I remember hearing the term “Alcoholism” or “Alcoholic” when I was a teenager. Back then it didn’t sound serious to me. It was more of a title for someone who had a social life. It sounded cool in a way. Young people like me back then used the terms alcoholic and alcoholism lightly; even jokingly. And there was some sort of glamour behind those words.

The society I grew up in tolerated drinking. It was actually, in a way, encouraged. Parties were not complete without beer or any alcoholic beverage. Restaurants and clubs were frequented because of the drinks, and not the food. I was one of those heavy drinkers who thought that life back then was all about having fun with friends. And fun with friends is only possible with alcohol. But I was never an alcoholic.

I heard some people commenting, in a joking and even a sophomoric attempt at complimenting me, that I was an alcoholic. Why? Because I drank almost every night, my tolerance for alcohol was very high, I could drink by myself and find it enjoyable or relaxing, and I was often with drinking buddies or parties that involved heavy drinking. Did I describe alcoholism? The answer is no.

Maybe it sounds like an alcoholic’s lifestyle, but it is not. I rarely got drunk, and if I did it was because I intended to get drunk or I drank something I knew I didn’t like and would eventually make me vomit before the end of the night. I didn’t look for alcohol and didn’t feel like I needed it. I didn’t turn into a monster after a few drinks, I was still me. Just a little fuzzy in the head, and sometimes a little more jolly than usual, or sometimes tired and seem gloomy.

I was more careful on the road after a few drinks (because I knew that I had been drinking and was well aware of the fact that I am in the position where I must be a thousand times more careful). I knew it was irresponsible to drink and drive and often found myself as the designated driver. I knew when it was time to stop drinking for the night, and there were many times when I could control myself and not join in the fun and stay sober for the night, because I would have to drive my friends home.

I have seen myself face to face with alcoholism countless times. But only when I was older and (allow me to indulge myself) wiser did I realize that I was surrounded by (potential) alcoholics. After learning more and more about alcoholism, I diagnosed a significant number of my acquaintances, friends (and some loved ones) as alcoholics. I was sometimes the party pooper and would ask my alcoholic friend(s) to tone down a bit on the drinking, or to call it a night.

I wasn’t afraid to tell them off when I felt that their behavior was starting, or has started to get out of hand. I felt that they were my friends, and I took the role of a ‘real friend’ seriously, and it was my responsibility to make sure that my friends would be safe while we were out, and get home in one piece. What they do when I’m not around is way beyond my control but I do make sure that I express myself, my observations of their behavior with alcohol, and my concerns. Whatever they decide to do about my friendly advices is completely up to them. I can only hope that I was able to make a positive impression.

I can’t be so smug as to say that I was doing a good deed all the time, and that I was the perfect friend. Even though I expressed my concerns and went out of my way to help out in ways that I thought were right, I was still a bad friend by example. Only because my actions would sometimes speak too loudly that it would muffle out my words completely. What is the point of saying stop drinking if I would, many times, tolerate their drinking? Those were very selfish moments of my life, when I would give in to their invitations to have a fun night out.

But now, I can say that I can be a good example, in words and in my actions. I don’t drink anymore. That is not a conscious decision but rather something that just happened naturally. I just don’t feel like drinking. And I don’t find myself missing those nights of bingeing on alcohol, or craving for a few bottles of beer or my favorite cocktails. In fact, I sometimes miss the taste of my favorite alcoholic beverages but the thought of hangovers and tired, sleepy nights turns me off. So I crave for something else, like iced tea or pizza.

It’s easier for me to say that it is that simple to stay away from alcohol. That is because I am not an alcoholic. I have seen it happen many times with loved ones and important people in my life, the struggle to stay away and the heartbreak and feeling of helplessness and hopelessness when they succumb to their addiction. It’s not easy to keep away from alcohol, nobody said it was, but it is most certainly possible. All you need is the determination to quit drinking, good and important reasons to want to quit, and the unconditional love, patience, and support of someone (or people) who care about you enough to help you through it.

In my opinion though (and based on observation from first-hand exposure to alcoholism), it is best to get to the root of the problem. The root of the problem in this case is the reason(s) for why your alcoholic friend or loved one is drinking. Or when and why did he or she start drinking in the first place? A lot of times it is because of personal problems that just became too much. And the easiest escape is by getting drunk and just forgetting about everything. Solve that and it becomes a whole lot easier to treat alcoholism. There is also the genetic factor, but it still boils down to what triggered the drinking.

I mentioned in my first blog entry that I found a website called www.studiomind.biz where they sell brain entrainment products. They have all sorts of products that can help you treat certain health issues such as alcoholism, depression, anxiety, just to name a few. I tried out their free 10-minute relaxation MP3 and I was more than surprised to realize that it really does work. I believed that it would work but not as much as it did, and I keep going back to listening to that MP3 so I can help my self slow down and relax to get rid of stress build-up. I am planning to buy and download most of their products that I feel would be helpful for me and my loved ones. And then I wish to write about them and tell you how each MP3 download have helped me or a friend of mine. I wish to be able to help others who have problems similar to what I write about. I am also an insomniac and I am planning to download the brain entrainment MP3 for insomnia.

The MP3 for alcoholism is called “on the wagon”. It’s actually very cheap. If I can afford it I’m sure most anyone can! I saw some brain entrainment products on the internet that cost too much. I wanted so much to try them out but I felt it was too risky to spend so much on something that I have never tried before. What if it doesn’t work? I can’t afford to waste money at this point in my life. I only tried out their relaxation MP3 because it was free. And I thought that was very nice and considerate of them to give us a free sample. It also says a lot about their confidence with their products. So until next time I will be back with my next blog to update my readers on my insomnia brain entrainment experience.