'Binge Drinking' is back in the news with this article telling us that it is well established.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/8631099.stm
Yet again the focus is put on the activity of drinking large amounts of alcohol, but even the researchers appear to admit that they have no idea why people get drunk. Additionally the research is conducted in town centres where it seems to be assumed that most binge drinking takes place.
I would suggest from experience that much of the UK's binge drinking goes unnoticed. Much of it actually takes place at home after work, after business meeting and conferences and at many weekend social gatherings such as barbecues and parties.
But because this goes unnoticed and it seems under researched, the perception would appear to be that it is less of a problem, if it's really considered a problem at all. Much of the consequence of 'privately' binge drinking is kept private so we hear some much less about it. For example we don't hear about the relationship breakdowns, dismissals, damaged reputations and lost work days from what is actually a symptom of a much deeper problem.
Lies and alcohol are regular partners. Many people drinking way outside the 'safe' limits lie about how much they are really drinking when asked. This is often through embarrassment, sometimes they simply don't know how much they are drinking, more worrying is that most don't know why they are using alcohol. Unfortunately research does not telling what is really going on as it relies on people being honest when answering the questions. How sure can we be that people are telling the truth when under the influence of a mind altering drug such as alcohol?
Binge drinking alcohol is a symptom of a number of serious underlying problems that we face in the UK. The economic situation, the Globalisation of industry meaning less income streams available to all generations but especially the younger ones. Our young people are encouraged to 'work hard' by our politicians but many recognise that working hard and being paid the minimum wage will not get them their independence, a place to live and the possibility of a secure future. Many feel hopeless and just want it all to 'go away', binge drinking temporarily creates the illusion that it has.
In my view we have to face up to the fact that we have some very serious and deep rooted problems in the way our society operates and binge drinking is a symptom that. We need to take a close look at why so many of our population are using alcohol to 'self medicate' their lives and start to admit the uncomfortable truth that something somewhere is very badly wrong.
Tuesday, 20 April 2010
Thursday, 15 April 2010
The Politics of Alcohol - Same Tired Ideas in Different Packaging
The manifesto's are out for all to see and the alcohol policies from the main parties are worryingly similar although of course we will be told that they are all radically different from each other.
They all have an underlying theme of attempting to control alcohol consumption, through price, the threat of damage to our health or to suffer the wrath of our judicial system if we get on the wrong side of the law.
Problem is they are all still caught up in cosy world of 'responsible drinking' where a couple of glasses of wine are enjoyed by the fireside with the one we love in our comfortable country retreat. It would appear that many of the policy makers and government advisers live in this exact environment. In the real world where people are using alcohol to self medicate a range of complex issues, this scenario will seem a million miles away, and it is.
It seems that there is a complete lack of any understanding from our politicians as to why we have an alcohol problem in the UK. They seem to be under the illusion that people drink it because it is cheap, the uncomfortable truth is that many will be drinking it because they are in mental pain, caused by living in our often challenging society. They use alcohol to numb the pain because they simply don't know what else to do. None of the manifesto's that I have read have an answer for this and do not even seem to acknowledge it's existence.
There is also the illusion that we can guarantee that 'responsible drinking' can be achieved by everyone all the time by sticking to the governments recommended guidelines. The very same guidelines described as 'useless' and an 'intelligent guess' in this article that appeared in 'The times' http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/article2697975.ece
Because alcohol is a mind altering drug, once you start drinking it, nothing is guaranteed. Apart from that even if it is only slightly, your mind will be in a different place than before you drank it. That might just be enough for you to decide that you will have just one more drink after all. After that who knows?
They all have an underlying theme of attempting to control alcohol consumption, through price, the threat of damage to our health or to suffer the wrath of our judicial system if we get on the wrong side of the law.
Problem is they are all still caught up in cosy world of 'responsible drinking' where a couple of glasses of wine are enjoyed by the fireside with the one we love in our comfortable country retreat. It would appear that many of the policy makers and government advisers live in this exact environment. In the real world where people are using alcohol to self medicate a range of complex issues, this scenario will seem a million miles away, and it is.
It seems that there is a complete lack of any understanding from our politicians as to why we have an alcohol problem in the UK. They seem to be under the illusion that people drink it because it is cheap, the uncomfortable truth is that many will be drinking it because they are in mental pain, caused by living in our often challenging society. They use alcohol to numb the pain because they simply don't know what else to do. None of the manifesto's that I have read have an answer for this and do not even seem to acknowledge it's existence.
There is also the illusion that we can guarantee that 'responsible drinking' can be achieved by everyone all the time by sticking to the governments recommended guidelines. The very same guidelines described as 'useless' and an 'intelligent guess' in this article that appeared in 'The times' http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/article2697975.ece
Because alcohol is a mind altering drug, once you start drinking it, nothing is guaranteed. Apart from that even if it is only slightly, your mind will be in a different place than before you drank it. That might just be enough for you to decide that you will have just one more drink after all. After that who knows?
Wednesday, 14 April 2010
How Many Steps Do You Need To Take To Recover From Alcoholism?
It could be argued that only one step is necessary to overcome alcoholism and alcohol addiction. Stop drinking it.
The action of stopping drinking alcohol is really quite straightforward. It takes a number of combined actions to drink it in the first place, so not drinking it takes less physical effort. But with alcoholism, the alcohol is not the problem, it is a symptom of the problem, and unless the problem or problems are addressed the desire to drink will continue.
In my view there are two steps required to successfully stop drinking alcohol permanently, but it can take as many steps as the individual perceives it will take for them to 'stop'. I would like to point out that there is a big difference between choosing not to drink alcohol from a place of knowledge, and abstaining from it through fear and ignorance of it.
I would suggest that it is important the that the alcoholic take personal responsibility for drinking alcohol. It is after all a choice, although from personal experience the choices can appear limited when looking at the world from an alcoholic place.
Alcohol is a mind altering drug, so it affects how we think, how we feel and the decisions that we make when under the influence of it. The impact of alcohol on individual people varies and is governed by the chemical and biological factors as well as the spiritual and emotional. But one thing is sure, the more of it you drink the more it will affect you, and if you continue to keep drinking it you will build tolerance to it. That means that it will take progressively more alcohol to get the 'same effect'.
Stopping drinking alcohol suddenly when there is an established biological dependency on it is potentially dangerous and if there is any doubt then a medical professional should be consulted before just stopping.
By not introducing mind altering drugs into our bodies we live in reality, we experience the World the way it really is. For many that have been drinking alcohol to avoid living in the real World or to at least get a 'break' from it, stopping drinking can be a frightening and disturbing prospect, I know, because it was for me.
We often know that we are going to have to work on changing our lives, sometimes radically, we will face challenging decisions. I have seen cases where individuals choose to be alcoholic rather than tell their partner that they just don't love them. People who are alcoholic because of a past event that they have never come to terms with and avoid doing so because of fear of pain and hurt.
If however we choose not to take action and to really 'sort our lives out' then there is likely to be some resulting symptom and for many that is drinking alcohol Why?, because it is legal, socially acceptable and still considered as 'responsible' drug use in an attempt make our lives more 'bearable'
It is only possible to lose control over alcohol by drinking it and that is a choice. Stopping drinking alcohol and living in reality 24/7 is also a choice. Ultimately we do have Power, but sometimes we just choose not to use it. http://www.enp4.co.uk/
The action of stopping drinking alcohol is really quite straightforward. It takes a number of combined actions to drink it in the first place, so not drinking it takes less physical effort. But with alcoholism, the alcohol is not the problem, it is a symptom of the problem, and unless the problem or problems are addressed the desire to drink will continue.
In my view there are two steps required to successfully stop drinking alcohol permanently, but it can take as many steps as the individual perceives it will take for them to 'stop'. I would like to point out that there is a big difference between choosing not to drink alcohol from a place of knowledge, and abstaining from it through fear and ignorance of it.
I would suggest that it is important the that the alcoholic take personal responsibility for drinking alcohol. It is after all a choice, although from personal experience the choices can appear limited when looking at the world from an alcoholic place.
Alcohol is a mind altering drug, so it affects how we think, how we feel and the decisions that we make when under the influence of it. The impact of alcohol on individual people varies and is governed by the chemical and biological factors as well as the spiritual and emotional. But one thing is sure, the more of it you drink the more it will affect you, and if you continue to keep drinking it you will build tolerance to it. That means that it will take progressively more alcohol to get the 'same effect'.
Stopping drinking alcohol suddenly when there is an established biological dependency on it is potentially dangerous and if there is any doubt then a medical professional should be consulted before just stopping.
By not introducing mind altering drugs into our bodies we live in reality, we experience the World the way it really is. For many that have been drinking alcohol to avoid living in the real World or to at least get a 'break' from it, stopping drinking can be a frightening and disturbing prospect, I know, because it was for me.
We often know that we are going to have to work on changing our lives, sometimes radically, we will face challenging decisions. I have seen cases where individuals choose to be alcoholic rather than tell their partner that they just don't love them. People who are alcoholic because of a past event that they have never come to terms with and avoid doing so because of fear of pain and hurt.
If however we choose not to take action and to really 'sort our lives out' then there is likely to be some resulting symptom and for many that is drinking alcohol Why?, because it is legal, socially acceptable and still considered as 'responsible' drug use in an attempt make our lives more 'bearable'
It is only possible to lose control over alcohol by drinking it and that is a choice. Stopping drinking alcohol and living in reality 24/7 is also a choice. Ultimately we do have Power, but sometimes we just choose not to use it. http://www.enp4.co.uk/
Monday, 12 April 2010
Alcohol and Money
Some drink because they have no money and experience financial problems, some drink because they have an abundance of money and yet still experience financial problems.
As I understand it 97% of the World's money exists on computer hard drives. Regrettably people starve, die, live in appalling conditions because the 'right' data isn't sitting on a hard drive somewhere. Sounds too simple to be true?, well I would ask why?, because the resources exist to ensure that people do not starve, die, or live in appalling conditions. But we just choose not to use them because we have collectively given up control of the planet to those who control the data or 'money'. We let all this 'happen' without ever really questioning what is really going on and who exactly is controlling the money supply?
Alcoholism and financial difficulty have been partners for a long time. Sometimes the alcoholism comes first, sometimes the financial difficulty, the result is usually the same, someone somewhere ends up in a state of mental torture.
Hard work does not always, as the government would like us to believe, result in financial abundance. In fact some of those in society are working the hardest and doing the most but are also earning the least. Why is that?, because our financial system is a nonsense and more and more people are starting to realise the fact. Financial abundance results from understanding and knowing how the money system works and how to extract the most from it, not from 'working hard'
Unfortunately many feel unable to change the circumstances and see the challenge of changing the system as just too big to contemplate. But what can they do to feel better about it all? drink alcohol as a 'reward' for all the hard work perhaps?
Truth is many people recognise that their lives are not where they want them to be. They do jobs that they loathe, they are not able to see a way that they can generate income doing something that they have a passion for, so they compromise. After all, we need to pay the bills, because if we don't then..............
Fear will be used by those that we owe money to to get us to pay them, no matter what emotional or mental damage they may do, and they don't care what you need to do to pay, just so long as you do. They will threaten to repossess your house, send a bailiff to take your possessions, you will receive threatening letters and phone calls. Cash is king in the UK and your well being is secondary in the view of our financial institutions, so bring on the alcohol.
Alcohol is a very powerful mind altering drug. It has the ability to make us feel differently about things very quickly, and no matter what people may claim, that is our primary reason for using it. So when panic sets in about our finances and it seems that there is just nowhere to go, alcohol will make us feel differently about our situation, we will experience the illusion of 'relief' and we will commit that we will deal with it tomorrow.
But when tomorrow arrives we are less capable because our body has to deal with cleaning out the alcohol, and the illusion of 'relief' has worn off. Now the problem appears bigger and our ability to deal with it is also reduced. The spiral to financial oblivion has begun, alcohol is used to again create the illusion of 'relief', the financial position deteriorates, the alcohol use increases. Alcoholism awaits.
Help is available and there are alternatives, this is one of them http://www.enp4.co.uk/
As I understand it 97% of the World's money exists on computer hard drives. Regrettably people starve, die, live in appalling conditions because the 'right' data isn't sitting on a hard drive somewhere. Sounds too simple to be true?, well I would ask why?, because the resources exist to ensure that people do not starve, die, or live in appalling conditions. But we just choose not to use them because we have collectively given up control of the planet to those who control the data or 'money'. We let all this 'happen' without ever really questioning what is really going on and who exactly is controlling the money supply?
Alcoholism and financial difficulty have been partners for a long time. Sometimes the alcoholism comes first, sometimes the financial difficulty, the result is usually the same, someone somewhere ends up in a state of mental torture.
Hard work does not always, as the government would like us to believe, result in financial abundance. In fact some of those in society are working the hardest and doing the most but are also earning the least. Why is that?, because our financial system is a nonsense and more and more people are starting to realise the fact. Financial abundance results from understanding and knowing how the money system works and how to extract the most from it, not from 'working hard'
Unfortunately many feel unable to change the circumstances and see the challenge of changing the system as just too big to contemplate. But what can they do to feel better about it all? drink alcohol as a 'reward' for all the hard work perhaps?
Truth is many people recognise that their lives are not where they want them to be. They do jobs that they loathe, they are not able to see a way that they can generate income doing something that they have a passion for, so they compromise. After all, we need to pay the bills, because if we don't then..............
Fear will be used by those that we owe money to to get us to pay them, no matter what emotional or mental damage they may do, and they don't care what you need to do to pay, just so long as you do. They will threaten to repossess your house, send a bailiff to take your possessions, you will receive threatening letters and phone calls. Cash is king in the UK and your well being is secondary in the view of our financial institutions, so bring on the alcohol.
Alcohol is a very powerful mind altering drug. It has the ability to make us feel differently about things very quickly, and no matter what people may claim, that is our primary reason for using it. So when panic sets in about our finances and it seems that there is just nowhere to go, alcohol will make us feel differently about our situation, we will experience the illusion of 'relief' and we will commit that we will deal with it tomorrow.
But when tomorrow arrives we are less capable because our body has to deal with cleaning out the alcohol, and the illusion of 'relief' has worn off. Now the problem appears bigger and our ability to deal with it is also reduced. The spiral to financial oblivion has begun, alcohol is used to again create the illusion of 'relief', the financial position deteriorates, the alcohol use increases. Alcoholism awaits.
Help is available and there are alternatives, this is one of them http://www.enp4.co.uk/
Sunday, 11 April 2010
Increasing the Price of Alcohol to Reduce Alcohol Abuse is Fantasy Island
So research shows that we consume large amounts of alcohol because its cheap. Given that fact then I guess that we are also drinking large amounts of fizzy drink because they are also cheap and stocking up on chocolate bars when they are on promotion?
Having worked with a large number of people with alcohol problems all with differing financial positions, I can honestly say that the price of the alcohol has not been an issue for a single one of them. Without exception they were all using alcohol to 'self medicate' some problem or issue in their lives that they simply didn't have the knowledge to deal with.
When I was drinking alcohol I was never asked by a researcher if putting the price of alcohol up would make a difference to my buying habits. To my knowledge, none of the people that I have worked with have been asked the same question. So just who is asking the questions and giving the replies?
During my time as an alcoholic, I lied about my drinking habits when I was asked about them. Many of those that I have worked with have also said that they have told lies about how much they drink when asked. Can we be sure that the population are being completely honest about alcohol consumption and the real reasons that they are using it when asked by some random researcher? I suspect not.
Much of the UK's drinking problem is unseen for exactly these reasons. For many there is a big stigma surrounding the use of alcohol. Many are just too reluctant to admit that they have a problem at all. In my experience there is a bigger problem with binge drinking among the middle class, middle aged population than with the mostly blamed younger generation. But again all the research in the World just doesn't reveal this, but it is right in front of us for all to see.
Until we start to admit that drinking alcohol or legal drug use may actually not be 'normal' after all, will we start to address the real issues. We delude ourselves that we drink alcohol for the taste, even though I see no evidence of a big drive to create drinks with the same taste as alcoholic ones but without the alcohol. If it really was about the taste then surely we would want the poison removed?
How about using it to relax? Truth is that if we don't know how to truly get into a relaxed state without alcohol then we already have a problem. In these circumstances the action of being relaxed is alcohol dependent, and that is often the starting point for many alcoholics.
Time to face the facts. Putting the price of alcohol up will not stop people with alcohol issues or who 'binge drink' from buying any less alcohol. They will just buy products with higher alcohol content, they will make their own or we will see a whole new underground black market develop.
People are using alcohol to change their metal state quickly. Binge drinkers are using alcohol to 'self medicate' their lives, not because it's cheap. We need understand why we are all still under the illusion that using mind altering drugs on a regular basis is 'normal', or is it the way we live our lives that needs looking at?
Having worked with a large number of people with alcohol problems all with differing financial positions, I can honestly say that the price of the alcohol has not been an issue for a single one of them. Without exception they were all using alcohol to 'self medicate' some problem or issue in their lives that they simply didn't have the knowledge to deal with.
When I was drinking alcohol I was never asked by a researcher if putting the price of alcohol up would make a difference to my buying habits. To my knowledge, none of the people that I have worked with have been asked the same question. So just who is asking the questions and giving the replies?
During my time as an alcoholic, I lied about my drinking habits when I was asked about them. Many of those that I have worked with have also said that they have told lies about how much they drink when asked. Can we be sure that the population are being completely honest about alcohol consumption and the real reasons that they are using it when asked by some random researcher? I suspect not.
Much of the UK's drinking problem is unseen for exactly these reasons. For many there is a big stigma surrounding the use of alcohol. Many are just too reluctant to admit that they have a problem at all. In my experience there is a bigger problem with binge drinking among the middle class, middle aged population than with the mostly blamed younger generation. But again all the research in the World just doesn't reveal this, but it is right in front of us for all to see.
Until we start to admit that drinking alcohol or legal drug use may actually not be 'normal' after all, will we start to address the real issues. We delude ourselves that we drink alcohol for the taste, even though I see no evidence of a big drive to create drinks with the same taste as alcoholic ones but without the alcohol. If it really was about the taste then surely we would want the poison removed?
How about using it to relax? Truth is that if we don't know how to truly get into a relaxed state without alcohol then we already have a problem. In these circumstances the action of being relaxed is alcohol dependent, and that is often the starting point for many alcoholics.
Time to face the facts. Putting the price of alcohol up will not stop people with alcohol issues or who 'binge drink' from buying any less alcohol. They will just buy products with higher alcohol content, they will make their own or we will see a whole new underground black market develop.
People are using alcohol to change their metal state quickly. Binge drinkers are using alcohol to 'self medicate' their lives, not because it's cheap. We need understand why we are all still under the illusion that using mind altering drugs on a regular basis is 'normal', or is it the way we live our lives that needs looking at?
Saturday, 10 April 2010
Could it be that a Completely Sober Population could be a Real Problem for a UK Government?
So another election is upon us. Mephedrone is the big discussion at the moment, but again the talk is focused on what the drug does and the possible consequences of using it, rather than the reasons people are choosing to use it in the first place.
It is estimated that more than 20,000 people die in the UK from alcohol related illness. That figure does not include road and other accidents resulting from the use of alcohol.
Let us imagine for a moment that everything is perfect in our life. We live with our ideal partner, in the perfect house and we get our income from doing work that we enjoy, we do not have any financial worries and we are in good health. Why then would we want to introduce any mind altering substance to dilute the experience?
The uncomfortable truth is that so many people are using alcohol just to 'cope' with life. Many of them are unseen and don't appear in the government figures, they are 'average' families under extreme pressure, often financial, just trying to get to the end of the week without having a breakdown!
Imagine a completely sober population living in the reality that is modern life in the UK 24 hours a day 7 days a week. It would be the first time that so many people would experience the UK as it really is. What would happen if the illusion of getting 'relief' from life by using alcohol was no longer an option? Just maybe there would be a massive realisation that they way we are all living is driving so many to drink alcohol in an attempt to 'escape' life.
Is it possible that we may collectively decide that some real changes were made? for the benefit of the majority, not just those who know how to make the system work for them?
Then of course there is the employment and tax revenue positions to consider. Thousands maybe millions are employed making alcohol, creating advertising, packaging, transport, exports and tax. As a government how is it possible to balance a situation where a drug is legal, thousands die as a result of using it, 1.7 Billion a year is spent managing the health consequences and yet it still contributes massive amounts to the economy?
I really don't know. But unless we start to be honest about it we may never know. It really is a very big cause for concern when a government adviser's speak the truth about alcohol but are sacked because it doesn't comply with government policy. The truth may be uncomfortable but it cannot be adapted to fit the way the government would like it to be.
I do not endorse under any circumstances the banning of alcohol or making it illegal. I believe that choice and free-will are birthrights. I will say though, especially having experienced both sides of the alcohol divide, that drinking alcohol is just not 'normal', but for some the illusion is that life is just too hard to live without alcohol.
We all have all the resources within us to deal with whatever presents in our lives but we are rarely taught how to use them, we drink alcohol instead, or use other mind altering drugs.
Why?, because we were taught to do it by our parents and peers and encouraged by the government through the promotion of 'responsible drinking' whatever that is!
It is estimated that more than 20,000 people die in the UK from alcohol related illness. That figure does not include road and other accidents resulting from the use of alcohol.
Let us imagine for a moment that everything is perfect in our life. We live with our ideal partner, in the perfect house and we get our income from doing work that we enjoy, we do not have any financial worries and we are in good health. Why then would we want to introduce any mind altering substance to dilute the experience?
The uncomfortable truth is that so many people are using alcohol just to 'cope' with life. Many of them are unseen and don't appear in the government figures, they are 'average' families under extreme pressure, often financial, just trying to get to the end of the week without having a breakdown!
Imagine a completely sober population living in the reality that is modern life in the UK 24 hours a day 7 days a week. It would be the first time that so many people would experience the UK as it really is. What would happen if the illusion of getting 'relief' from life by using alcohol was no longer an option? Just maybe there would be a massive realisation that they way we are all living is driving so many to drink alcohol in an attempt to 'escape' life.
Is it possible that we may collectively decide that some real changes were made? for the benefit of the majority, not just those who know how to make the system work for them?
Then of course there is the employment and tax revenue positions to consider. Thousands maybe millions are employed making alcohol, creating advertising, packaging, transport, exports and tax. As a government how is it possible to balance a situation where a drug is legal, thousands die as a result of using it, 1.7 Billion a year is spent managing the health consequences and yet it still contributes massive amounts to the economy?
I really don't know. But unless we start to be honest about it we may never know. It really is a very big cause for concern when a government adviser's speak the truth about alcohol but are sacked because it doesn't comply with government policy. The truth may be uncomfortable but it cannot be adapted to fit the way the government would like it to be.
I do not endorse under any circumstances the banning of alcohol or making it illegal. I believe that choice and free-will are birthrights. I will say though, especially having experienced both sides of the alcohol divide, that drinking alcohol is just not 'normal', but for some the illusion is that life is just too hard to live without alcohol.
We all have all the resources within us to deal with whatever presents in our lives but we are rarely taught how to use them, we drink alcohol instead, or use other mind altering drugs.
Why?, because we were taught to do it by our parents and peers and encouraged by the government through the promotion of 'responsible drinking' whatever that is!
Thursday, 1 April 2010
Alcoholism, the problem or just a symptom?
Hello! and a very warm welcome to my very first blog!
I'm Colin Perriss and I'm a former alcoholic or recovered alcoholic, whatever you prefer, and yes I am recovered, although I realise that there are many who argue that alcoholism is for life and that recovery is simply not possible.
I do not agree with the view that alcoholism is for life. Tough as it may seem alcoholism is a choice, for me, I chose to drink alcohol instead of facing the problems and difficulties in my life that needed my attention and some significant work to resolve them.
Alcohol is a very powerful and often underestimated mind altering drug. Like it or not, we use alcohol to quickly change our mental state without having to work at it. I started as a 'responsible drinker' but that all changed when I started to use alcohol to change my mental state instead of addressing the very issues that were making me want to drink in the first place!
In fact drifting from 'responsible drinking' to alcoholism is a real risk for all of us. For example if we use alcohol to 'relax' we are already taking risks! It may be worth considering what it is that is stopping us from relaxing in the first place? If alcohol is present then I would argue that we are not truly relaxed!, just the illusion of being relaxed because whatever is troubling us is being suppressed by the alcohol.
In my experience alcoholism is usually a symptom of an underlying issue of some kind. Binge Drinking is a big issue for the UK, and those indulging in it are wanting to change their mental state in a big way, quickly.
Is it the binge drinking that it the problem? or is that just another symptom?, a sick society perhaps?
Alcoholism is not for life, unless you choose it to be that way of course. http://www.enp4.co.uk/
I'm Colin Perriss and I'm a former alcoholic or recovered alcoholic, whatever you prefer, and yes I am recovered, although I realise that there are many who argue that alcoholism is for life and that recovery is simply not possible.
I do not agree with the view that alcoholism is for life. Tough as it may seem alcoholism is a choice, for me, I chose to drink alcohol instead of facing the problems and difficulties in my life that needed my attention and some significant work to resolve them.
Alcohol is a very powerful and often underestimated mind altering drug. Like it or not, we use alcohol to quickly change our mental state without having to work at it. I started as a 'responsible drinker' but that all changed when I started to use alcohol to change my mental state instead of addressing the very issues that were making me want to drink in the first place!
In fact drifting from 'responsible drinking' to alcoholism is a real risk for all of us. For example if we use alcohol to 'relax' we are already taking risks! It may be worth considering what it is that is stopping us from relaxing in the first place? If alcohol is present then I would argue that we are not truly relaxed!, just the illusion of being relaxed because whatever is troubling us is being suppressed by the alcohol.
In my experience alcoholism is usually a symptom of an underlying issue of some kind. Binge Drinking is a big issue for the UK, and those indulging in it are wanting to change their mental state in a big way, quickly.
Is it the binge drinking that it the problem? or is that just another symptom?, a sick society perhaps?
Alcoholism is not for life, unless you choose it to be that way of course. http://www.enp4.co.uk/
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