Getting Back Relationships Lost Because of Drinking

Often when I teach an alcohol class I tell my students to think about their drinking. I want them to think about going beyond their historical drinking patterns, but study how it affects their mood and happiness. Have you become more unhappy since your consumption of alcohol has increased?

Are You Happy Now?

What a simple question. Is there a simple answer for this? Remember this important fact - alcohol is a depressant. Even those who still feel a jolt of energy when they drink alcohol, they will eventually come down as drinking alcohol effectively causes the central nervous system to slow down. Drinking over a long period of time will increase this effect and often causes permanent damage to the central nervous system.

The odds are you are a heavy drinker, you aren't happy. While your excessive drinking may not be the only cause of your unhappiness, it surely isn't helping how you feel emotionally.

What A Bummer

As mentioned, alcohol is a depressant. From teaching alcohol classes, and having attended numerous AA meetings, I can tell you that alcoholism is most definitely a contributing cause to the big D - depression.

There isn't any pill that will magically remove an alcoholic's depression as it is fueled by extremely negative emotions such as anger, guilt and self-loathing. It is a inescapable cycle of bad feelings, continued drinking and very poor decisions.

Despite what society thinks, problem drinkers are not in denial from themselves. Although they are able to justify their of continuing to drink in numerous ways. Still inside they know that they have a serious issue and it very likely is reducing their lifespan, if not just killing them. What do you think that feels like? Do you have empathy?

I'll make you a guarantee, try to find an alcoholic or any kind of addict who wants their children to have from the same addiction Yet their actions, often in front of their children, are making it more likely that their kids too will suffer from alcoholism or have some other type of addiction. How much guilt and stress do you think this causes?

Relationships with Others are Vital

Do you have relationships with people where you feel really close? I don't mean superficially. I am referring to close personal contacts, friends and family, who you feel a strong bond with. Again, chances are the more you are involved in drinking, the fewer people you feel closest to. I don't care how many people have friended you on Facebook; I am referring to about face-to-face interaction.

Daily telephone communication voice-to-voice also helps bond people. Twitter and Facebook are superficial and give only a tiny bit of positive emotional or psychological bonding with other people.

Personal relationships, creating lasting physical, mental, spiritual and emotional ties is what being alive is all about. As alcoholism progresses it makes those who are involved with it disassociate themselves from real living falling into alcohol-induced psychological and emotional inertia.

Redeem Your Life and Redevelop Relationships

I ask each of you reading this article to assess your personal relationships. Consider those people you feel close to now, were close with recently and have pretty much lost contact with over the years.

If ever you were close to these people, and you have fond memories of them odds are they have similar thoughts and feelings about you. If you remember a happy time associating with them, or you made a strong personal connection at one point, there is definitely kindling for the reconnection fire.

Many heavy drinkers, suffering from guilt and anger over their drinking problems and their life often grow to have very low self-worth. Getting back in contact with those people who you felt positive about being around will not only help you visualize the good person you once were, but help you feel and understand you can again be a good person. And if you need help getting through your alcohol addiction, you should seriously consider alcohol awareness classes.