The "dark side" of alcohol

This week USA Today reported new research that "represents an important step in understanding how the brain changes when it moves from a normal to an alcohol-dependent state," lead researcher Marisa Roberto, an associate professor at the Scripps Research Institute, said in a Scripps news release. "Our study explored what we call in the field 'the dark side' of alcohol addiction," Roberto said. "That's the compulsion to drink, not because it is pleasurable — which has been the focus of much previous research — but because it relieves the anxiety generated by abstinence and the stressful effects of withdrawal."

In America, many of us have lived with someone who has struggled with alcohol--addiction or abuse. Some of us, like me, have been the addict and seen the dark side.

I am the child and grandchild of alcoholics. My progression through the stages of alcoholism--experimentation to regular use, blackouts to passing out, abuse to addiction--took only one year. I began drinking at 15, graduated a year early from high school, and became a binge drinking college freshman. In fact, I was one of those college students who, as a 2009 NASPA survey involving more than 30,000 first-year students on 76 campuses who took an online alcohol education course last fall suggests "nearly half of college freshmen who drink alcohol spend more time drinking each week than they do studying."

By 21 though, I had dropped out of college, hit "bottom," and became suicidal after I awoke next to a man I barely knew. When I thought I might be pregnant, I tried to quit drinking. Within days, I became suicidal. Fortunately, I am one of a small percentage of alcoholics who have a "white lightening" experience and with God's help, I ended the family legacy and stopped drinking.

This week I celebrated my 32nd year of sobriety--yes, 32 years.

One of the best things about sobriety is that you never have to live on the "dark side" any longer. Oh, you still have problems; you still even hurt others. And you still have fun. You just do it all without alcohol.

So if you live with someone--or you are the someone--who struggles with alcohol abuse or addiction, please get help or offer to get help. Almost every community, church or hospital has a Recovery, 12 Step or AA program to help.

Be encouraged,

Becky