stuff you get into will be more beneficial and gratifying than drinking attractively packaged poison ever was, making the money invested well worth it.

5. Self-Esteem goes through the roof

This is possibly the most significant improvement at all. Lots of people develop a drinking problem trying to run away from some facet of who they are, regardless if that be clinical depression, stress, low self-confidence, and so on.

Consuming alcohol to get away from these factors makes a vicious circle, and frequently makes all of them even worse than they were in the first place. When you quit drinking, you are compelled to deal with the underlying problems.

Fall in love with YOU again

Make no mistake, this will not be a fun process, but in the long run, you acquire a much better awareness of oneself and will probably be a lot more at ease with the man or woman you are. As time passes, you’ll most likely also discover that you’re proud of yourself and your achievements. No glass of expensive poison could ever trump that.

Indeed, everybody’s life is different. Not everybody who becomes sober will instantly have the ability to recognize the ways in which their lifestyle is transforming for the better. With time and persistence, however, beneficial shifts are certain to be the fact. The secret is to grant yourself time to change and to live a different life strategy. Craig Beck-

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About the author: Stop Drinking Expert – Craig Beck ABNLP. ABHYP. DhP. is an internationally renowned, specialist alcohol cessation coach and quit drinking mentor. Using his experience as a former problem drinker, combined with professionals qualifications, accreditations and practice as an addiction therapist, ICF licensed coach, master practitioner of NLP and master hypnotherapist. Independently respected and rated. Not a substitute for professional medical advice.

Free Quit Drinking Ebook and webinar for those attempting to break the cycle or know someone that could use this.