Yes, I'm an alcoholic. It's all right, I'm sober. Hemingway was an alcoholic. So is Stephen King. So clearly I'm in twisted and mentally disturbed company. (ha-ha). And I actually hate(hated) the taste of liquor. What can I say, I'm a masochist.
On Nov. 15th, 2009, I hit my three-year sobriety date. Most people's number one question when they find out if I'm an alcoholic is: "Do you go to AA? What's it like?"
Did you know that at the end of the first year only 3% of alcoholics who attended AA will still be sober?
Did you know that at the end of the first year only 3% of alcoholics who attend non-AA treatment will still be sober?
Here's the one that will really get you:
Did you know it's estimated that between 3-5% of drug user and alcoholics will spontaneously become better? (In other words, they'll wise up and stop killing themselves).
I was a bit surprised...well, that's a lie. I wasn't really surprised when I found that out. I did go to AA in the beginning, and knowing that there were other people who had a problem with alcohol did help me realize that being an alcoholic is nothing to be ashamed of. I didn't like it when people acted like they were powerless over relapsing, though.
Once the alcohol is out of your system, you don't have an excuse anymore. I went out about two months after I joined and got drunk. Almost everyone there patted me on the back, and said "It's ok...it happens to everyone." Only one person had the guts to be honest. They told me, "You got drunk because you wanted to get drunk more than you wanted to stay sober."
Oh, I was pissed. I'm a redhead, and when I'm pissed, everyone within a block usually knows. Sometimes people in other states get to hear about it. After a few minutes, though, I realized she was right. There was no magical excuse for my getting drunk that would make it all better.
....Part 2 tomorrow!
Question for my readers: Do you know anyone who is in AA? Do they think it helps them?
On Nov. 15th, 2009, I hit my three-year sobriety date. Most people's number one question when they find out if I'm an alcoholic is: "Do you go to AA? What's it like?"
Did you know that at the end of the first year only 3% of alcoholics who attended AA will still be sober?
Did you know that at the end of the first year only 3% of alcoholics who attend non-AA treatment will still be sober?
Here's the one that will really get you:
Did you know it's estimated that between 3-5% of drug user and alcoholics will spontaneously become better? (In other words, they'll wise up and stop killing themselves).
I was a bit surprised...well, that's a lie. I wasn't really surprised when I found that out. I did go to AA in the beginning, and knowing that there were other people who had a problem with alcohol did help me realize that being an alcoholic is nothing to be ashamed of. I didn't like it when people acted like they were powerless over relapsing, though.
Once the alcohol is out of your system, you don't have an excuse anymore. I went out about two months after I joined and got drunk. Almost everyone there patted me on the back, and said "It's ok...it happens to everyone." Only one person had the guts to be honest. They told me, "You got drunk because you wanted to get drunk more than you wanted to stay sober."
Oh, I was pissed. I'm a redhead, and when I'm pissed, everyone within a block usually knows. Sometimes people in other states get to hear about it. After a few minutes, though, I realized she was right. There was no magical excuse for my getting drunk that would make it all better.
....Part 2 tomorrow!
Question for my readers: Do you know anyone who is in AA? Do they think it helps them?
