How To Beat Addiction

A Year Ago Today, I Put The Bottle Down For Good

Alcohol was always a good friend of mine. It helped me fall asleep, relieve stress, and I thought it made me more fun. In social settings, having a few drinks made it easier and more enjoyable to converse with people. I love karaoke, but I had to have a few shots to muster up the courage to sing. I loved alcohol, and it definitely loved me (and my money). A year ago today, I was at a family gathering and found myself needing alcohol to "get through" the event. At a separate event, I arrived, consumed an entire bottle of wine, didn't feel intoxicated at all, but got sick as a dog. The whole bottle came back up. What did I do? Proceeded to get another bottle and try again. At 39 years old, that's when I decided that wasn't how I wanted to live any longer.

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Baby Steps Are Key To Beating Addiction

I'm an addict. I was addicted to alcohol. I'm still an imperfect person, as we all are, but I fight the demons every day with baby steps towards what I want to accomplish. I decided a year ago I didn't want to drink alcohol anymore. I was tired of embarrassing my husband with petty arguments and childish behavior. I wanted him to be proud of his wife, and not the person I had become. I was done with making poor decisions because I wasn't conscious enough to realize I was making poor ones. I was disappointed in my inability to show up to anything on time because I drank too much the night before. I believe, at 39 years old, I finally decided to grow up a little bit. Facing the realization that you're an addict is one of the hardest things to do. But I did it, and today I'm celebrating that first baby step to sobriety that's turned into one of the best years of my life.

How To Get Help If You're Struggling With Addiction

I'm not a fan of "if I can do it, you can do it", as it's the biggest lie surrounding addiction. Everyone is different. Every addiction is built differently. I was not able to do it alone. However, with that said, there is a plethora of resources to get your journey in the other direction started. Whether you're more comfortable speaking with a stranger, developing a relationship with a trusted physician, speaking with a group of peers struggling with the same issues, or simply starting with research, there are ample options. Here are some resources to help you start your journey:

If you are struggling with anything and simply need someone to talk to, please do not hesitate to use this information: Suicide and Crisis Line - Call or text 988

Brentwood Springs is a wonderful local resource for all things addiction.

The Indiana Center for Recovery specializes in mental health and addiction.

Southwestern Indiana Alcoholics Anonymous is a great setting for social discussion to help with addiction.

Here are the drug and alcohol treatment options from Deaconess.