Alcohol
I used to have a problem with alcohol.
There was a short period of time in my life where I really liked to have a drink and I did so at least twice a week. I couldn’t hang out with friends if I couldn’t drink. I felt like if I didn’t drink I just felt awkward in my skin and I would rather just not be there. I planned my social life around drinking. I could drink a bottle of wine over an evening easy.
If I was drinking, it was because I was going to get altered. I didn’t have just one drink and stop. I wanted to have that altered/tipsy/drunk feeling.
I was going through stuff in life that was really rough for me and at that time, I was trying to numb those unpleasant emotions with alcohol.
I struggled with it. I knew it wasn’t good for me. I knew that being hungover at work was effecting my job performance.
I knew that I was injuring myself and my future with this habit.
I functioned relatively well in life despite this. Part of my pride/whatever was that I wouldn’t call out of work or stay home if i was hungover. I knew that I had done it to myself and my “punishment” or whatever you want to call it was continuing to fulfill my obligations regardless of how I felt.
In my extended family, about half of my aunts and uncles are recovering alcoholics. We live in a society where alcohol is so normalized. We also live in a society full of broken and traumatized people that are looking for relief and release from their mental and physical pains.
I have BEEN THERE. I get it.
It is one of the harder substances to abstain from or get off of because it is advertised everywhere. It is something that can feel good in the short term. But in the long run, it can cause a lot of trouble.
Here are some stats I pulled from the NIH website. “Globally, alcohol misuse was the fifth leading risk factor for premature death and disability in 2010. Among people between the ages of 15 and 49, it is the first. In the age group 20–39 years, approximately 25 percent of the total deaths are alcohol attributable”
“More than 10 percent of U.S. children live with a parent with alcohol problems, according to a 2012 study”
I am putting this all out there because I like to keep it real.
I want you guys to know that when I speak/write on a topic I do so because I have experience and I have overcome a struggle or some such.
If you are struggling with alcohol use regarding frequency and/or quantity and you need help, please reach out to me or someone else that can help you. No judgement.
For me, the handling was relatively simple. I didn’t need a big intricate handling. I decided to stop drinking and I removed alcohol from my life. I didn’t buy it or participate in events where I knew alcohol was going to be the main activity. I now bring my own kombucha when I go to a dinner party and I don’t miss the alcohol at all. 🙂