The Negative Effects Of Alcohol

I've been around a few alcoholics my whole life (thankfully not my parents, some kids ain't so lucky), including my step grandfather whom is very abusive. My partner was actually (what I would classify) an alcoholic when I met him but I didn't actually realise until I moved in. We have moved passed that now and he only drinks light beer and maybe only once or twice a week (usually the weekends). I would like to share a few bad experiences with you that I have gone through while being around alcoholics.

We'll start with my step grandfather whom I know longer see because of his problem. When my brother Tom was about 6 years old, my step grandfather got drunk and pushed him down a flight of stairs, head first. Luckily, Tom wasn't badly injured. My mother was so scared of him that she never did anything about it or stopped seeing him because he knew where she lived etc, so we kept visiting and she insisted we always call him 'Grandpa' and not 'George'. Then when Tom was 8, George slapped him because Tom said something that George found to be a 'smart' comment (in other words, he took it as a back-chat). George never hit me that I can remember but who knows. He never use to call us by our names. He would also call us, "Brat/s". Nice, huh? We stopped seeing George in April 2003 when he threatened to hit my mother, her husband and one of my little brothers, Eric, who was 6 months old at the time. Alcohol can cost you family.

My partner (when he had a drinking problem) never hit me, but once he came close. It was more of a problem with him because he has diabetes (type 1 - insulin dependent). Alcohol got his sugar down so sometimes he would be drunk and hypo at the same time which made it hard to tell where he was hypo, drunk or both. He was drunk and hypo one night and I fixed his sugar and went to go out for some fresh air - he must have thought I was leaving him - and he lunged at me but fell over as he swung his fist. He missed me and the next morning was the day he decided it was time to put a stop to this problem of his. So he did. Alcohol can cost you love.

I am having a current problem with my best friend whom I will not name but I will say it is a 'he'. He has always been depressed as long as I have known him but he seems to be slipping little by little. Last night he drank 2 and a half bottles of wine and I visited him today to find him hung over and extremely sick. I have never known him sober which I find sad. He starts drinking as soon as he gets up which is usually 3am. I am currently trying to get him over his problem and I hope that today is the day. He came to my work at one point - drunk - and embarrassed me beyond repair. He yelled out at the top of his lungs that he loves me etc. Alcohol can cost you friends. Alcohol can cost you time - mornings and nights.

Alcoholics don't need rejection and to be spat on. They need love, care and help. But the can only be saved if they accept that they have a problem and are willing to solve it. Without their willingness to get better, helping them is impossible. George (my step grandfather) is one of those people who refuses help and he will die with his problem. My best friend I think is on the road to recovery as of today as I believe he has finally learnt a valuable lesson. My partner has recovered. One thing I know my best friend feels is regret and remorse. If whomever you know that is an alcoholic asks for help and wants help, I say cheers to that.