On the word alcoholic

Firstly I have to say that these thoughts are my own.

When facing the decision to abstain from alcohol, people often worry about deciding if they are an ‘alcoholic’ or not.

The word has a lot of stigma attached in society even when people have been in recovery for many years. It can be seen as a stain or a character shortcoming.

Someone in recovery, who has decided that there is so much more to life than alcohol is a much more positive message.

It is important to state that many people in recovery have changed the way they think to the point that they are glad that they are in recovery. It does not need to be a burden to carry.

So to me, I just ignore that word. It holds no meaning to me.

There are another set of people who need to admit that they are ‘alcoholics’. It helps them stay sober, because without that acknowledgement they are at risk of drifting back. I certainly agree that I have a problem with alcohol. I just don’t like the word and all the stigma attached to it.

To me there are just a few questions I need to ask myself.

Am I better off without alcohol? The answer is yes. I like the person I am now. I don’t suffer from severe depression now. Life is good and I can appreciate every small thing.

Can I moderate drinking? Well I have tried many times and always failed.

That’s it. I’m in wonderful recovery. I can deal with things I couldn’t before. So even though life brings up obstacles, I can cope.