“Why don’t you just stop drinking? Make a decision and stop.” This is a question many of us alcoholics have been asked by family, friends, or even mere acquaintances. The reality is, alcohol addiction is not a switch that you can just flip on or off.
According to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, 17.6 million people abuse alcohol or have a dependence on it. Millions more drink to excess on a regular basis, which could lead to alcohol problems.
Odds are, you know someone who is an alcoholic.
From 2006 to 2010, more than 87,000 deaths in the U.S. were related to alcohol abuse.
The reason for this post stems from another I wrote about Metallica frontman James Hetfield’s struggles with alcoholism. Here is one comment I received on Facebook in response to the post:
If you feel the need to chastise James Hetfield as a crybaby for getting sober, then go burn your copy of Master of Puppets. We know you still have it.
Regardless of how you feel about Metallica’s music or behavior, James Hetfield is not weak. He managed to walk away from his addiction — and that’s one of the most difficult challenges a human being can ever face. While he is still an alcoholic — once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic — he has been sober more than 13 years.
The truth is alcoholism is a serious medical disease diagnosed by doctors and psychiatrists. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the Bible for psychiatrists when making diagnoses, defines what’s called “alcohol use disorder” (AUD), characterized by, among other criteria, alcohol use increasing over a matter of time, craving of alcohol, and diminishing or negative effects on a person’s job or social life.
Alcoholism is a real, human disease. It’s also a progressive one, according to the Mayo Clinic.
“If you have alcoholism, you can’t consistently predict how much you’ll drink, how long you’ll drink, or what consequences will occur from your drinking,” an article on the Mayo Clinic’s website says. “Alcoholism is influenced by genetic, psychological, social, and environmental factors that have an impact on how it affects your body and behavior.”
Throw in a diagnosis like depression or bipolar disorder and an alcoholic’s situation is exacerbated.
Like the Mayo Clinic says, alcoholism is at least partly genetic. Just like being gay or lesbian, it’s not a choice.
You can choose not to drink alcohol, but for an alcoholic, once he or she imbibes, the seed is planted.
Heavy drinking can incur such health problems as cirrhosis of the liver, hepatitis, kidney problems, heart disease, and even cancer, among others. Quit drinking and you are less susceptible to these diseases, not to mention problems with the brain.
Authorized by the Central Institute of Mental Health in Germany, one study examined the effects of two weeks of sobriety. Just that short amount of time already showed health benefits to the brain, such as a U-turn in brain shrinkage and decrease in the killing of brain cells.
“This study offers recovering alcoholics a sense of hope,” says Natalie May Zahr, co-author of the study published in the scientific journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research. “Hope that even within two weeks of abstinence, the recovering alcoholic should be able to observe improvements in brain functioning that may allow for better insight and thus ability to remain sober.”
Getting sober makes you look better too.
“Cutting out toxins and 1,200 nightly beer calories can make a big difference, fast,” an article on Recovery.org says. “But in addition to physical changes, we might find ourselves happier and more radiant now that we don’t have a hangover every day and aren’t full of shame and regret.”
I am dually diagnosed with bipolar and alcoholism. I entered rehab in 2012, and I’ve been sober since. Three years and counting. I can tell you that I am far happier than I ever was during those years of drinking. And I’m sure my doc would tell you I’m healthier, particularly since I’m no longer falling down staircases.
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but if you think alcoholics are weak and selfish, you are ignoring science just as much as the climate-change deniers. It’s not holier-than-thou to be sober. It’s healthy. It’s cool. It’s alive. It’s metal. It’s punk. And above all else, it’s powerful.
