Holiday Blues
On alcohol addiction and the holiday sadness caused by the disease. You can’t get the alcoholic sober, but you can listen to those who understand the alcoholic.
Alcoholism will rob this holiday season of its gifts, love, and promises. Families are torn apart while sharing the holidays with family members who share their holiday with this drug of choice. Nothing is sadder than the addition problem.
Drinking during the holidays is nothing new. It has gone on forever and hides under the cloak that it is the holidays and everyone indulges…sometimes a bit too much. Holiday parties are left with hurt feelings mixed with shock and disgust. The occasional drinker might get a bit tipsy. The social drinker will have his limit and switch to soft drinks, but the one who cannot stop at one or two is the person who probably doesn’t yet realize what’s happening. This person has gone way past social drinking. This person can’t help himself.
No amount of will power has ever gotten someone sober or kept someone sober. If that were the case, there would be no need for twelve-step programs, shelves of books about alcoholism or treatment centers.
No spouse can wish his partner sober, no child can cry loud enough and no parent can plead long enough to help the addict attain sobriety. Denial on the part of the problem drinker is much louder than any other voice.
The problem drinker is not trying to destroy everyone’s holiday. The powerful nature of his addiction will not allow him to think of others. His main focus is on his demon. That demon overrules any good intention he might have. After succumbing to that first, seemingly innocent…”just one drink won’t hurt theory…” the problem drinker is on his way to destruction. He truly has no defense, the first drink catches him and throws him into insanity. And the vicious cycle of drinking continues.
As the candles glow in all the “rooms” this holiday season, there will be thousands of people who understand the problem drinker. Their prayer will be for the still suffering person whose good intentions go unfinished.
If you know a person like this problem drinker, there is help for you. Friends and families will gather in Al-Anon meetings all over the world. You are invited to be there!
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penpusher | Dec 10, 2008 | Reply
thanks! i know several who suffer with alcohol addiction and I appreciate you taking the time out to recognize those during the holiday season. It is sad yet there is such truth.