Alcohol is a Vile, Insidious Chemical that Destroys Lives

Alcohol took another of my friends' lives this week; and I am not talking metaphorically -- he is dead. This time, it was one of my good friends from high school that I have known since the 9th grade. Dead at 49 with three beautiful babies that will dearly miss their father for the rest of their days. Time is long overdue for us all to truly reflect on the vile, insidious nature of alcohol, and how it bends the knee of even the strongest man. Addiction is not weakness -- it is a disease.

Alcohol is a Drug that Kills

Alcohol is the only drug that we have to explain to other people why we DON'T take it. Think about it -- if you're at a party or at the beach and someone offers you a beer, and you decline, get ready for the list of questions that are probably coming.

My sober birthday is 03/19/2019 and it is something I celebrate every year. In the midst of alcoholism, life feels impossible without alcohol, and the thought of living without it sounds lame, boring, and downright scary. But that is all a lie that is being told to your brain by alcohol. Once you quit, hour by hour, day after day, you begin to heal and get better. Your mind begins to sharpen again, and you begin to have clarity of thought once again.

Yes, it can be difficult at first because your life is probably a wreck at that point, but you can pull out of it -- and it is perfectly okay to ask for help. Alcoholism has one of the highest relapse rates of any abused drug, and our society makes it so difficult to quit alcohol.

It's Time to Change the Image of Alcohol

It is time to change the societal image of alcohol and the way we perceive it. Upon quitting alcohol, the person trying to quit is constantly bombarded with outside pressures telling them it's ok to reach for the bottle, because we are reaffirmed in it in all our 1) commercials, 2) tv shows, and 3) society in general at social gatherings.

We don't ask people why they don't use cocaine if they don't use it? Same goes for huffing spray paint, or smoking weed. Why do people pressure others to drink with them?

Why is it that on every TV show about cops, the only way for a detective to recoup from a long, hard day is with a stiff glass of whiskey in a glass of ice?

Don't Sit on the Sidelines Anymore

From now on, I refuse to sit on the sidelines, watching my friends and family slowly kill themselves with alcohol. I challenge all of you to do the same. If you see a friend or family member abusing alcohol, don't do what so many of us do, which is to turn a blind-eye to it, and let it slide. We have to challenge people to stop alcohol, and see it for its true, evil nature.

Beer was originally drank by humans because the alcohol in beer sanitized the drink, thereby preventing cholera and other food-borne, bacterial illnesses. It was never intended to be abused in such a way as it is today, where refined, potent liquors are served up at shot-bars across our country.

Watching someone slip into alcoholism and die at such an early age is truly heartbreaking, and involves a complex range of emotions for all involved. Make sure you did all you can for your friends and family before it is too late. People need saving that say they don't need saving -- and they will thank you later!

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