Habits and Common Practices of an Alcoholic

 

Confessions of the Lifestyles of an Alcoholic
From a Confessed Alcoholic

My name is Jaimie and I am an alcoholic in recovery. The reason I am writing this, is that many out there still do not understand what it is like to be an alcoholic, as the word "alcoholic" has come to present a specific and stereotypical image lumping all that suffer from this disease together. Alcoholism and its effects are wide and varied. I can only speak from my own experiences, but hope this will shed some light on a misunderstood subject.

Bars

A common misconception is that alcoholics will go into a bar in the morning, drink all day, and leave late at night. This is not necessarily true, especially if that alcoholic is not a millionaire. A true alcoholic needs to retain certain levels of alcohol in their system to be able to feel normal and balanced. an 8 dollar drink with two shots of liquor in it is not an effective way to keep the "needed" or craved for amounts of alcohol.

Binge Drinking

This is often thought of as a pounding thirty beers in a few hours, but a binge usually lasts days not hours. When an alcoholic binges, it is usually on a steadily high amount of alcohol over 3-4 days. These 3-4 days is usually spent at home simply sitting and drinking. Sleep is hard to  come by during these binges unless you pass out, even then you will only be out for a couple of hours and will wake up wide awake and craving the continuance of the binge.

Quitting

Alcoholics may try numerous times to quit drinking, especially after a long binge that has left you weak, sick, and desperate. This sick feeling sticks around for about two days, and usually alcoholics can go for 2 days without drinking and sticking to their sobriety pledge. However, the 3rd or 4th day, you are starting to feel better. Much better, your thinking is starting to get much clearer, but far too clear. This is when panic sets in, and you are not sure what to do with yourself... In my case, I would get this feeling and think that I needed to dumb-down my racing mind and extra energy, so would have a drink to take the edge off a little. It works... I would already begin to feel calm again, and think that the  one drink worked. Within an hour, you are craving another rink, and another, an soon you are right back where you started.

Becoming Sober

My alcoholism was more of a mental addiction than a physical addiction. I did not have the pain, hallucinations, or possibly-lethal withdrawals that physical dependent alcoholics get, so I felt comfortable with attending an intensive outpatient program. This was done through substance abuse counseling programs that I could attend around my work schedule, and still live at home while getting sober. This option is not for everyone, but worked for me. I can't say exactly how or when I noticed I no-longer had a problem with alcohol, it just sort of happened unexpectedly, and has changed my life for the better.

Northridge Counseling offeres intensive outpatient programs and substance abuse counseling for addictions to alcohol and to drugs. Our wonderful counselers and staff will try and help you transform your life for the better, just as Jaimie was able to. Contact us today: