The Diary of a Victim of an Alcoholic

Diary - Photo by kevinspencer I think it is worth making two points about binge alcoholism. The newspapers frequently refer to binge drinking in the UK. For the most part these people are not alcoholics. They are just drinking excessively at the weekend. Some may develop into full blown alcoholics. This will happen when they cross the wire . They won't know they have crossed it until one day it dawns on them. Secondly, Jane plans well ahead when she is going to binge. The appropriate days will be holidays. The classic free days for a binge are at Christmas. She almost always had a binge at Christmas. She will make extensive plans to do x, y and z and then go to bed for the entire duration and drink neat vodka out of the bottle. Washout Christmas. True binge drinkers are planners and plotters. They may also trickle drink in between binges. There are no clear boundaries between abstaining from drink and boozing. It merges slightly.

Photo by dpwk Is there such a thing as a normal relationship? Probably not. But there is such a thing as a positive, hopeful relationship. A positive relationship is one that is constructive. It is one where you go forward and improve your lives together. In a relationship with an alcoholic it is not possible to go forward, to build for the future. This destroys hope. Alcoholism prevents a constructive way of life because it constantly erodes relationships, finances, jobs and health. It holds the alcoholic and the relationship back. You tread water. It is nice to be able to look to a better future. It makes life more bearable. All of us need to think that there is something better in the future; that we can make things better if we do x, y and z. That does not apply to the alcoholic environment. An alcoholic's life if about just getting by. Not losing your job, if you have one. Trying to stay healthy. Making exorbitant health insurance payments because you sure as hell ne...

Photo: by ex_magician I'll tell you how alcohol affects the pancreas for Jane. Rarely for Jane her alcoholic binging causes pancreatitis. The rarity level is perhaps, at a guesstimate, about one time in 25 binges. However it is a very serious, life threatening condition. This is not chronic pancreatitis. For Jane it is acute pancreatitis brought on by a particular binge lasting about 7 days. She will have have pain in her stomach area, which is a sign of pancreatitis. Of course this may be muddied up by pain in her stomach due to inflammation of the stomach by the neat Vodka. She will have to go to hospital after some long binges. An ambulance is called and she is wheeled out of the home (literally). The hospital visit will last about a week and recovery at home afterward will be about 10 days. The way the doctors cure acute pancreatitis is to have her stop eating and drinking as I recall. It would seem to be nil by mouth for a few days. The pancreas heals itself. I am ...