Today’s column is about a centuries-old drug, alcohol (ethyl alcohol as found in beer, wine and hard liquor such as vodka), which throughout history has been used in religious and secular celebrations — worship, weddings, birthdays — as well as a psychoactive drug to reduce or relieve the aches and pains of the human condition: insomnia, social anxiety, pain, emotional trauma and stress.
Alcohol Quiz:
Alcohol is a psychoactive drug because it alters one’s moods, feelings and thoughts. T or F
Alcohol abuse is when it is used in a way which causes harm to school, job, health or to one’s relationships. T or F
Alcohol abuse, over time, can lead to a condition called ___, which is the need to continue using the drug, despite the harm it causes.
Heart disease
Job loss
Alcohol dependence
Alcohol dependence, also called addiction, comes in two forms: Physical and Psychological. T or F
A heavy drinker abruptly stops all alcohol. They then become irritable, nervous and have digestive problems. This is part of withdrawals from physical dependency. T or F
The body adapts to heavy alcohol use. This is called tolerance, where continued use of alcohol has diminishing effects, so more is needed to get high. T or F
Alcohol abuse, or dependency, is a moral problem, caused by sinful behaviors and personality defects. T or F.
The story of Isabelle Lee:
You are about to meet a young, beautiful and exotic woman named Isabelle Lee. As she seduces a man, who falls head over heels in love, watch how this, “romance gone bad” destroys the man. As you read, substitute the word, “alcohol,” for “Isabelle.” The poem captures the progressive stages of alcoholism, beginning with the first encounter, where the euphoria of a first kiss is irresistible.
The second stage, alcohol abuse, is destroying the man’s life, but he does not, will not, let her go.
The third stage — total loss of control, where alcohol must be used to prevent withdrawals — occurs when a dramatic shift in the relationship between the man and Isabelle, results in her ascension into full power (the master), while the poor man is relegated to the lowly status of a slave.
She came to me,
In my hour of need,
When all of my hopes had vanished, Poof!
All gone to seed.
Oh, how I loved her,
My Isabelle Lee.
If my day ran raw, wretched, or amiss,
One kiss from her red ruby lips, Whammo!
I’m ten feet tall,
A giant among pygmies,
A king! I had it all,
Thanks to my gal, Isabelle Lee.
Throughout thick and thin,
She had my back,
She was my friend,
If ever I was sad, lonely or lost,
She met my needs, she bore the cost,
My constant companion, Isabelle Lee.
But as time passed, she came to be,
A mistress possessed by green jealousy,
She began to take, my wife, job, kids, home,
And just when I thought her taking was done,
There goes my calico cat, my shiny black Cadillac,
Rip, she took the shirt right off my back.
She took it all, leaving me in misery,
Out of pity, she struck this deal:
“All of your pain will be gone,
If you bow down to me your master,
And, if you become my slave, ever after.”
Oh please, save me from the ruin of Isabelle Lee.
All alcohol problems are relationship problems:
Life’s hardships knock us down. How do we get up? Self-medication through alcohol, during times of need: loss, worry, insomnia, failure, social anxiety. This starts the relationship with alcohol.
Men tend to use alcohol for power over anger and a sense it makes them cool and charismatic. Thus the masculine idea, “Get drunk and be someone.”
Women tend to like the allure of alcohol, because it creates a sense of being attractive and valuable.
Alcohol always delivers its promise of meeting our emotional needs. Alcoholics have exchanged this companion for the lost ones of marriage, family and faith.
Alcohol destroys all relationships save one: You and the bottle.
Conclusion: If you or a loved one are struggling with alcohol, please believe that you and they can be helped. Substitute the word family, friend or faith, for “Isabelle and alcohol,” and a healing process can begin.
The content of this article is for educational purposes only, and should not be used as a substitute for treatment by a professional. The characters in this story are not real. Names and details have been changed to protect confidentiality.
Quiz Answers : 1. T 2. T 3. C 4. T 5. T 6. T 7. F
Dr. Richard Elghammer contributes his column each week to the Journal Review.
