The Connection Between Sugar, Self Esteem, And Emotional Issues

Is there a link between sugar and self esteem? Traditional doctors may not have discovered how eating refined sugar influences our emotions and the way we feel about ourselves, but it does. When I was in my twenties and thirties I experienced it over, and over, and over again. And I have seen it over and over and over again with young Hollywood celebrities and other young people. There is a definite connection to fluctuating blood sugar levels, self esteem and emotions.

Every organ in our body has a unique job to do that keeps certain aspects of our health running smoothly. For instance when we overload our body, specifically the kidneys with too many protein foods, we feel sick. Symptoms are headache, tiredness, and feelings of general malaise. You would have to eat a lot of protein in one day to feel the effects, but it does happen. If we continue to overload our kidneys, eventually they will quit doing their job properly and illness sets in.

Another example is how alcoholics tend to overload their body with too much alcohol and it negatively affects the liver, and overall nutrition in the body. Eventually if the alcoholic doesn’t stop abusing their body, the liver will become ravaged with disease. As these important organs begin experiencing difficulties from too much overload, so does the mind. The brain is as much plagued by nutritional deficiencies, as is the rest of the body.

What happens when a person overloads with too much refined sugar and flour products? Eventually the pancreas stops doing its job of processing sugar and producing the important hormone insulin, and sugar overload symptoms will show up throughout the body in many illnesses identified today. Many of these symptoms show up as emotional also. This is where low self esteem and negative emotions come into the picture.

Physical systems from processed food overload are headache, bloated, irritable bowels, eczema, potbelly, boils, flu’s and colds, arthritis, osteoporosis, asthma, allergies, lower backache, etc. Emotional symptoms show up as depression, bipolar, hypoglycemia, diabetic, moody, agitated, cranky, inability to focus, dizzy, tingly, numb, panicky, fearful, low self-esteem, attention deficient, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.

Almost every health condition known to man is caused by something we are putting into our body. Whether it is too much soda pop, alcohol, refined sugar, and refined flour foods. Low self worth, depression, and other emotional issues begin to surface in the individual who eats a poor daily diet.

Some young people have a difficult time dealing with their emotions properly because they are still learning and growing. When they are nutritionally healthy they can better manage their emotions with a clear focus and deal with them properly. It’s true! Teenagers that are healthy have a better outlook on life and better self esteem.

But what if they are vitamin and mineral deficient from eating a poor diet? Like I mentioned earlier mineral deficiency interferes with normal hormone function. A mineral deficient brain does not think rationally. It is missing vital nutrients needed for proper brain function. I think this is a BIG reason why many parents see behavior in their teenager that could be considered disturbing or irrational. We have all seen the same behavior in many young celebrities too. Remember we are what we eat.

Take note of what your teenagers are eating. Are they receiving adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals in their daily diet? Remember that soda pop depletes important nutrients from the body, namely calcium, zinc and magnesium. That means if they drink soda they need to double up on these vital nutrients for strong bones, healthy mind and a good self-image.

Copyright © 2009 Angie Lewis – Heaven Ministries

Alcoholism: Working the 12-Steps

Alcoholism is a pervasive intruder in the lives of millions of people, either directly or indirectly. It is safely assumed that you know someone with a drinking problem.

Denial Is The Greatest Roadblock Towards Recovery

Denial prevents recovery and is the greatest roadblock towards sobriety. Coming out from denial can take years, or maybe never. Denial keeps the alcoholic, and those who love an alcoholic, believing they don’t have a problem and that they can stop drinking at anytime. But the truth is they can’t stop at anytime. If they could stop at anytime then there wouldn’t be a problem. If you can stop drinking at one or two drinks then show us, don’t tell us.

Most alcoholics, if they have the right divine guidance, can work the program of Alcoholics Anonymous and become sober for life and become better people through it all. AA is a great place to start for many alcoholics for mental and spiritual recovery. Some alcoholics have been known to go through the process of the 12-steps without ever stepping foot in a meeting hall, while others may wish to go to seven meetings in seven days. Overall healing and recovery depends on the individual and their personal circumstances.

How Can Alcoholic’s Anonymous Help?

AA helps the alcoholic come out from the clutches of denial and better understand who they are in relation to others and themselves. It helps them to grow out from self and grasp the concept of their Creator, which gives them faith and hope in God as well as in themselves. The community of AA helps the alcoholic to see that they are not alone in their addiction. They will meet others who are also working towards sobriety that they can identify themselves with and also receive encouragement from.

Having a problem with drinking does not mean you are a weak person, it means you have unresolved emotional issues that have not had a chance to heal. The 12-steps help you to dredge up the past and confront your demons head on with the support of your AA family or with the support of your home family or both. Once you work yourself through each step of AA it helps you to conquer the emotional aspects of addiction.

There is no rush to complete the steps. In fact take your time and make sure that you have actually completed a step before thinking you can move on with your life on life’s terms. Loved ones should be as supportive as possible as the alcoholic is trying to maintain sobriety. AA does not help with the physical addiction to alcohol -- this must been done at home through proper diet and exercise.

Alcoholic Is Not Who You Are

Alcoholic is not who you are, but is an affliction that has taken over your life, controlling the person God meant for you to be. You are a beautiful Child of God, even if you don’t believe in God. God still loves you. Because God loves you, you have the ability to totally defeat all aspects of alcoholism from your life. If you so choose, God will make you strong and give you the faith and courage to conquer alcoholism for good!

You have to decide, “Who you are”. Are you a person who originated from an oyster, monkey, or gorilla? Where did you come from? Are you just another body of the millions of bodies simply roaming the earth who have no set purpose for their life? If you have an attitude like this, you probably won’t get sober, or won’t be able to stay sober for very long. That’s the reality of addiction.

God has a purpose for you, whether you want to believe it or not.

Poor Diet Keeps The Alcoholic Craving Alcohol

“Study after study has demonstrated that the vast majority of alcoholics are hypoglycemic. In one conducted by J. Poulos, D. Stafford, and K. Carron, fifty outpatient alcoholics and fifty halfway-house alcoholics were compared with a control group of one hundred nurses and teenagers. Of the one hundred alcoholics, ninety-six proved to be hypoglycemic; only fourteen of the nonalcoholic controls were hypoglycemic. A three-year study by Robert Meiers, M.D., in Santa Cruz, California, found that more than 95 percent of alcoholics studied suffered from low blood sugar”

The addiction to alcohol, in the physical sense, is probably the hardest aspect of alcoholism to conquer. An alcoholic literally craves the sugar in the alcohol. The brain continually sends signals of needing a fix of sugar because the pancreas just isn’t doing its job properly. This malady has a lot to do with the eating lifestyle of the alcoholic.

All alcoholics are nutritionally deficient and most likely hypoglycemic. Have you ever noticed how usually an alcoholic will not eat sugar foods unless they can’t get an alcohol fix? That is because they are getting their cravings met through the sugar in the alcohol. Low blood sugar is the culprit. Clean up your diet and get sober!

The alcoholic absolutely needs to begin to eat a good daily diet of whole grains, fish, beans, legumes, and fresh fruits and vegetables. They need to replenish the minerals they have lost. This means no processed or refined sugar foods, whatsoever. If it is not whole and natural, simply don’t eat it. Once the body is well, the cravings for alcohol will subside considerably. But don’t take my word for it, try it and see for yourself.

How Alcoholism and Hypoglycemia Controls Body, Mind, and Spirit

Alcoholism is a health affliction of the mind, body and soul. Virtually anyone can become an alcoholic if they are around the conditions that breed addictive behavior such as alcoholism – that would be environmentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Alcoholism is an addiction that attaches itself to the body, mind, and spirit of its victims. Let’s take a look.

Physical Addiction To Alcohol

The physical addiction to alcohol is an operation that deals with how the pancreas processes sugar in the bloodstream. In the alcoholic/hypoglycemic individual the pancreas does not do a very efficient job in processing the sugars from the alcohol.

Here is how it works: The alcoholic literally craves his first few drinks of alcohol just for the sugar aspect of it. (If there is no alcohol around, he will most likely gorge out on sugar foods to curb his addiction). Once the alcoholic has had his first few drinks it depresses blood sugar levels even more (the pancreas is too overloaded to do its job efficiently)! So the alcoholic craves even more sugar to correct this low blood sugar state and the vicious cycle continues. Brain cells demand more alcohol to replace the lack of sugar. Hence, the alcoholic craves alcohol.

I am a recovered alcoholic of fifteen years and I have done extensive research into the effects of alcoholism on the body and can safely tell you that once diet is improved and hypoglycemia treated through proper diet, the physical addiction for alcohol will subside. When I was an alcoholic/hypoglycemic I would eat sweets and drink Pepsi all day if I didn’t have access to alcohol. I was an emotional basket case.

Poor diet is the culprit for physical addiction to alcohol. How do I know this? Because I have listened to my body and I corrected hypoglycemia and physical cravings for alcohol through diet. The best diet for the alcoholic, diabetic, hypoglycemic is a whole grain diet. Throw out all refined food products from your kitchen cupboards and go natural! Foods such as whole wheat bread, brown rice, whole grain pasta, beans, legumes, and oatmeal all work to stabilize and metabolize blood sugar levels, which gives the overloaded pancreas a break so it can start to do its job properly.

Whole grains are best because they are digested slowly into the body system resulting in an optimal environment for blood sugar levels – there is no spiking, no cravings, and no emotional and physical imbalances. Diet plays a huge role in how our brain works. With a whole grain, whole foods diet, the brain stops sending out signals for more alcohol or sugar.

To sum this up I am going to say that alcoholism could very well be a symptom of hypoglycemia. Not all people who have low blood sugar become alcoholics mainly because the rest of the triggers for alcoholism aren’t present in that individual.

Psychological Addiction To Alcohol

Now we come to the emotional and mental aspects of alcoholism. Alcoholics usually have emotional ups and downs, are easily agitated, suffer from anxiety and panic, have a low self esteem, and often feel depressed. These symptoms are because they have hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia is as much an emotional affliction as it is physical. All of the above are symptoms of hypoglycemia or sugar overload syndrome.

Ninety-five percent of alcoholics have low blood sugar. But what happens when there is a change in diet? Is hypoglycemia cured? Yes! But understand, if I deliberately bang my head against the wall several times I’m going to have some bumps and bruises. In the same way if I deliberately eat a poor diet of refined food products my body and mind is going to let me know about it through a vitamin/mineral deficiency. We are in control of what we eat. Your doctor doesn’t care what you eat. If you don’t do anything about a poor diet your body will.

Most alcoholics have a difficult time managing their emotions or understanding reality. I truly thought I could not cope with life unless I was drinking. I was scared to death to stop drinking! And in a way this is very true for the alcoholic/hypoglycemic because they are so vitamin deficient that their brain works in puzzling ways. It can be a confusing, fearful, and anxious time for the alcoholic when they first get sober…until they begin to take care of their diet! Unless the alcoholic changes their eating habits they will never stay sober because the physical addiction to alcohol is the craving aspect of addiction. If you have ever been addicted to cigarettes than you know what I’m talking about.

Alcohol is the alcoholics best friend and losing their best friend may mean they will never be able to cope with life on life’s terms. Of course, the truth is all alcoholics who become truly sober (not dry drunk) emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually will look back on their alcoholic days and laugh because they truly can live without alcohol and NEVER CRAVE ALCOHOL OR SUGAR EVER AGAIN! Once diet is corrected and the alcoholic is sober for at least six months he’ll begin to realize that he can function just fine without alcohol.

Spiritual Addiction To Alcohol

Why does alcohol affect our spirituality? Alcohol for the alcoholic controls the mind. For the alcoholic “getting a fix” consumes and controls every aspect of their life. Even functioning alcoholics while at work are consumed with coming home or going to the bar and having a drink twenty or more times a day. There is no time in the thoughts for spirituality.

Although I can say that once the alcoholic realizes they do have a drinking problem they are more inclined to reach out to God for the help they need. But that certainly doesn’t mean they will all of a sudden be fixed of addiction. No. As you have learned this far, alcoholism is a physical and emotional affliction also, and all areas of alcoholism NEED TO BE HEALED before the alcoholic is safely healed from the cravings of alcohol.

Addiction keeps us from becoming the whole and complete person that God wants us to be. Potential becomes stunted because alcohol is in control of our ambition, goals, ideas, and dreams. Alcoholics simply do not realize how much of life they are missing out on.

I remember very clearly in my latter two years of alcoholism. I would try and feel God’s presence within me, and there were times when I believe I was ready to let “it” go and give “it” to God. But stubbornness, rebelliousness and poor health kept me on the road of addiction. In my bouts of sobriety I felt guilty and my low self-esteem was hard to deal with sober, plus I really craved alcohol so I continued to drink. Two years later I finally woke up one day and thought to my self, “this is not the right road for me.

Incidentally, all roads may be the right roads at the time for trials and tribulations that we go through and experience in life, but in the end only one road leads to God. This is where faith comes in to trust God with your life. If God created you then why won’t He save you? God loves you, even if you have been walking on your own road. God will save you if you ask Him to and believe that with all of your heart, mind and soul.

Emotionally the alcoholic needs to find out what his or her wounds are (past baggage) and give them to God. Spiritually this is how you fix the wounds. Everyone hurts and everyone suffers from time to time. Alcohol is not the way to not have to feel. We have to feel our feelings so we can move past the hurt and become better people. Jesus wants your burdens. He wants to make your life easier. Let God intervene in your life. Inner healing needs to take place within your emotional and spiritual life. This is where you hand over your life to God and just give up control of it. Give your life to God.

Alcoholics Are Special

Do you know why alcoholics are special? They are special because they have an uncanny ability to keep drinking alcohol even after the last person has left the party. You might be thinking, “That’s not special, that’s downright unhealthy.” Well, what do you think alcoholism is? Alcoholism is unhealthy in every form imaginable – physically, spiritually, emotionally, and mentally.

Alcoholics have always been a minority of misfits, drinking all night long, hardly able to manage the next morning, until the next drink, and then starting all over again. I’m talking about myself here – I can’t speak for all alcoholics. I literally felt like a misfit when I was in the depths of addiction. Anyway, the repetition or vicious cycle is what makes an alcoholic an alcoholic. If he or she could stop at one or two drinks they wouldn’t be alcoholic, right?

Actually what makes an alcoholic special is the sensitivity of their hearts when they are sober. Notice I said, when they are sober. Through my own research, and asking former alcoholics, I’ve come to the conclusion that alcoholic’s have a high sensitivity level towards people and their feelings that exceeds that of non-alcoholics, in general. This is why sober alcoholics and drug addicts almost always find themselves in a serving type profession helping other people combat their addictions and personal problems.

Former alcoholics make exceptional caregivers counselors, advisers, nurses, and other health care providers. And to me, that is special because the world could always use more good, caring people to teach others what they know and to help them overcome what has trapped them from within. If you ever need addiction help – the first and foremost aspect to look for in the qualifications is if they were former addicts. Rest assured, they will know more about what you are going through than someone that has never been addicted before.

Looking Back on Our Alcoholic Life Tape

I turn back my “alcoholic life tape” often because it helps me to help others. I don’t particularly enjoy reliving my alcoholic days but I know that I am now a new person in God, who saved me from the clutches of addiction fifteen-years ago. Sometimes I wish that I would have known then what I know now about alcoholism – it would have saved me a few headaches along the way. But I believe it was not in God’s plans for me to know then what I know now, because if it had been, I would not have had the chance to endure and overcome my addiction through him in the way that I did. Everything would have been different.

When we look back on our “alcoholic life tape” we are replaying over and over a recording of our life and what pitfalls and troubles we endured while trapped within the depths of our addictions. We can stop the recording whenever we want but if we stop the recording how would we be helping and encouraging others who are trapped within their own addictions or that are newly sober? We need to replay our tape over and over again simply if not to just encourage others.

I struggled with alcoholism and feelings of resentment for several years before I finally conquered my addiction and heavy laden emotions. I can pretty much say for a fact that God wants us to struggle through our diversities so we will learn and become stronger people because of our afflictions in life? Quick fixes in life such as getting a divorce rather than working on our marriage problems, or having the attitude “I wish I would have known then what I know now” does not make us stronger people nor help us to learn and grow through our mistakes. I think God wants us to seek Him and learn from our past and overcome any and all obstacles that get in our path and become better people because of our diversities so we can help others.

The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him.

(Lamentations 3:25)

Overcoming Alcohol Addiction Addiction + Denial = Out of Control

My addiction used to control me. It overwhelmed the person inside of me, and I became a stranger to my family, and to myself. All I cared about was having another drink. All I thought about was where and when I was going to get my next drink. My mind was totally and completely absorbed within my addiction, and I didn’t even know it. I was proud, haughty and selfish. I was an alcoholic.

Do you have an addiction? Some of us overeat, over drink, smoke, look at porn, gamble, do drugs, or become abusive. We can even be addicted to our feelings. When we let our negative thoughts control us to do wrong, we are under the power of our thoughts and feelings. Addiction controls several aspects of our character that keep us from coming to our full potential. I know these things first hand; I have been there and done that.

Mentally the addiction affects the way we think and feel, and how we live our life. The addiction will literally stunt the growth process, and the addict will remain childish, selfish and insensitive to the needs of others. Psychologically the addict remains in denial, and will do just about anything to justify bad behavior to others while under the control of their addiction. Addicts are basically selfish people who only care about themselves even though they are real good at manipulating others into believing otherwise.

Emotionally the addiction makes the addict become overly defensive to anyone who tries to take away what he or she so desires. Addicts have a difficult time suppressing their negative emotions and are immature and childish. If they become too dependent on the addiction, they will justify reasons of why they think they are better people when abusing their substance of choice. Their low self-esteem keeps them very sensitive to how others feel about them. They are prone to finding faults in others to get any attention off of them.

Spiritually the addict is at a loss. He is desensitized to the spiritual self within him. The addiction keeps the addict from becoming the whole and complete person that God intended him to be. True potential is stunted. The addict does and says things that he normally wouldn’t if he were living his life without the neediness of addiction. The addict is missing out on so much in his life that he “wants and needs” too much, making him unable to give of himself.

In the days of my disease, I reveled in my negative feelings, denying my weakness and sins. My feelings literally fed my constant unhappiness. If I accepted the fact that God was my source for REAL happiness, I would have to admit my failings, something that a spiritually bankrupt person is unable to do. In essence, the addict desperately needs to have trust enough in God first to quit their addiction and then begin to grow out from the selfish aspect of their rebellious personality.

Alcohol and drug addiction affects the whole family. Family members are affected in different ways, especially the person who loves the addict and enables the addiction. This person is called the enabler because they sweep things under the rug, so to speak, pretending there isn’t a problem. Unfortunately, the enabler usually gets the brunt of the abuse from the addict because the addict expects so much from them. If the enabler doesn’t come through with the addict’s neediness and constant requests for things, the enabler had better watch out! The enabler is just as sick mentally, emotionally, and spiritually as the abuser. They both need help.

The enabler is the rescuer of the addicted person. As long as the problem is continually swept under the carpet by the enabler, the addiction will continue to progress further because no one believes there is a problem! Denying the problem exists runs rampant in homes where addiction is fed. The longer the addict continues to use, the worse it will be for everyone involved.

What happens to the person who is controlled by addiction? Many things take place, but some of the things that control the addict are not always apparent to anyone else. Usually what we notice first in the addict is the emotional imbalance of the mental and spiritual capacity, and the decline of health. But what isn't apparent about addiction is actually the most important element of who a person really is. And that is the lack of spiritual realism in the addicted person. He or she through their addiction denies the spiritual Christ to intervene within the framework of who they are. As long as the addicted person remains unspiritual they will remain a slave to their addiction. Unfortunately, it usually takes something very drastic and horrific to happen to the addict before they actually give up their addiction and ask God for forgiveness and help. This is called the “end of the addicts ropes”, or “bottom out effect.”

On the outside some addicts look like everyone else. They go to church, acknowledge God, raise families and have careers. But through all of this, they still lack the spiritual maturity and godly wisdom to realize the impact, and the consequences of their addiction. These things aren’t ‘t important to the addict. For the addict just being able to continue on with their lives without anyone realizing they have a problem gives the addict more justification and credibility for remaining in their addiction. They themselves remain in denial, talking them selves out of having a problem. They must bottom out! The setback with that is, the enabler keeps rescuing the addict’s behavior and so they never bottom out!

The addict one way or another must come to grips with his REAL source of who he is and with the potential of his existence. But if the addict is in denial, this is going to be difficult for him to do. The addict is usually a selfish and arrogant individual who hasn’t come to grips with who he or she is and so how can they know, understand, accept, and believe in their creator for guidance?

Enablers can do something to help the addict, but they’re afraid that it will somehow change the addict, or that the addict won’t love them anymore. In essence, the enabler needs to get help first, so he can then help the addict.

The three main reasons the enabler keeps saving the addict is below. The three main reasons the addict can’t stop using are below.

(1) Fear = panic, trepidation, apprehension, terror, afraid of the unknown, etc

(2) Denial = mentally refuse to believe, and emotionally refute, disclaimer,

(3) Spiritual loss = proud, haughty, unbeliever, rebellious, arrogant, self-righteous,

The addiction takes hold of the mind with such force the addict is afraid to even think of living without the addiction. Addicts try to stop, but their bodies and mind tell them they can’t. They are filled with fear and terror at the thought of not getting their next fix, afraid they will not be able to cope in life, but this just isn’t so!

At first abstaining from an addiction that has controlled the mind, body, and soul for so long does make us feel insecure and self doubting, but the addict can endure and overcome those fears through the help of God. But first before any of this will have any real impact on the addict he must WANT TO QUIT THE ADDICTION!!

By trusting in what God says is true, you can believe in the power of Gods words to help guide you away from your fears and into God’s truth and love. God’s words are the addicts comfort and refuge. Gods breath-filled words, and spiritual presence over-powers evil and reveals the truth in the addict. The evil is the addiction, and God's loving kindness is stronger and more powerful than any addiction.

Alcoholics Anonymous teaches to believe in a higher power because addicts are powerless to change on their own. This statement is very true. Why do you think addicts quit for a while only to go back to it again? They thought they had enough strength and will power to quit on their own.

When the addict feels scared, fearful, and insecure, or just plain weird in their body, they need to go to the scriptures. If they are tempted to go back to the addiction, they need to go to the scriptures, and ask for the Spirit of Jesus Christ to intervene for them in their temptation. They must trust in God with all their heart, mind and soul, and He WILL deliver them from the evils of addiction!

I know that God delivers people away from their addictions and sins, it happened to me! I prayed to God with all my heart and mind to guide me out of my addiction to alcohol. I also prayed that the craving for alcohol be taken from me for good. I have been sober for over twelve-years now, and I have not ONCE craved the desire to drink. As a matter of fact, when I see others abusing alcohol I feel so unpleasant inside, and deep sorrow for them because I know exactly how they are feeling, and what they are going through. It’s not good.

Jesus Christ is the power that overcomes all things that hold us in bondage. The foundation of truth, wisdom, and love is our stronghold! Take a hold of it now and let addiction go for good!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Summary:
My addiction used to control me. It overwhelmed the person inside of me, and I became a stranger to my family, and to myself. All I cared about was having another drink. All I thought about was where and when I was going to get my next drink. My mind was totally and completely absorbed within my addiction, and I didn’t even know it. I was proud, haughty and selfish. I was an alcoholic.

Keywords: drug addiction, alcohol abuse, enabler to the addict, Jesus Christ, overcoming addiction with the help of God,

Resources:

Copyright 2005 Angie Lewis

http://www.heavenministries.com

Angie@heavenministries.com

Jumping The Hurdle of Addiction

I know that you can jump the hurdle of addiction and live a content filled peaceful life because I did, and I am. In my marriage and life I went through a lot of terrible emotions and marital issues during my bout with alcohol addiction. I have been sober for fourteen-years now, and I have never craved a drink, nor have I ever wanted to have a drink, socially or otherwise.

Addiction, like any adversity we face in life is just another hurdle we need to overcome. It’s not the end of your life because you have a problem with drinking today. It’s the beginning of a learning experience for tomorrow, and not just for the alcoholic, but for the loved one of the alcoholic as well. Adversity definitely makes people stronger. I cannot say that I am stronger because of my own doing but because of what God has done for me in my life. There is a difference. After spending years enveloped within an addiction, I came to realize that I was powerless to stop drinking and remain sober on my own. It is not our own strength but God’s strength within us.

What do you want to do with your addiction? To what level do you want to take it? The alcoholic may believe with all of his heart that he would like to continue drinking so he can feel good about himself. The enabler may believe he would like to continue rescuing the alcoholic every chance he can. If that is what you really want to do with the addiction in your life, then I would have to say you are still in the denial stages.

But let’s get past the denial stage, so we can hurry up and jump over this hurdle! A person can wallow for years in the denial stage of alcoholism and never realize they have a problem. The most unfortunate part about that is while living in the denial state of alcoholism, the alcoholic hurts themselves and others in its destructive path. Many people’s lives are turned upside down because of the insidiousness of alcoholism and other addictions.

For instance the loved one of an alcoholic may not ever take a drink themselves, but because they live with the alcoholic they go through the same kinds of emotional, spiritual, and mental turmoil as if they were drinking. The alcoholic harms his body in every aspect imaginable each and every day. The good news is an alcoholic can completely eradicate all aspects of addiction for good and never crave another drink again. I know this to be a fact!

The fact is we can wallow in our addiction and continue to suppress our full potential as people, or we can except the fact that we are beautiful children of God that just do not need the crutches of addiction. What do you want to do with your addiction?
***
Angie Lewis has written three books on how to have a happy marriage. She has just finished her fourth book THE ALCOHOLISM TRAP: Understanding Why You Drink and What You Can Do To Achieve Total Sobriety. For more information about this book and marriage books, please visit: http://www.heavenministries.com

To see book previews, please visit: http://stores.lulu.com/angielewis