Aspects of Alcoholism and Drug Addiction
Drugs, everyone knows from day one, are bad news, even though marijuana is becoming legal in many countries now for medicinal as well as recreational use and even the social stigma in the younger generation is waning, but alcohol has always had a different connotation. Everybody drinks-it’s good for you, Right? But believe it or not, alcohol too is harmful and kills countless people in the world. It kills by two ways: by damaging the body, as we have detailed in the earlier blogs and by causing accidents, violence, suicides etc. The medicinal benefits of alcohol are virtually nonexistent. A little research has of course shown that alcohol, red wine in particular can be good for the health of your heart. It is ”supposed” to increase the good cholesterol and increase the antioxidant activity, BUT-and it is a big BUT-the benefits seen in that research might have been due to other factors, such as being physically active and eating a diet with lots of fruits and vegetables and low in saturated fats. Besides you can get the same benefits by drinking red grape juice-without any risk. If you want a healthy heart, there are many other things you can do: control your blood pressure, cholesterol and weight; eat a healthy diet and exercise. There is really no need to drink alcohol to get health benefits. When friends and loved ones say that you have a drinking or drug problem and are after you to quit, it can be quite bothersome. Sometimes you think they might be right but most of the time you think that if they are wrong you will be giving up this stuff for nothing. Maybe you have a problem, maybe you don’t. Even if you DO have a problem, chances are that you will not be able to see it clearly. Self-deception is rampant in alcoholism and drug addiction. It is so, because it helps you escape a very unpleasant reality and you do not have to do any thing about it. It may not be easy to answer the question whether you ARE an alcoholic or a drug addict or not. One exercise you can do is write your life story listing all the problems in your life and your drinking and drug use. Be totally honest – even though that is a very tall order. List all the problems and how alcohol and drugs were responsible for those problems and how your life was affected by your use. Note opportunities missed, money spent or wasted, the impact on your family, job, friendships and other aspects of your life. Denial often keeps alcoholics and addicts from seeing the problems alcohol and drugs are causing, so rigorous honesty is required in doing this exercise. If your drinking or drug use is causing problems in your life, or if someone who cares about you believes it is, it could be time to entertain the idea that you might be an alcoholic or an addict. Some people with certain illnesses – for example, cancer, alcoholism and addiction – practice denial. It is not because they are stupid or bad or just plain pigheaded. They are genuinely unable to see the truth for what it is, and they deny the fact that they are ill to protect themselves from facing a fearsome and unpleasant reality. The cancer patient does not want to know about his or her illness out of fear of the unpleasant treatments that might be needed and even a greater fear of the consequences should the treatment fail. Similarly, the alcoholic or addict does not want to know about his condition because of the stigma attached to the conclusion and even a greater fear of having to give up their most trusted chemical support. Denial is a defense mechanism and as long as a person has denial he or she will be able to drink alcohol or use drugs till his or her dying days. It is a primitive mechanism – a self deception that is useful in the short time period but is extremely dangerous and destructive over the long term. This self-deception is common in alcoholism and addiction; your psyche knows that the behavior you are indulging in is self-destructive and not in your own best interest and is unacceptable at many levels coupled with a strong desire to continue using alcohol and other drugs. Learning about alcoholism and addiction and the hope and happiness that treatment at Sahyog Detox and De addiction Center can help overcome denial and open the door to Recovery and that is why Sahyog is the Best De addiction Center in Delhi.
