Are You Drinking Alcohol Successfully?

Is there really an in-between? Can you be a half-way addict? I believe that once you cross the line over into addiction, you can no longer go back to being a ‘social drinker’. Some professionals promote harm reduction techniques for reducing alcohol abuse. For those in recovery, this can be an extremely dangerous idea. As addicts, we often look for a weasel clause to co-sign our addictive thinking. Every addict that I have encountered in my profession has not successfully become a “normal” drinker after being addicted. So why do so many addicts try? It must be human nature to learn the hard way. There are so many experiences that I could have avoided by, listening to my elders, observing what happened to my peers or just doing the next right thing. Of course, it’s easier to think that it won’t happen to me, then to deny myself something that I know is not the best thing for me. In recovery, we often have to sacrifice what we want for what we need in order to maintain recovery. Doing the next right thing is important. If we pick up the next drink or drug we will most likely end up where we left off in our addiction before treatment. Constant awareness of how the disease of addiction might use professionals to trick us into thinking ‘controlled use is possible,’ may be helpful to reduce risk of relapse. Although the question of controlled social drinking remains a great debate, it may just be better for your physical and mental health if you remain abstinent. Don’t do the research… it’s already been done for you. If you have picked up drinking alcohol again and need some assistance with alcohol detox and rehab, please call us at 1-866-877-6717. A Lakeview Health staff member is available 24/7 to help you get back on track in your recovery program.