Have you ever been asked if you do drugs? If you drink alcohol, the answer is yes, you do drugs. Think of all the people you know who drink alcohol — yes, they all do drugs too.
This is not a stretch, or a play on words, or semantics; it is a literal, straight-up fact.
Alcohol is a drug. It is one of the most addictive and destructive drugs that there is. It’s right up there with heroin, methamphetamine (meth), and cocaine.
“Alcohol is the most commonly used addictive substance in the U.S. 17.6 million people, or one in every 12 adults, suffer from alcohol abuse or dependence along with several million more who engage in risky drinking patterns that could lead to alcohol problems.”
Did you know that there are 2.5 million alcohol-related deaths worldwide annually? Or that alcohol is a factor in 40% of all violent crimes today?
You might think that alcohol is not a drug because it’s legal; think again, it’s a drug.
Why People Do Drugs
People take “recreational” drugs because they want to escape from the real world, and spend some time in fantasy land. The problem is, as you do this over and over again, it turns into a habit. Then from a habit into an addiction. The addiction becomes a rut that gets deeper and deeper — more and more difficult to get out of. You increase your usage of drugs because you develop a tolerance — you need more to get the high that you’ve become addicted to. Meanwhile, you are completely ruining your body and your mind, and the rut is starting to take on the shape of a grave.
The Reality
Seeing people partying it up in a bar or club on a Saturday night, you’d be forgiven for thinking that drinking is nothing but fun. Everyone’s laughing and joking and flirting with each other — having a great time. What’s the problem?
At some point, they’ll all go to sleep — or, if not exactly to sleep, to some degree of unconsciousness. Eventually, they’ll wake up, and reality will set in: the hangover; the regrets; the shame; the realization of the idiotic things they said and did last night slowly dawning on them; trying to remember where the car is parked, or the name of the stranger lying beside them.
Alcohol Is Not the Answer
While doing drugs can start out seeming like fun, if you keep doing it, gradually increasing your intake, it’s not going to end well. So why start in the first place? Getting drunk to escape your problems is like putting a bag over your head and pretending the real world isn’t happening. Just because you are numbing yourself to reality, does not mean that it isn’t there; it will be there waiting with a vengeance when the drugs wear off.
Forget the Booze
To have any chance of improving your life and effectively dealing with your problems, you need to be sober; to be thinking clear, lucid thoughts. Running away from your problems will not solve them, and getting drunk will only make them much worse. Face your troubles head on; slay them one by one; do something with this amazing gift of life that you’ve been granted.
You can start right now and make a beautiful, alcohol-free life for yourself — the way it was intended.
KTB
Kick the Booze 