Slowly and Surely – Embarking on an Alcohol Recovery Journey
Josh belongs to a family of prominent educationists spanning three generations. He holds a double Masters in economics and political science. Married with one son, he has a pleasant personality. He speaks in a soft courteous voice and his mannerism can be said to be gentlemanly. What could be wrong with him? Everything seems right on the surface, doesn’t it?
However, if you look a little closer, you will see the tremor in his hands when he is holding his book during his lecture. You will also begin to notice that his eyes have the redness that is not a result of any eye infection. If you listen to him long enough, you would hear how slurred his speeches are. Also, we cannot ignore his frequent absenteeism at work, his insomnia, his strong craving for alcohol, his desire to cut down on alcohol followed by numerous failed attempts, his loss of interest in social activities, and not to forget conflicts arising in his kin relationships.
Most definitely all these overt and covert symptoms point to Alcohol Use Disorder. How did this happen?
Related: 14 YEARS AND COUNTING-A TRUE STORY OF STRUGGLING AND SURVIVING ALCOHOL ADDICTION
He remembers drinking alcohol for the first time when he was 16. Along with two friends, he decided to celebrate coming-of-age by chugging down beer. He had an unpleasant experience followed by the worst hangover. He felt repelled. When he recalls that day, he stares in disbelief as to how far he has come. After the first stint, it was a gradual process from occasional drinking to habitual to dependence now. While in the beginning a few bottles would be enough to feel tipsy, the amount increased gradually and so did his tolerance.
With increased tolerance, his dependence increased too. Now he no longer consumes alcohol, instead alcohol has started consuming him. He is 46 and in the past year he had seizures on three separate occasions. The seizures have given his family a fright and now they are convincing him to go to a rehabilitation facility. He too wants to quit but doubts if he may fail, even before giving it a shot. As an afterthought, he also admits it would be wonderful to be clean.
For people like Josh, there are rehabilitation centers that offer both medical and mental health professional services on the premises. Often medication can help with alcohol withdrawal syndromes while mental health professionals can provide the much-required counseling and psychotherapy. There are also a few Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) groups that conduct regular AA meetings which can become a good support system.
“It will take time to clear away the wreck. Though old buildings will eventually be replaced by finer ones, the new structures will take years to complete.”
― Alcoholics Anonymous
Here’s hoping that Josh gets to build new structures in his life, with the help of his family and friends, a little nudge from the health professionals and a little push and shove from support groups like AA.
Seeking to heal itself is the path to healing, and healing is possible!
