So sad and mad
 

I go to a lot of differant AA meetings and as a result I know a ton of alcoholics. Over the last couple of weeks I have heard of 6 deaths. I did not know them personally but they were friends of friends.

This morning I am in a funk. Why do so many have to die? Why do some make it and others not?

I know there are no answers but I am sad and mad that alcoholism wrecks so many lives. Not just of the alcoholic but of all those around them.

I am just venting but I need to get it out.

I can relate.

When I got involved with the canine rescue, it tore me up to know that thousands of dogs are killed in shelters every day, many more live in deplorable conditions. It made me heartsick and frustrated. I soon realized I could only worry about and care for the 15 dogs in our kennels and the one or two I fostered at home.

My point? Alcohol ravages thousands and thousands of lives. It's terribly sad. But I can only do something for one alcoholic.

Me.

You are so right, but I want to save the world which is a very unhealthy path for me to go down. I have to concentrate on one day at a time and one alcoholic at a time. I can only fix me the rest is in Gods hands. Thanks

good morning MI. it is frustrating. why some make it and others dont is hard to answer, but IMO some die for others to live. that isnt meant to be cruel. i hate seeing it happen. it can be difficult for me sometimes to rmember and accept that it is the disease of alcoholism and not the person.
i must follow in the footsteps of the ones that went before me being very careful not to trip over the ones who fall by the wayside.

Last night I was at the wake of someone who died of Alzheimers. There were a bunch of us there whose parents also have the disease. ALL of our parents are going to die of this, every single one (unless they are "lucky" enough to die of a stroke or cancer first) and along the way we get to watch them lose not only their memories but their dignity. And what did they do to deserve this? Did they have a choice? Ever? NO.

You want to talk about "powerless"? Man, oh man, are we ever powerless.

Yes, addiction is a terrible thing. Tragic. I've seen a lot of addiction related death too, including suicides among friends. But people can and do recover from addiction all the time. They never, ever recover from Alzheimers.

Between alcohol induced or related diseases, as well as alcohol related accidents, homicide, suicide, and more, deaths due to alcohol are of epidemic proportion.

I get MAD that despite this knowledge, society encourages alcohol use in:
Television, films, ads, even medical journals!

And, society encourages alcohol use at such places, and on such occasions as:
Vacations, weddings, holidays, parties, weekends, "happy" hours, fundraisers, work meetings, art openings, plane rides, sports events, restaurants, births, funerals, graduations...

And in many states, it is sold in grocery stores.

Imagine if cocaine use was in ads, films, tv shows, medical journals...
And imagine if cocaine use was encouraged at vacations, weddings, holidays, parties, weekends, "happy" hours, fundraisers, work meetings, art openings, plane rides, sports events, restaurants, births, funerals, graduations... And imagine if cocaine was sold at grocery stores!

It is truly insane.

Makes me think of this story
Untitled

The warning label says not to drink if you are pregnant. Or drink responsibly. Bah. That could be why you got pregnant.

Alcohol is a class 4 narcotic and needs warning labels like "will cause kidney and liver failure, deterioration of nerves and tendons in feet and legs, and in many cases, DEATH" But people don't want to see that. And the alcohol companies make far too much money to want anyone to slow down or quit.

I have had 2 good friends die from alcohol toxification in the last 5 years. I almost died from the same thing back in 2007, kidneys and liver failed. Doing OK (for now anyways)

Alcohol seems to be the worlds dirty little secret. 80,000 (According to Net Geo special) die in the US each year due to alcohol. Everyone wants to pretend there is no problem because they drink. Hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil ... Nah nah nah nah

I understand that you are upset and venting...I'm sorry your friends have died.

(my mother died last year from bone cancer and Alzeimers, the double whammy...I got to watch and I remained sober throughout).

MOST people have a glass of wine and maybe 2, possibly 3 if it's a special occasion. they pick up a drink once a week, twice and don't think about drinking 24/7, they go for weeks and days without it passing their lips. They are not addicted to alcohol.
we are. I was also once a 2.5 pack a day smoker, i quit that too.

I am SO with you on this.
Four people I know this year all died from alcohol/drug related illnesses, all in their 40s, two with children.

Its sick. I am trying to use it as motivation, and to keep perspective, because honestly, it is a bit overwhelming and depressing to dwell on.

I just want to say I am sorry you have witnessed so many deaths, friends of friends, or close to you, it dont matter. It still hurts, it is still a major reality check of our own mortality...our own recovery. From witnessing my grandfather die of an overdose of Meth and Alcohol, and my father being a MAJOR alcoholic...the addictive behavior and personality runs deep in my family... I can tell you it SUCKS but you already know this. Point is it will get better, these peoples stories, how they lived and died, will hit someone in that group, maybe a few people, they will bea wake up call for someone to stop and say whoa, I don't want to be like that! ya know? So yes, of course it is sad, it hurts, but it will be alright. They wont be forgotten I'm sure.

All I can say is I do not plan on being one of the satistics. I take sobriety very very seriously. Alcohol wants you dead but I am not going to let it have it's way

Everyone dies.

Some of us dance with it, some of us fight it, some of us deny it, some of us embrace it, some hasten it, some invite it in, some chase it, some only succumb to it because there is no other way.

I cannot choose to NOT die, but I can choose, to a great extent how I interact with death.

It is tempting, being a recovering addict/alcoholic myself to see THIS as in a class by itself. But in truth it's not. Every person makes choices every day that have an impact on the quality and likely length of life and manner in which they might die.

I am not saying this because I don't think alcohol and alcohol related death and illness isn't a huge issue. It is. but I say this because I have seen myself and others kid themselves that if they stopped drinking they were out of the woods, noble, look what a grand choice I made, had it in the bag.

There are 1000 other issues I make decisions on daily that affect my life and others.

We can get sober and STILL fall prey to the "terminally unique" line of thinking.

Perhaps it is the time of the year and the "Days of the Dead" which have me thinking this way. It is a time of year that I am invited to ponder the subject of mortality and MY own mortality. I have no choice over the reality that I WILL die, but I do have some choices as to how I deal with it.

Yep. We are not special or unique in our mortality.

All I can say is WOW. This statement hit me hard. Thank you.

As some of you know....I've been an AA recovered alcoholic for years.
I've also been battleing several chronic health issues since
I quit drinking....nothing pertaining to my drinking history.

I go to AA meetings to see the hope and healing that many are doing..
.it fills me with gratitude..:yup:

When I'm doing my Chemo infusions ..there too is healing
and hope in that room....it's a cheerful place.

Here is a link to my expereince that I posted years ago

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...d-friends.html

Of course we will die from something....I end my nightly prayer
"Not my will..thine be done" That comforts me.

I worked with Hospice for 3 years...it gave me a calm
peace about my death and life....:yup: