I remember heavy summer evenings when the tired sun would sink into the shadows of the horizon. When the last remnants of day would meet to mingle with the evening for a few moments before parting to say goodbye. The stars would begin to appear in the lavender twilight that gently gave way to the deep purple of the night. Laughter and voices of my parents and neighbors chatting mixed with the sounds of crickets carried through the air on a hot evening breeze;
I was sitting outside today just smoking a cigarette and looking at this tree that has been on my front lawn since I was born. Through the years it had grown into a monstrous giant looming high into the blue of the midday sky. Up until a few years ago it was covered in a lush blanket of emerald ivy that hung down in twisted blankets from the branches high above. With each year that passed and the tree grew the Ivy grew with it.
An addiction can take control of a person s life. For example a successful man who is an alcoholic can lose everything including his business, family and reputation because of the devastating affects of alcohol. Alcohol is just one addiction among many. An individual may be addicted to tobacco, prescription medicine, food or recreational drugs. When a person is under the power of an addiction, that addiction controls their work relationships, personal relationships and much more.
Every year hundreds and thousands of people are reported to suffer from the destructive epidemic of alcoholism. People from all ages are susceptible to be entrapped in the intoxicating effects of the disorder. This is why specialists have come up with an alcohol detox program. Who Should Take Part in the Program? Alcoholism is a disorder that is difficult to overcome. It has been an epidemic in both young and old who easily succumb to the intoxicating flavours.
If you get a feeling that you hit the bottle too often and too much, and are unable to control the drinking habit, and if you want to do something about it, then you must seriously consider enrolling in a residential alcohol treatment course. Most residential alcohol treatment programs can help those who can t stay away from alcohol to give up on the habit and can t stay clean. One big morale booster that the program offers is that you would be amidst people who, like you, are determined to stay away from alcohol.
I drowned when I was two years old. My sister who was five at the the time found me floating face down in the pool, screaming for my Mother to come help her. My Mother to this day has no idea how I fell in, because there was nothing available for me to use to climb the pool walls to fall in. But I know how... Determination. When I get an idea, make a decision, discover what I want.
The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous is the bible for recovering alcoholics. Originally published in 1939, it is now on its fourth edition. It has helped millions of people take the first step towards sobriety. The Book serves as a guide and an inspiration to people entering a recovery program. The Book begins with the story of Bill, a young soldier who returns home and slowly loses his self to alcohol. It chronicles his journey from well being to having his every thought and action controlled by his need for alcohol.
From grammar school through high school, teachers periodically made comments on my grade reports such as, John is a capable student but he will not apply himself. They were right. I did just enough to get to the next grade. My dad wouldn t let me quit. Because I was 17 my during entire senior year, I needed parental consent. Though I wasn t enthusiastic academically, my father still managed to instill a value for education that would surface in my life almost 30 years later.
What is the biggest differentiator between man and animal? An animal exists on a basic plateau where its needs are more or less selfish. It feeds, it mates and it sleeps. If the need to protect itself arises, it fights. If it wants to be on its own, it walks away from its cubs. Is it aware of anything more spiritual than that? Does it have sleepless nights? Does it suffer from pangs of conscience?
To decide during childhood, whether as an ideal from a dream or fantasy, or from being impressed or influenced by others in the community, to delve into the netherworld of drugs and alcohol--actually choosing to live a life of chaos is one of those mysteries of human behavior. Most addicts do not wake up one morning and say, Gee, I think I ll spend my life as a drug addict. Maybe not quite that literally, but many of us do make such decisions, usually unconsciously.
