Since I’ve been
back at doing more alcoholism related work, I’ve been going back over comments
on this blog and on other places where I have postings. (I’ll supply the links
at the end of this post.) There are a few things that stand out to me and I
thought it would be good to review a few things today. These are just random
subjects that may seem to be “all over the place.”
It seems so
simple – just stop getting the alcohol for the alcoholic and everything will
get better. That’s just not the reality. There comes a time in the process of alcoholism
that not providing alcohol can be just as deadly as providing it. For end-stage
drinkers, the only safe detox is one that is medically supervised and without
the continuous flow of alcohol into the body, detox begins immediately.
It also seems
simple to put the alcoholic out on the street – “kick him/her to curb”. Most of
my blog readers are at the place where putting the alcoholic out would be
something resembling putting a hospice patient out for them to die somewhere
that is not in your line of vision. My moral compass doesn’t allow me to do
that. Many of my readers’ moral compasses are pointed in the same direction.
That doesn’t mean
that my readers should always stay in a relationship with the alcoholic person
in their life. Circumstances must be weighed and considered. What is good for
one person is not always good for another. It’s a decision that can only be
made by the person living the life.
My personal
belief is that no one person should be judged or criticized by another for
their way of handling their life circumstance. The only way to truly know what
is best for another is to actually live inside the person’s life. It’s OK to
have an opinion, but not to believe that your opinion is the cure to anyone
else’s situation. As I was reading comments on other websites, I was dismayed
at the level of judgment that seemed to be running rampant.
Alcoholism is a
heart-breaking, insidious, all-encompassing addiction which reaches far beyond
just the person who is drinking. It takes over lives and leaves a path of
destruction. As caretakers we must find a way to prevent us from losing our
sanity while doing whatever it is that we feel is best for our situation. If we
lose ourselves while taking care of others who have already lost it – the alcoholism
wins. I won’t let alcohol win by claiming my life.
If you feel you
would like some non-judgmental, non-critical support, please feel free to join
the OARS website to get some much-needed support. The invitation link is:
We will all be
happy to see you there!
3 comments:
Thank you!!! I have felt judged for staying, for feeling the same as everything you have just written. I don't want my life this way, but there are reasons I stay, and I hate feeling judged. Thank you so much for the understanding.
Thank you for putting it like that....I never had something to say to someone who says I should throw my husband out. He is dying right now and I know he has nowhere to go.
I just can't believe that every word you wrote is how I feel. I just want to print it out and have everyone who has an opinion on what I should or should not do....read it!
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