Call 888-647-0579 to speak with an alcohol or drug abuse counselor.

Who Answers?

Alcoholics affect everyone but help is available

Alcoholics affect everyone in the situation.

Ann’s husband is an alcoholic.

Spouses of alcoholics have two options — they can leave the alcoholic or they can seek help and understanding in order to live with the person they love.

Ann chose the second option. For several years Ann has been attending Al-Anon. Ann is not her real name and her identity is protected because Al-Anon is an anonymous group, but she agreed to share her personal struggles in an interview with the Whitecourt Star.

Going to Al-Anon has helped Ann deal with the devastating disease of alcoholism.

“Instead of trying to fix the alcoholic we are just trying to lead happier and more manageable lives ourselves,” she said.

“After being in Al-Anon myself it has allowed me to see the person instead of the disease. For many years I just saw the disease and it’s horrible. Now I can see the person again.”

Although there has been much discussion about alcoholism, it is widely considered a disease, just as most addictions are. Ann said she wanted to share her story for National Addictions Awareness Week, which was held Nov. 18-22.

Ann wants spouses, children, friends and family members of alcoholics to know there is help out there. There are other people living with the same disease as they are.

“Alcoholism is a disease but the disease also affects the people around the alcoholic,” said Ann. “Just like alcoholism can distort the thinking of the alcoholic it can distort the thinking of the people around the alcoholic.”

Al-Anon is a support group for people living with an alcoholic. The focus of the group is not to blame the alcoholic or even focus on the drinker but rather to learn how to deal with the problem to live a happier life.

source: Whitecourt Star

More Treatment & Detox Articles

When spirits fuel the muse: Examining alcoholism and madness in literature and film

Here’s a statistic you won’t pick up in English 101: Of eight native-born Americans awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, five were alcoholics, including Sinclair Lewis and Eugene O’Neill. “Alcohol is a factor if not the central focus of the three top modern novelists – Hemingway, Faulkner and Fitzgerald,” says Michael Carolan, an M.F.A. candidate….

Crack Addiction Treatment Centers

Cocaine is one of the most widely used and abused drugs in the United States. Crack addiction is a dangerous condition that results from the use of crack cocaine. Left untreated, crack addiction can kill an individual, but there are treatment centers that specialize in treating crack addiction. Crack addiction treatment is similar to many….

DRINKING ALCOHOL DOES NOT PROTECT AGAINST CANCER

Most people like a bit of alcohol, so it’s natural to tune in to reports about its benefits. There are widespread rumours that certain types of alcohol, like red wine, can help to protect against cancer. And when it comes to the negative side of drinking, most people think of hangovers or liver problems. But….

Recognizing a Good Treatment Program

Treatment centers provide a number of different treatment programs but not all programs will be effective for all people. Recognizing a good treatment program begins with an understanding of what a treatment program will (and will not) be able to do for you. The road to sobriety begins with the unique needs of each patient….

Outpatient Versus Inpatient Drug Treatment Centers

Are you wondering if you should seek outpatient treatment rather than inpatient treatment? There are many factors that you must consider when you begin searching for treatment centers such as the level of your addiction, the level of support that you have at home, and also the type of addiction that you suffer from. If….