As Advisor for both classroom and online alcohol awareness classes I often discuss the concept of a "functional alcoholic" with my students. The extreme majority of alcoholics in America today is not bums in an alley or cardboard box; they have jobs, families, and a roof over their heads. It is this group we find the "functional alcoholic".
Alcoholism is a progressive disease, and as such it will affect the ability of the alcoholic to work with time. An alcoholic can hide just her illness before the alcohol takes control and ultimately ruins their lives.
It is light and hope
Not all cargo are you alcohol at various stages of the feature! There is hope. As a course of recovery "functional alcoholic", I can tell you that this is possible right the ship. This article will discuss how you can become fully functional once more.
How much do you drink and how that operate you?
A functional alcoholic is an alcoholic. By this I mean that they are unable to stop drinking, even after the terrible results or serious threats to their employment, marriage or life. Let me blunt about it: no one can be a functional alcoholic throughout their lives! As alcoholism progresses the ability to maintain a stable life ever-so-slowly disintegrates.
Warning signs will be there throughout the road to perdition. It can also simply start you feel like shit every morning when you wake up. For others, it may be seriously interrupted sleep. For some, they will become edgy and a real grouch to be around.
As the disease progresses, the alcoholic will find that the routine duties of work and the family become more difficult to achieve. Light of incredible ability of mind to rationalize our behavior and help us to deny our problems, we barrel usually directly through many signs of warning without slowing down. It is not until a person loses his job, family or health that he stops to understand how dangerous a situation that we ourselves have.
Denial is a Danger.
You've certainly heard the three stages of rehabilitation. Most alcoholics spend much time in the early stage - refusal.
Because I've hung around other hard-core drinkers, I stayed at this stage for many years. The years have progressed, with my alcohol consumption and alcoholism, I knew I had a problem. I could only lie to myself for so long. I knew that it was more normal to drink every day, especially the amount increased.
I had started to drink with my friends. Then I would have a few beers every night while watching the sport. Then, when the number of empty beer bottles in the trash each week has become embarrassing for a single guy, I went to the wine. Ten bottles of wine in the trash was also embarrassing, so I am spent whiskey, magnum-size bottles. You can see where this goes.
It's OK to get mad
Believe it or not alcoholics, most know that they are alcoholic - even if they are in denial. They know that they have a problem and can always find a way to move their problematic behaviour to drink.
They feel shame and do not want to certainly their friends and family to their label "alcoholic." A shame that told them that they have a problem and must stop. They they get angry when they try and repeat. The anger of the compounds every time the alcoholic is confronted with its inability to stop his problematic behavior.
Time to heal
Let's be blunt again - the only way to heal is to stop drinking! You taper yourself down 10 drinks at 5, and then down to 2 and all suddenly become them a social drinker. It is not just happen.
Accept the fact that never drink you alcohol again. I know it's hard to believe, but you will get to the point where you do not think alcohol all the time.
The key is to make a commitment to stop drinking. Again, this commitment must be that you will never touch another drop of alcohol again. With each passing day and the week I assure you that it will be easier.
High and be proud of yourself to be sober to x number of days. Every day is a day to celebrate - but not with drugs or alcohol. Remember that God has given humans, the power of self-choice. You can choose to be sober. You can choose to become fully functional again!
Mike Miller is the Director of education to the class of alcohol online, a Web site specialized on online alcohol awareness classes and minor in possession classes.
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