Alcohol Awareness Month

During this time of isolation, fear & uncertainty, when so many jokey alcohol memes are infiltrating the internet & so many ppl are struggling to stay sober; I felt compelled to post this picture of what abusing alcohol (& only alcohol) can look like. This is was me at the end of a relapse, Jan 3rd 2014.

To be clear, alcohol memes don’t bother me; it is the memes about abusing alcohol in order to deal with kids/family that do. I understand that they aren’t intended to harm anyone, but this is a reminder that they CAN trigger someone vulnerable & struggling to remain sober OR perpetuate an addiction someone is already dying from. We need to see alcohol for what it really is; a highly addictive & physically deleterious drug that kills more people annually than all other drugs combined!

This picture is the sobering reality that alcohol is everything but a joke. Alcohol is ubiquitous & yet it is the third leading cause of death in this country. It is promoted as a culturally acceptable respite from the everyday stresses of life & the ppl that can’t handle alcohol, like me, are considered to be maladaptive, low life, lacking in willpower, incompetent ppl that just don’t know how to “drink responsibly”. The next picture (swipe), is of a brain hemorrhage I endured by falling over a railing drunk—resulting in emergency brain surgery. I have escaped death far too many times to make sense of it. The emotional agony my parents endured over & over again is beyond measure & grievously indelible. This is why seeing a meme that makes light of someone downing alcohol before noon because their kids are screaming, doesn’t sit well. More importantly, what is that saying to our children?

One thing has become inexorably clear; the glorification and exaltation of alcohol has manifested into a socio-cultural malignancy.

I am beyond grateful to be alive today and am living proof that no matter how low you go it is ALWAYS possible to recover. I have an overwhelming appreciation for my parents; that never once thought of giving up on me. And for this community, thank you for inspiring me everyday!

Follow my sober sister @highlightrealrecovery for more #alcoholawareness ❤️ #Iloveu