The road to de-addiction is littered with temptation. You are fast becoming adept at saying no to all of them. Gone are the days when liquor ruled your life – you are the master of your destiny now and no amount of alcohol can say otherwise.
Drinking
It is quite difficult to understand at times how you crossed that line between casual drinking to problem drinking to alcoholism. Those infrequent glasses at office parties and friends’ get-togethers soon took a nasty turn to ‘I just have to have that drink, no matter what. The effects of alcoholism are apparent on the family too, and in many cases, the alcoholic finds themselves sans support because the family members just can’t take it anymore.
Support from others
Whether you have been court-mandated to attend AA meetings or want to attend one of your own accords, do know that you are welcome here. If you are wondering how you can find an AA meeting near me, you have two choices. You can use an AA meeting locator or check out an AA meeting directory to decide on which one would serve your needs best.
There are no benefits at all of the drinking. Instead, it wreaks havoc on the person and their family members. In almost all cases, they experience feelings of anxiety or shame due to their loved one’s alcohol dependence. The alcoholic is so consumed by the drink that they soon find themselves incapable of even doing the most mundane chores, let alone be in a condition to care for themselves or their family.
Also, drinking is not cheap – in fact, it is quite an expensive habit. It hits the family budget adversely and affects the household expenditure. The alcoholic puts their drinking need above all other expenses, which means that the spouse and children have to go without several necessities many times. This neglect also leads to isolation – from both sides. Family members try to actively avoid the alcoholic who seeks solace in the bottle.
Sharing is caring
Whichever AA meeting you go to, whether it is local AA meetings or any out-of-town one, you will find that there is an enormous amount of sharing and encouragement going on there. This is because the place is a haven for everyone there – a place without any feelings of shame or despair, where all the attendees are in the same boat as you, have suffered the same feelings, and decided to put all that behind them.
In the beginning, you may find the outpouring of raw emotions a bit strange, but you must remember the key aspect – this is where people can feel free and liberated enough to unburden themselves from their deepest thoughts. They know that everyone around them will understand their predicament and exult in their achievements – every small step leading to the opening up of exciting vistas in life.
Feel absolutely free to share your own life experiences and make new friends, and soon you will find yourself wrapped in a cocoon of unbridled support that shall see you get back firmly on your feet. A fun thing you can use is a sobriety calculator which tells you just how much time has elapsed since you have been away from the demon drink.