You Can Stop Drinking Now

Max gets different questions, some that he has decided  to list and respond to, because some of these questions are more non-standard:

 1.  Can you be an alcoholic on beer?

Max:  Absolutely, it really doesn’t matter which drink it is - beer, wine, liquor, anything with an alcohol content that you can’t stop using, you have become addicted to.

 2.  Can I hold a job if I’m an alcoholic?

Max:  There are some very high functioning alcoholics that can get through the day, successfully perform their jobs, and really pull off their responsibilities for a long time. 

The majority of serious alcoholics are not so functional.  Most of the people I know who are addicted to alcohol have been able to determine themselves pretty much what they are capable of as far as employment.  Many times a practicing alcoholic will get the job but not be able to hold it, primarily due to the inability to make it to work for obvious reasons.

3.  Will I ever be able to drink like a normal person?

Max:  Short-term.  The general consensus on this question is you may be able to return to drinking like a normal person, but if you are truly an alcoholic, in a fairly short period of time you will see yourself returning to your old drinking pattern.

4.  How many times do you have to go through rehab?

Max:  This question keeps coming up.  It varies by the individual.  I’ve seen people go through 2-3 times.  It’s possible that the reason people don’t necessarily get sober when they go to rehab is it usually takes a desperate situation to get them there, and they may not really be ready to quit.  The generally accepted “statistic” by counselors is one person out of a group of one hundred in rehab will actually stay sober permanently when they get out.  The good thing about rehab is you are forced to stay sober while you’re there (which may be the only time you can do it), so you have time to evaluate your situation with a clearer head, and you are giving your body a break.

5.  Why is denial such a big problem with problem drinkers?

Max:  The answer is obvious.  It is very difficult for anyone, male or female to admit they have become an alcoholic.  Even the word alcoholic is very hard to take, let alone “drunk” which is devastating.  It’s not something any of us ever wanted to be.

6.  Can alcohol be replaced with a healthier pastime?

Max:  Since we have addictive personalities, some have successfully switched their addiction from alcohol to say for example exercise and working out.  Working out can become an obsession also.  We can become workaholics, anything to the extreme because that’s how we’re built.  It would appear this is part of our inherent nature.  But first you have to put your drinking behind you. 

Remember, there are alot of highly intelligent people with this problem, so if we can switch the drinking obsession to something more constructive, of course the chances of being successful at whatever constructive past time we chose would be very good.

 More will be added…