Generational Alcoholism Makes Sobriety More Challenging
I have been sober for six and a half years. Before I quit drinking, I had contemplated getting sober for several years but couldn’t quite get there. I knew alcohol was killing me and stripping away all my motivation. Still, I couldn’t imagine my life without it.
Read full storySupporting an Alcoholic Loved One
In my family, alcoholism goes back several generations. There have been many deaths and many disabilities due to the excessive consumption of alcohol. As far as I know, I’m the only one who ever got sober and stayed sober for a reasonable length of time.
Read full storyHealth Risks for Alcoholic Relapse
As a former nurse and recovering alcoholic, I want to improve education around alcohol and its health risks. For the most part, the general public isn’t as aware of the physical health risks that are particular to relapse; as such, they may not be able to understand some of the dangers. To be clear, this article is not meant to be punitive. Instead, what I hope to accomplish is to provide vital information that most people may not know about alcoholic relapse.
Read full storyHeavy Alcohol Consumption and High Cholesterol
High cholesterol is a major health issue in the US. According to the CDC, 94 million US adults have a total cholesterol level over 200 mg/dl and 28 million have a total cholesterol over 240 mg/dl. Normal cholesterol levels are anything under 200 mg/dl. These numbers are staggering and are putting people at risk for major health complications and disability.
Read full storyOpinion: Alcohol is Worse Than Other Drugs
I am six and half years sober and as a former nurse and health educator, I have looked deeper into alcohol and its effects on health. It was important to me to understand alcohol better as I knew it had been eroding my health for years before I quit. What I’ve learned about alcohol has shocked me and made me wonder how it can be so easily distributed and marketed given that it’s one of the worst drugs out there. In fact, it’s worse than all the illegal or dangerous substances that we know of.
Read full storyRelationships Are Ripe For Triggering Trauma
Trauma triggers may be confusing to some people, especially if you’re not familiar with how triggers work. For people who have previous trauma, the emotional significance can remain in the body and psyche for a long time. Therapy and awareness help a lot, but often, trauma stays with us for the rest of our lives. Triggers are when the trauma is brought back to us, often in unconscious and uncomfortable ways.
Read full storyReducing the Risk For Alcoholic Liver Disease
Ever since I lost my dad six years ago to alcoholic liver disease, I’ve researched and wrote about the condition hoping to help others. I often write about the confusing aspects of the condition and physical clues about the disease to help people get the treatment they need. My goal is to help prevent the sudden death and disability that alcoholic liver disease can create.
Read full storyThe Key to Alcohol Addiction Recovery May Be Neuroplasticity
I am six and half years sober from alcohol addiction. It was no easy feat to quit drinking, but through a combination of therapy and changing up my habits, I succeeded. I drank for over 25 years, which is a fairly long time. No doubt, my drinking habit was entrenched in my nervous system, which made recovery more difficult.
Read full storyAlcohol Damages the Nervous System
As a former nurse and recovering alcoholic, I’ve been researching the effect of alcohol on the body as I feel that this is greatly misunderstood by the general public. In their defense, they are not given enough truthful health education by their doctors or healthcare professionals. I’m glad to know that some professionals will provide proper education, but sadly, this isn’t the norm.
Read full storyAlcohol Damages Important Body Systems
I’m a former nurse and recovering alcoholic, and I have been sober from alcohol for five and half years. After moving through recovery and reflecting on how alcohol damaged my health, I’m committed to providing education for those who want to know more about how alcohol affects various bodily systems.
Read full storyAlcoholic Liver Disease Usually Sneaks Up on People
In 2016, I watched my father die very rapidly from alcoholic liver disease. Although he had been ill for months before, none of us understood that his liver was in danger. He had been to a renal specialist and an internist who diagnosed him with renal disease and uncontrolled diabetes. No one knew that these issues were directly related to a failing liver.
Read full storyIt's Possible to Have Alcoholic Hepatitis and Not Know It
As a former nurse, recovering alcoholic and daughter of a father who lost his life to alcoholic liver disease, I am committed to providing proper education about this sneaky and serious condition. Alcoholic liver disease accounts for up to 20% of all liver-related mortality and yet it remains misunderstood and underdiagnosed.
Read full storyOpinion: Alcohol Saves People From Pain Before it Harms Them
I quit drinking six years ago after decades of alcohol abuse that left me sick, emotionally distraught, and seriously depressed. As a former nurse, I also have a professional understanding of addiction. So when I quit, it lit a fire in me to research more about alcohol addiction and how it affects people physically, mentally, and spiritually.
Read full storyDetoxing From Alcohol Should Be Done with Medical Supervision
I’ve been sober from alcohol for over six years. When I quit drinking, I made the decision after some complicated healing work during a retreat. Before the retreat, I rented a house for five months in a rural Mexican town. I had friends around, but I was on my own when it came to the detox process.
Read full storyFatigue and Alcoholic Liver Damage
There are many signs of alcoholic liver damage, especially towards the end-stage of the disease. However, most people don't recognize the early signs. That's because they are vague and confusing and overlap with many other illnesses.
Read full storyThe Effects of Alcohol on Young People
Many alcoholic families let their young people drink and place it under the mask of “well they’re going to drink anyway, may as well do it at home where we can monitor it.” Unfortunately my drinking was never monitored by anyone, and as I got older, I started using it in increasingly dangerous and addictive ways.
Read full storyHeavy Alcohol Use Affects Your Mental Health
I engaged in heavy alcohol use between the ages of 14 and 41. I quit drinking six and a half years ago, and one of the biggest reasons I got sober was that my mental health was at an all-time low. My physical health was also declining, but my mental health symptoms were the most painful to endure.
Read full storyExcessive Alcohol Use Reduces Our Quality of Life
As a former nurse and recovering alcoholic, I have a lot to say about alcohol, heavy drinking, and health. I write about it because I know firsthand the damages that alcohol can inflict and I want other people to know too. Most people appreciate this knowledge, but occasionally I have people write to me feeling upset that I’ve rained on their parade. They tell me things like, “YOLO! We’re all going to die someday, so let’s eat, drink and be merry.”
Read full storyWhat Families of People with Alcoholic Liver Disease Need to Know
I lost my father to alcoholic liver disease (ALD) in 2016. The diagnosis came on June 24th, and he died only three weeks later. As a former nurse and recovering alcoholic, his diagnosis and death lit a fire in me to understand more about this sneaky and deadly condition. I was in a unique position of being his daughter yet also knowing a lot about health issues and the inner workings of the healthcare system.
Read full storyAlcohol Consumption Prevents Trauma Healing
After I quit drinking, I embarked on a long journey to heal my physical and mental health. As a former nurse and recovering alcoholic, I understand how alcohol affects our bodies and minds. As a nurse, I wanted to understand the deeper physiological aspects of why alcohol seems to make us so sick in all facets of our life. It’s one thing to realize that alcohol is toxic, but it’s another to understand the exact mechanisms for how this toxin destroys our ability to function and heal.
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