Alcohol Awareness Month
Part Two
“My makeup wasn’t smeared, I wasn’t disheveled, I behaved politely, and I never finished off a bottle…so how could I be an alcoholic?” ~Former First Lady Betty Ford
Everyone has his or her own thoughts and ideas of what an alcoholic looks like in their mind’s eye. As a kid, I personally had the image of the town wino in dirty clothes wondering through the town with a bottle of booze hidden in a brown paper sack clutched tightly in their hand as they staggered down the ally. Alcoholics were supposed to stick out like a sore thumb so all the kids in the community could be dutifully warned about the evils of consuming spirits to excess. Those are the images of my childhood, when I was young and naïve. Today, I know that the face of alcoholism carries a much different image for those people who suffer from this disease. What does the face of alcoholism look like? It looks like the face of a school teacher, a police officer, a veteran, a business owner, a college student, a doctor, an athlete or the person next door…it even looks like the First Lady of the United States. First Lady Betty Ford became a beacon of hope when in the late 70’s, after being confronted by her family, began a pathway to sobriety that ultimately ended with the foundation of the Betty Ford Clinic (now the Betty Ford Center) to help people who struggle with substance addiction. Betty Ford was a well-respected woman who used her influence as First Lady to promote and advocate for equal rights for women and raising awareness of breast cancer. Her public admission of alcoholism and her treatment was a sharp awakening that alcoholism can be prevalent at every level of society and that there was life beyond the addiction. She was a strong woman made of tough stuff to find her way past the ridicule she endured in order to stand tall to be a shining example of what could be for those who hid in the shadows of the doubt of addiction.
As part of Alcohol Awareness month, today I would like to discuss more on alcoholism, the symptoms and the risk factors of alcoholism. Alcoholism is an addiction and is as much a mental health issue as it is a physical issue. Healing from any addiction requires that the person who is suffering from the addiction get help for both mental and physical issues. I’m not implying that alcoholics are mentally deficient, I’m saying that there are skewed belief systems at work that help lead to an addiction and then the addiction is ties to the physical being through developing chemical dependencies. One rarely wakes up one morning and says, “I quit” and stays sober…has it happened? Yes, but it is a rare bird who can go cold turkey and find a balanced life. But what is the catalyst for alcoholism? Just as it is the rare moment that a person quits cold turkey, it is equally rare that a person just wakes up one day and decides that they want to become an alcoholic. The five most common risk factors in becoming an alcoholic are:
· Excessive stress
· Drinking from an early age
· Mixing alcohol and medication
· Family history
· Mental health issues like depression
Common symptoms of alcoholism are:
· drinking alone
· drinking more to feel the effects of alcohol (having a high tolerance)
· becoming violent or angry when asked about their drinking habits
· not eating or eating poorly
· neglecting personal hygiene
· missing work or school because of drinking
· being unable to control alcohol intake
· making excuses to drink
· continuing to drink even when legal, social, or economic problems develop
· giving up important social, occupational, or recreational activities because of alcohol use
The stigma and the shame felt by those who struggle with alcohol seem unique to the person suffering from alcoholism and insurmountable. The reality is that those feelings are common and shared by a great many who have struggled and who are now sober. There are many organizations available to those who need help and who desire help. It takes a courage for a family member or a friend to confront the person they love who is struggling with alcohol addiction, especially if that person feels like there is not a problem. Part of the addiction of alcoholism is that the booze comes before the people an addict loves or cares about and that why it is so painful for others to witness. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration is a confidential resource to reach out to… “SAMHSA’s National Helpline, 1-800-662-HELP (4357), (also known as the Treatment Referral Routing Service) is a confidential, free, 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-a-year, information service, in English and Spanish, for individuals and family members facing mental and/or substance use disorders. This service provides referrals to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community-based organizations. Callers can also order free publications and other information,” (https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline)
I hope that everyone take time this month to ponder their use of alcohol and critically reflect if you or someone you care about needs help. It can be hard to reach out but it is an even more difficult road to travel if alcohol is the driving force in your life. Take care of yourself and each other, remember, we’re all in this together.
Wm Reid
Best Home Care Services
325 N Eastern Ave
Connersville, IN 47331
765-827-9833
wmreid@bhcshealth.com