Dr. Seth Meyers, Clinical Psychologist

Dr. Seth Meyers, Clinical Psychologist

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Hope for Alcoholics: Finding Help


It’s my belief that everyone can relate to some degree of addiction. While not everyone may suffer from a true addiction, most people know what it feels like to really want something that’s not good for you. Whether its food, substances, or some other one-eyed demon, temptation can prove to be powerful and dangerous.

For those of you who struggle with alcohol addiction, learning how to effectively battle it can be downright awful. It’s no easy feat to understand 1) what makes you drink and 2) how to stop doing it in the future.

Many books have chronicled alcohol addiction with striking precision. The book that first comes to mind is Dry, written by Augesten Burroughs. He takes you to the bottom of the barrel with him, and you see how horrid and painful the addiction can be for its sufferers. A friend of mine also urges that Drinking: A Love Story, written by Caroline Knapp, is incredibly compelling, as well. Check out these or other books on the subject and you will get a greater understanding of addiction and the many ways it impacts an addict’s life.

The good news about alcohol addiction is that there are countless resources available to help you through it. One of the most powerful tools for recovery is Alcoholics Anonymous. While it may not work for everyone, it has certainly worked for the thousands of men and women whom AA refers to as “friends of Uncle Bill,” the founder of the organization.

If you feel that your alcohol use is getting or has gotten out of control, reach out for help now – or sooner rather than later. One of the helping hands offering support is AA, which you can reach through the following link:

http://www.aa.org/lang/en/meeting_finder.cfm?origpage=29.

Believe me when I say that there is a vast network out there to help and support you so that you can move forward and live a life more free from stress and self-harm.

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