"Would you like some wine along with your meal?" The waiter politely asks me I shake my head quickly, a little too quickly.
Even the thought of alcohol entering my body scared me.
Alcohol- the drink which can evoke different responses from people.
For some it is just a drink
For some it is seen as a tool of celebration
For some it is something which truly makes you "an adult"
But for others it's more than just a drink
For others it is seen as a bringer of havoc
For some it is something which makes you "an addict" more easily
AUD (Alcohol Use Disorder) or more commonly known as- alcoholism is a serious illness.
My first experience with alcohol was when I saw my mother chug down a glass of wine when I was 5 years old.
Being a curious child I immediately reached for the glass only to have my mother push my hand away.
But she did not push it away because I was a child, In fact she just told me that the drink was expensive hence she could not afford to waste it.
After that I had many brush ins with alcohol- My uncle, before drinking, presented himself as a quiet and reserved man
One sip later- Watching my uncle stagger in home like a baby deer just learning to walk
Five sips later- My uncle, after drinking, presented himself as a loud and abusive man.
In just one sip, My mother would go from a gentle and loving woman to someone I would despise.
My mother would drink as a way to cope due to her failing marriage,
Guess a bottle of wine is cheaper than hearing the taunts of being a divorcee
I found out that my grandfathers (on both sides) would drink excessively
No wonder they ended up passing so abruptly.
When people talk about alcoholism they seem to focus only on the victim
What about the people actually bearing the brunt?
The actual victims of the story-
People like me who lived their life in fear
All that fear and tears over a simple glass bottle
My fear is not the drink itself but what comes after the sips.
Do I think drinking alcohol makes you a bad person?
No.
In my opinion alcohol just brings out the "real" side of you
And for a lot of people- it is the opposite of what they present to the world
To those gripped in the clutches of Alcohol Addiction,
Just know that you are not alone
Just know that there is help available
To those affected by people suffering from this disease
It is okay to be frustrated,
It is okay to walk away
It is okay to get fed up
But if you think or have even the slightest hope in the person suffering.
Help them.
Get them out of the tight grip that their addiction has over them.
But do not forget to also care for yourself
Just hang in there
One step at a time
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