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The best way to love an alcoholic spouse or loved one is with detachment towards the behaviors of the disease. Let the alcoholic know that you do love them but it is the addiction you hate. And because you hate the addiction so much you are unable to be around them when they drink. Become knowledgeable about alcoholism so you can better understand its cunning and baffling ways.
Separate The Person From The Addiction
Alcoholism is a sickness just like any other sickness. In fact a person with hypoglycemia would physically and emotionally feel much like a dry alcoholic would. Alcoholics almost always have hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) because of the adverse affects of alcohol on the body. When someone is sick with diabetes or hypoglycemia it is not the substance of “who they are” it is what has been created in their life because of circumstances and triggers connected to them. It is the same way with addiction of any kind. Addiction is a hurdle that can be conquered.
5 Triggers That Spark Addiction
Alcoholism is created in our lives because of underlying triggers and circumstances being present. These factors are physical, heredity, environmental, emotional and spiritual.
1. The craving for alcohol is the physical aspect of addiction, and has a lot to do with diet.
2. Past baggage is the emotional, mental, and sometimes spiritual aspects that offset addiction.
3. Environmental is people we are close to that are alcoholic or were alcoholic. For instance, if a person grew up with an alcoholic parent, that person is more likely to become an alcoholic or marry an alcoholic.
4. The spiritual is the connection the alcoholic has with God.
5. Heredity is genes from an alcoholic parent or grandparent.
All of the above are major triggers that reinforce addiction in a person. But these triggers can be healed and that is how the addict becomes sober and stays sober. The alcoholic can’t just stop drinking and think they are healed; there is more to it than that. If the alcoholic just stops drinking and does not take action to heal and or change his circumstances then he will most likely not stay sober for very long.
Stop Putting Band-Aids on the Alcoholic’s Wounds
Every time the enabler kisses the boo-boo and puts a band-aid on the alcoholic’s wounds, they will never fully realize they are sick and need healing. For example, if a person continually gets bad headaches and they cover up the pain with aspirin, they will never get to real reason of “why” they keep getting headaches. “Why does the alcoholic drink? What circumstances and triggers are present that can be eliminated from the alcoholics life. All triggers can be healed and done away with for good with the right addiction counseling, intervention and Godly support, expect for the heredity factor.
You have to allow the alcoholic to tend to his own wounds for a change. If the enabler keeps covering up the wounds the addict will never take charge of his own behavior, reactions, and circumstances. Covering up the alcoholic’s behaviors with band-aids only reinforces in the alcoholic more denial that he or she even has a problem.
You help the alcoholic best by pulling yourself away emotionally and that takes effort on your part, but you can do it. Love, support, and encourage the alcoholic when they are NOT drinking. Cut the ropes to the disease but love the person. Do not become trapped within the sickness of addiction anymore. You have to start rescuing you for a change and you can only do that by letting it go.
Ask Jesus to help you to detach with love from the alcoholic. Never underestimate the power of prayer in your life. Keep praying for the alcoholic because God does hear your prayers. He knows the suffering and pain you are going through every day. This is precisely why you need to go to Him and ask Him to give you the strength and faith you will need daily to cope with loving an alcoholic.
Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. (Psalm 25:25)
Before I end this article I would like to leave you with some encouragement from the book of ALANON.
Why do I waste my precious time and energy trying to figure out what makes an alcoholic drink—why he doesn’t consider his family, his obligations, his reputation? All I need to know is that he suffers from a disease—alcoholism, the compulsion to drink. Why shouldn’t I have compassion for him and his illness when I am so ready to feel sorry for people who have other diseases? Do I blame them? Can I cure him by reproaching him? Can I look into his heart and realize the true nature of his sufferings?
Today’s Reminder
The fact that I am the spouse, child, parent, or friend of an alcoholic does not give me the right to try to control him. I can only make the situation worse by treating him like an irresponsible naughty child.
“On this day I promise God and myself that I will let go of the problem which is destroying my peace of mind. I pray for detachment from the situation, but not from the suffering drinker who may be helped to find the way to sobriety through the change in my attitude and the love and compassion I am able to express.”
ALANON – One Day At A Time.
The Alcoholism Trap: http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/the-alcoholism-trap/946885
You Can Conquer Addiction! Helpful Resources Support and Encouragement for addiction.
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
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.
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.
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