When we first realized that our drinking has gotten out of control, many of us searched for excuses rather than admit that we were suffering from alcoholism. We felt as though our loss of control was theresult of a momentary lapse in judgement, or a reaction to external stressors, rather than symptomatic of a progressive and fatal disease. However, through many failed attempts at asserting control over our drinking, we came to the conclusion that we were, in fact, powerless over alcohol and that our lives had become unmanageable. T he Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous lists a variety of failed methods to assert control over drinkingthat many of us can relate to: “Drinking beer only, limiting the number of drinks, never drinking alone, never drinking in the morning, drinking only at home, never having it in the house, never drinking during business hours, drinking only at parties, switching from scotch to brandy, drinking only natural wines, agreeing to resign if ever drunk on the job, taking a trip, not taking a trip, swearing off forever (with and without a solemn oath), taking more physical exercise, reading inspirational books, going to health farms and sanitariums, accepting voluntary commitment to asylums—we could increase the list ad infinitum.” Many of us attempted all of these methods and more, and still held out hope that we would find a way to control our drinking eventually. In truth, however, self-will is simply not enough if one suffers from the disease of alcoholism.
Alcoholism is a progressive disease—we may have been able to give it up early in our drinking career, but we passed the point of being able to quit on our own long ago. The progressive nature of the disease also means that each time we return to alcohol, even after making a firm resolution to control our drinking, we will invariably face more disastrous consequences and find our lives becoming more and more unmanageable. The Big Book explains, “All of us felt at times that we were regaining control, but such intervals—usually brief—were inevitable followed by still less control, which led in time to pitiful and incomprehensible demoralization. We are convinced to a man that alcoholics of our type are in the grip of a progressive illness. Over and considerable period we get worse, never better.” Fortunately, through complete abstinence and adherence to a recovery program, we can recover from the hopeless state of body and mind that we found ourselves in during our time in active alcoholism.
There is a solution, and it can be a part of your story. You can begin building a brighter future by making the decision to seek help for alcoholism today. Oceanfront Recovery, a treatment facility, is staffed with compassionate detox professionals dedicated to making the process as comfortable as possible. For more information about individualized treatment options, including Detox and Residential Treatment, please call today: (877) 279-1777
