Alcohol Addiction

(Read Alcohol Addiction, Part 1 First)

Alcohol Addiction – An Adult Story
I was 30 years old and although I loved my husband dearly, I strongly believed that no family was complete without children. After my third miscarriage, I was in despair. I discovered some left-over Christmas sherry and found that by the third glass, a wonderful feeling of ease and release from my emotional pain was coming over me. Escape from the pain was that easy!

Fortunately, God came quickly to my rescue. I began to feel more and more uncomfortable every time I reached for the bottle. I knew God was trying to get through to me that this was not the way out of my pain. I knew that I could stop drinking only through God’s strength . . . not my own. After confessing to my husband, I asked for his forgiveness. I also confessed my sin to God for abusing my body with alcohol.

With God and my husband’s help, I began to resist the lure of alcohol to ease my emotional pain (Hebrews 4:16).

Alcohol Addiction – A Teen Story
I grew up witnessing my father being out-of-control every time he got drunk. From primary to secondary school, I saw how he would hurt my mother when he was under the influence of alcohol. From then on, a lot of questions started to sink in my mind. These instances had created anger and hatred, which resulted in me being a rebellious daughter.

When I entered college, I decided to try alcohol. I thought drinking it would make me braver and stronger like my father and in that way, I could defend my mother from my father’s hands. I began with beer, but gradually switched to hard liquors and different kinds of alcoholic drinks. I came to a point in my life where I was drinking from sunset to sunrise. The time came when I could not sleep without drinking alcohol. I was an alcoholic.

For four years, I was a slave of alcohol addiction. I tried to be blind to the dangerous facts I knew about alcohol. The wheel of my life was turned upside down and I experienced shame, rejection, self-pity, and a hopeless vision. I felt like I was drowning in the deepest part of the sea while fighting with my own might.

I searched for an answer for how to stop, but I couldn’t find an answer that worked. I tried to stop, but alcohol continuously ran after me. I almost gave up and lost all hope. I didn’t know that my mother and oldest sister had started praying for me. My sister would always invite me to attend church services and listen to the pastor’s messages, but I always declined.

I was about to fail in one of my subjects in school, so my professor asked me to attend a seminar to make up for my low grade. I knew that attending the seminar was a chance for me to pass the class so I jumped at the chance to attend! The seminar was entitled “Say no to Drugs, Smoking, Drinking, and Premarital Sex.”

During one session, the speaker asked the audience, “Who wants to change, but cannot by yourself. . .” That was me! The speaker went on to say, “Stand up and trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight.” At that time, I stood up boldly and received Jesus in my heart as my Lord and Savior. From that time, I was able to resist and say no to alcohol and totally stopped drinking. I knew it was not because of my ability, but God. By His grace, I was changed and renewed. Praise God!