Power of Alcohol vs Human Will?
80Drinking IS a Choice! You Choose To Start and You Choose When To Stop!
Power of Alcohol vs Human Will - Which Is In Control?
Welcome reader,
The power of alcohol and a person's alcohol dependency can be one of the worse battles you will ever have to deal with. However, with that said, if you are not willing to admit the control factor alcohol can have on your life, then you're also not willing to recognize that you are not in control of your life. Many people suffer from alcohol addiction and/or are alcohol dependent, but never realize that their not the ones in control. Like many, I turned to alcohol during a troubling time in my life and I convinced myself that I was the one in control, and not the alcohol.
Thus, I have decided to write this hub to bring about help to hopefully increase people's awareness through relaying my life experience and battle with alcohol. You may not agree with my assessment, but I'm sure you will have your reasons, which will have to do with yourself and not me.
Alcohol Dependent Person vs Their Own Will?
Many people will gladly tell you that they are not alcohol dependent and they do not have an addiction to alcohol. I know for a fact that there are some people who make this claim and it would be true. But, I also know that there are some people who make this claim and it's simply not true. How can you tell the difference? Their actions speak louder than their claims do. So, if you are willing to make the claim that you are in control of the alcohol, then your individual actions better back up what you claim. If your actions do not, then you are a liar, dishonest and deluded by your own unrecognized ego.
The battle of alcohol addiction and/or dependency isn't an easy fight. It will require two things (a) increased self awareness and (b) increased power of the human(your individual) will. Without either of these two, you will not win the battle against alcohol. You will be forever a servant and/or abuser.
Drinking Alcohol Can Turn Into An Addiction...
Drinking alcohol can turn into an addiction and if you are saying to yourself that I'm crazy, then you apparently already have a problem with alcohol. How can you say that? Easily, because you are refusing to admit that alcoholism exists, which is by definition an addiction to alcohol. An alcoholic suffers from the addiction to alcohol. They cannot ever get enough and will most likely drink it as though it's water. They will also drink it whenever they feel like drinking it.
Meaning, that if you see people drinking at 5am in the morning, then they most likely have a problem. If they refuse to allow you to take it away from them, because the timing of their drinking it is inappropriate, like just before they have to go to work, which they have to drive to work, then they have a problem.
The Human Will IS Your Most Powerful Tool...
I'm sorry, but it's true. The Human Will IS the most power tool at your disposal. Your will cannot be taken away, you must give it away willingly, by choice. Yes, it is understood that alcohol can have a powerful affect and effect on you as a person, but everything you do in your life is based on a choice. You either choose to give in to it's power or you choose to fight against it's control, so you can have control over your life. There's no two ways about it.
How do you know? I know because I have traveled down the path. I turned to alcohol early in my life, after the passing of my father, which I wasn't willing to let go of at the time. I enjoyed the comfort of a Liter of Captain Morgan Spiced Rum, everyday for over a year or so. It wasn't the only alcohol I would consume either. I drank beer, vodka, southern comfort and whatever else I could get my hands on through friends who were old enough to buy for me. I was only 17 years old at the time of my father's passing and not old enough to drink or purchase alcohol.
Life Lessons Are Difficult to Accept, But You MUST Learn From Them...
As my experiences has taught me, it is important to understand that your life will have many different lessons which to learn from and if you do not learn from them, then you are going to repeat the lesson until you do learn from it. Many life lessons are very difficult to accept and there's no two ways about it. Many people will refuse to accept or even see the lesson life is attempting to teach them and (a) ego and (b) addiction are the two things which will stand in your way from learning them.
I learned the hard way and I am hoping that this article assists you in recognizing that you might have a problem. In 1987, I drank more alcohol than I would have ever thought I could ever consume. I drank so much that the entire year is a complete blur and I barely have any sort of recollection. I know that I consumed the alcohol and I know that at the end of the year, I had no girlfriend and almost no friends, except one. For a New Year's Resolution(1988), I vowed to myself that alcohol wouldn't control my life. I said to myself I AM the stronger power. However, you must understand one thing about me, as a person though. What's that? I have always been of the understanding, due to teachings from my father, that will power is the greatest tool I have and as long as my will and my mind were on the same page, I couldn't be defeated.
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Seek Help?
Seek help if you don't think you have the ability to fight it alone. Ask friends or family for assistance, if you have tried and failed to break free from alcohol's power(addiction). Do not waste your life bound to it's control. It isn't healthy for your body. It isn't healthy for relationships or friendships. Your work performance will suffer, as will everything else you attempt to do.
The biggest problem an alcoholic has is admitting that they have a problem to begin with. Alcoholism isn't a joke nor is it something to play around with. Why? Because of the damaging affects on you as a person and the destructive effects which happens from your actions(interactions) with other people. It only takes ONE mistake, such as a drunk driving accident and your entire life is changed forever. If people come to you and tell you that you have a problem....don't be so easy to dismiss their words. They are the ones who are seeing your actions and your lack of self awareness is apparently choosing not to see them. Get Help NOW!
Thank you for your time
Raymond Choiniere II - Cagsil Services Founder
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Thank you very much RealHousewife for reading and commenting. As always it's a pleasure. Knowing the destructive effects it can have on a life, like mine, is what brought about the understanding of this article. I too have watched as many people have gone down that path, only never to return from it. Last time I checked, I had an uncle who was dying from liver disease because he drank every single day and to be honest, I don't even know if he is still alive. Yeah I know, shame on me for not knowing or keeping the connection alive, but he is/was my father's brother. And, he didn't even attend my father's funeral, his own brother. Thank you for the condolences also. And yes 17 was a hard enough age to get through without the drinking....the drinking was only making it more difficult. Appreciate the vote up and other marks. :)
Well done Ray and so very true. I can relate to everything you have said. As you know I was in the same boat. So many alcoholics think they have no problem and live in their little world of denial. This hub hopefully will open the eyes of those that think there is no problem with them and their addiction to alcohol.
Voted Up and Useful!!
Mark
Thank you Mark for reading and commenting. I sort of expected you to come to this hub, once I wrote it. LOL! I'm glad you enjoyed the hub and I know you can relate to it. I also appreciate the vote up and useful. :)
Thank you for writing this hub Cagsil. I don't spend much time in Hubpages anymore, so I'm glad I have you as a friend on another social network...otherwise I would have missed this hub. As you're probably already aware, alcoholism has had a huge impact on my life. My father passed away at 65 due to complications from his extreme drinking, my brother-in-law passed away in October from drinking himself to death, an old friend from high school took her life in August because she couldn't get a handle on her life and turned to the bottle for comfort, my 48 year old cousin died in November of complications related to many years of substance abuse. To say the least, this has not been a good year. But on the bright side, my sister got re-married on her 16 year anniversary of sobriety, and shortly afterwards I received my 5 year chip. So, again, thank you very much for bringing this very serious issue to the surface again. Love, Wendi
Hey Wendi, it's always great to see you and I too am glad that we're friends on another social network. :) And, yes I have read many of your hubs and I'm truly sorry to hear it's been a really bad year for you and family, and friends. However, having said that and I'm proud to hear that your sister is doing fantastic, as well as you reaching your 5 year milestone. YAY! :) And, you're welcome. It was one of the most troubling times in my life and alcohol was the easy solution at the time. But, when I noticed what it was doing to those around me and that became more troubling than the original issue that began me drinking. Therefore, I made the choice. Thank you very much. :)
Ray,
Thank you for publishing this article. 1987 can't have been an easy time for you. Let's hope that others suffering from alcohol addiction will read your words and find the strength to break free.
Daisy, you're welcome and no 1987 wasn't an easy year. I certainly hope others come across my hub and find my words helpful. That's the most I can hope for. Thank you for reading and commenting. :) Much appreciated. :)
I am pleased and and highly impressed that at the young age of 17 you were able to recognize your problem and beat it. Sadly, my own father was never able to. While he was a wonderful father, responsible provider and respected intellectual, he was never able to defeat alcoholism. Alcohol killed him, or you could say he killed himself by not harnessing his willpower and beating the addiction. Thank you for sharing your story and helping others see that they must be truthful to themselves and admit when they have a problem, then use any and all means possible to defeat their problem. Kudos to you for overcoming your addiction and sharing your experience in order to help others.
Cagsil,
We have a family friend whose son is struggling with alcohol - so difficult. Very helpful. I have heard one must hit complete bottom to give it up. I would like to hear your thoughts on enablers?
Thank you SmartandFun for reading and commenting. I'm saddened to hear about your father's death by alcoholism. I appreciate your kind words and compliment.
@American Choices- It is difficult to deal with, as an individual and as a family member, and as a friend. I'm glad you found my hub helpful. I guess you could say I hit rock bottom, per say, at the end of 1987, when I had almost no recollection of that year and only one friend left. My friends were my enablers at the time, but they didn't realize I had a problem with it and didn't know how much I was drinking when they were not around. Those who "enable" those who have a problem, but also recognize that that person has a problem, are simply being dishonest. If they are not attempting to help, but only enable, then they are not truly friends. Thank you for reading and commenting. :)
ummm... I thought I was having a pictorial double vision! Or was it the drink? lol
Thank you Shazwellyn, I think? :/
The problem is that most alcoholics think they are still riding the dragon when the dragon has long since started riding them-- you cannot admit that you have a problem when on some level you know that you cannot live without booze, so the only answer is to deny the problem until it can't be denied anymore....it isn't about willpower at all. It's about life and death and desperately trying to fill the hole in the soul. Sadly, it always ends either in recovery or death-- and the death is usually not a very pretty picture. Voted up and awesome. Thanks for sharing your personal story
Thank you robie2 for reading and commenting. However, I am going to disagree, considering I've been through it. The first part of your comment has a metaphorical statement, which is understood. The part I disagree with is the part where you said "you cannot admit that you have a problem when on some level you know that you cannot live without booze, so the only answer is to deny the problem"- that's the illusion of the power of alcohol and a lack of will power to do without it. It's all about will power and control of one's life.
It's not about life and death, and desperately trying to fill the hole in the soul. It's all about power and control of one's life. There's no soul in the human, unless you're using the word "soul" as a metaphor for something else. The myth that alcoholism cannot be cured is just that, a myth. I appreciate the voted and awesome, and I'm glad to have shared this part of my life. Again, Thank you.
I'm fortunate to have never acquired an addiction, but my wife's brother has been a drug addict for years and only recently, when his wife passed away from an overdose (we believe it was suicide) did he finally have the courage to admit that he can't quit on his own and that the drugs have power over him. Admission is very very important!
Thank you PDX for stopping by, reading and commenting. Yeah, one has to admit they have a problem before they can even begin to tackle the problem. I'm glad to hear that you were fortunate enough to not have this problem. :)
I just came back from New Year's party. I drank half a bottle of rum. LOL
On serious note: Alcoholics is a serious pronlem.
Thanks for writing on this issue.
Happy New Year.
Thank you Vinaya Ghimire for reading and commenting. I'm glad you enjoyed your New Year's party. And, I'll agree being an alcoholic is a serious problem and alcoholism is a serious issue. Happy New Year to you also. :)
Ray, I agree with much of what you write here about the person needing to let go of denial, and I appreciate you sharing your experience. If someone is beginning to slide into alcoholism and reads this perhaps it will help them to question what they are doing and make changes to their lives.
However, for people who have been addicted to alcohol for many years it can be extremely dangerous to try to stop by willpower alone. A friend recently told me of a woman she knew who wanted to do this - to stop drinking by her own efforts alone, and so stayed at home away from support. This woman died from the withdrawal effects. Her friends were devastated because they had not realised this could happen. For long term addictions it is necessary to get medical support during this withdrawal period.
Thank you Melovy for reading and commenting. You're right, those who suffer from long-term abuse of alcohol should seek help as I said at the end of the hub. Not everyone can do it alone, but many don't admit that they have a problem. I'm only increasing awareness of those who drink alcohol and hopefully I'm able to get to them before they get too far.
On a side note, I'm also trying to reach people and inform them that when they do start drinking alcohol, it is important to use their will power to control the choices they make. I appreciate your time and I'm grateful. :)
Hey, perhaps you should do a HUB to compliment this one, featuring the natural supplements that can be used to help combat alcohol withdrawal, like this: http://health-fitness-guru.blogspot.com/2011/05/na
Seriously, continue on with this one, as the power of alcohol could possibly provide topics of help and fiscal benefits for the publishers via a false sense of know-how provided from the fictitious gurus of utter poppycock; keep spreading the word! If you really cared, you'd be trying to help others with remedies as opposed to just stating the obvious. At any crazed rate of organic slop, thanks anyway...
Thank you Insane Mundane for reading and commenting. This hub is about increasing awareness of the individual's power to combat alcohol and to understand that drinking from the beginning is a choice, as is continuing to drink it. Yes, I would agree that there are plenty of supplements on the market to combat the withdrawal symptoms and I do care about people. I'm not sure that I would consider what I have said in this hub to be slop? Or if you are saying that my hub is slop? Or whether or not you're talking about the mass-marketing of junk that is passed along on the shelves of some stores that do nothing to help someone free themselves from alcohol. But, you're right, I could expand on this hub and write another hub to go along with it. Thank you for the thought. Much appreciated.
Mr. Cagsil, I appeciate whay you are trying to do, unfortunately some people think all others have only their own interest at stake.
Insane in the Membrane is how I perceive any addiction; and I, although now recovered, and now my wife have or now are experiencing an addiction.
This is a serious illness and it is awesome that you had a friend stand by you in your time of suffering. Thanks for the hub!
Thank you noturningback for reading and commenting. Yes, many people do think that other people are only interest at stake and that would be a false train of thought. Many people suffer from an addiction and my hub is about increasing the awareness of anyone who want to read the page.
Before addiction sets in, choice is always there and even when addiction has set in, choice is always still there, albeit it might not be recognized by that individual. I'll agree it's a serious illness. My friend simply wanted to be my friend and had the same understanding of friendship as I did, which is why we remained friends. He didn't help me, but he also didn't enable me either. I appreciate your comment. Thank you.
Great important hub Cagsil! CHOICES - yes, we all have choices. I am thankful that I never turned to alcohol or drugs, yet I am terribly addicted to nicotine. But I have always been drawn to addicts and people that need "fixing." It can be a difficult road to take, realizing that no matter how hard I try to help someone quit their addiction, ultimately it is their choice. This past October, someone I was in a relationship with for almost 8 years chose to end their life, not being able to get a bad drug addiction under control. It has been a tough ride for me to realize that there was nothing else I could do. It was not my choice. Yet, it is heartbreaking to me. Thanks for this great article.
Sharyn
Thank you Sharyn's Slant for reading and commenting. I'm grateful. Everything we do in our life is done by choice. Those who choose to turn to alcohol or even drugs, do so by choice and how much they do of either is also a choice. I'm sorry to hear about the person you were in a relationship with took their own life. You have my condolences. And, you're right it wasn't your choice. That person only saw one choice and took. And I can understand how heartbreaking it is for you. I appreciate the compliment and kind words. Thank you again. :)
This is an inspirational hub and I am sure your words have touched the hearts of many who have read it. Your honesty and willingness to share your own personal experience make this hub very special indeed. I have featured it in my daily newspaper "The Hypnotherapy Daily" and will share it through my network.Thank you.
Thank you Spirit Whisperer for reading and commenting. I'm grateful for you sharing it in your newspaper and with the rest of your network. You're welcome also. :) I know the affects on the body and mind that alcohol addiction can have, not to mention the effects it has on the people around those who are alcoholics or suffering from alcoholism. And if I can help grow awareness on the power of the individual human will, then I have accomplished what I set out to do. Thank you again. :)
You are a very person and you are doing great work through what you write. Please know you are appreciated always and it is my privilege to share your work. I intend to do it more regularly and I see it as what goes around comes around and you Cagsil deserve the best. Keep them coming!
I am very appreciative of the kind words. :)
Very well wrirren article. As a yet again sober alcoholic I always struggled with self will and as an extra safeguard started taking antabuse.
I know now that I wasn't working hard enough on my recovery, as a result every time I stopped the meds I returned to the bottle.
I know I have too work harder to achieve long term sobriety.
Hey lyndre, thank you for coming by my hub and I can understand that fighting with alcohol addiction or being an alcoholic isn't fun. I have a link below that you might be able to relate to and if you want you can check out his hubs- His name is Mark Bruno, a.k.a. thecleanlife here on HubPages. He has many hubs dedicated to the subject. I appreciate you reading and commenting, as well as, your compliment.
http://thecleanlife-mark.blogspot.com/2011/12/stug
Here is Mark's profile.
http://thecleanlife.hubpages.com/
Good luck going forward. I believe in you and have faith in you to be a stronger person. :) :D
Hi Raymond,
This was a very inspiring article. I grew up in a family of alcoholics. I was allowed to drink at home while in my teens, and the drinking age was 18 then anyway. I was just a social drinker for many years, but in my 40's I lost people I loved, and was just drinking to get drunk. I have health issues, and was falling and hurting myself. Our Dad died when my brother was 17, and he had drug issues from the get go. I didn't want my son to remember his Mother as a drunk, so I cleaned up my act. I was functional, but knew what I was doing to myself. I am strong willed, and only fell once, on a New Year's Eve, right about when I tried to quit. But I never missed it, and haven't had a drink for 8 yrs. The thing that surprised me most was all the wasted time. When you are drunk, you think you are busy, but are only going through the motions, and not really accomplishing much. I feel good about myself now. Sadly, my husband is doing the same now, and I know he's not as strong as me. I hope for the best, and have had interventions, but suspect he will not change. I have to decide what I want to do about that, and it's hard. But we all have to make our own choices. I'm happy you made the right one, and I did. Maybe others can find the strength to do it too!
Thank you Jean for reading and commenting. I'm truly grateful for your compliment. I guess I was lucky, I didn't grow up in a family of alcoholics. That was a plus for me. I'm saddened when I hear children growing up in that atmosphere because they are so vulnerable. I was 17 when my dad died, but not from alcohol, cancer took him. I am very glad to hear that you've taken control. It makes me proud of you, not to sound condescending because it's not. I hope some people read my article and draw strength from it. Hopefully, their will power isn't completely gone, so they can fight back. Thank you again. :)
Wonderfully forceful, honest and brave hub..
Everything you say is true, and as soon as the addicted person realises that , he or sge is on the way to recovery, with help.
Great hub. Thank you.
Thank you very much Dim Flaxenwick for the compliment. I appreciate you reading and commenting. :)
RealHousewife Level 8 Commenter 4 months ago
Cagsil...I am so glad you learned your lesson! You are right on again...alcohol can really trick people into thinking they can control it - it is very easy to tell yourself you don't have a problem. I have seen so many people go down that road...I watched but didn't follow. I am so glad you were able to see a problem in yourself and fix it. So sorry about your dad passing that must have been so hard. 17 is a rough age anyway.
Up an everything but funny.