I have an anger inside me that has been bubbling up for the last few weeks and I feel that writing this may damped those flames, but who knows. This burning immense anger is aimed towards the alcohol industry and society as a whole. No, I’m not suddenly walking around punching my friends and family who still drink, I honestly get the reasons they do. We’ve been societally brainwashed for most of our young lives how great alcohol is, how essential is it for fun and that it’s a thing that all adults do, especially if we want to relax.
So why am I so angry about it, because that all sounds wonderful! Having fun – check, relaxing – check and connecting with other adults – check!
My anger is because of the 2.8 million deaths worldwide every single year which can be associated with alcohol. Whether it’s drink driving, organ failure or domestic violence, 2.8 million beautiful souls are leaving this mortal plane because of the poison which is imposed on us all.
This information isn’t something I’ve magically whipped up; it was published in the Lancet which is a prestigious medical journal in 2018. Bear in mind this number is pre covid and we know that alcohol related issues have soared because of covid anxiety and lockdowns.
Just to throw a few more facts at you, this equates to one in three people who drink globally, with 2.2% of women and 6.8% of men dying from alcohol related health problems each year.
When I lost my best friend to alcoholism, I felt such a deep shame for her, the fact she would forever be known as an alcoholic and never have that opportunity to show redemption in the form of recovery (now I know this is stupid and incredibly judgemental, but that was my head space at the time).
But I’m starting to realise through speaking to others that my friend’s story isn’t abnormal and she was one of many who would lose their life in such an unnecessary way. Speaking to others in sobriety groups or even close friends who still drink, I’m regularly told ‘oh yeah I lost a friend/auntie/uncle/cousin/parent/sibling/child and so on; to alcohol.’ With someone recently stating that they had lost six family members, but they still believe that the ‘every day’ person can moderate.
How are so many people dying from alcohol and yet NO ONE is talking about this? Why do alcoholics look at other drinkers and feel regret they cannot moderate like them? My personal opinion is that no one can moderate with this poison. Once you’ve had a couple it’s hard to resist the temptation to have more and bearing in mind that the recommended weekly in take is 2 units per week…yes per week. How many of your superhero moderating loved ones are sticking to that 2 units per week? Not many I can imagine.
So, what’s my point with this post? In all honesty I have no idea, I’m just so angry at the situation and the fact so many people needlessly die, many under the age of 40! If you’ve lost a friend or loved one to alcohol then don’t think you’re alone, you’ll be shocked to discover that this is quite normal.
I’d love to hear your views on this in the comments, whether you agree or disagree. I’m open to discussion and maybe your experiences may reduce my rage, or you’ll agree and join me. I hope that some day in the future I can post on here that the numbers are going down and more people are turning to sobriety, but until then we soldier on and keep reminding ourselves everyday that the decision to stop drinking is the best one we have ever made.