Alcohol Addiction

I was a slave to alcohol. Alcohol ran my life. It told me what I would do, and when I would do it. It told me how I would treat my husband and my kids. It was my master. I was its slave.
I tried desperately on a few occasions to run away from the alcohol, but it always found me. I would break the bottles of vodka and pour the cans of beer down the drain, but it would always show up again.
I lost my control over alcohol and my power of choice. I could no longer choose when I would drink and how much I would consume once I got started. Alcohol had a hold on me, a very tight hold.
If I could go to the grocery store and get out without buying alcohol, it was a miracle. I would walk in the door and begin the conversation with myself; "I can buy just one beer." "No! You don't need a beer." "Only one. One won't hurt." "No! You won't have just one, and you know it."
adparams.getadspec('c_billboard1');

The conversation went on until I left the store. Some days I would win. Other days, the alcohol was victorious. This was a daily battle. Until one day, God had mercy on me and removed the obsession to drink. Alcohol lost its control over me and the victory was mine. Today, I am a slave set free. I still have a master. His name is Jesus.
For the longest time after I got sober there were certain stores I could not go into. Stores where I frequently purchased alcohol became slippery places for me to go. Stores where I battled against the desire to drink carried far to many bad memories. It was best just to stay out of those places.
Today I don't have that problem. I can go anywhere and not be tempted. But it took awhile. In the beggining of your sobriety do yourself a favor and listen to yourself. You will know what to do.
Since I got sober it is extremely difficult for me to watch a loved one struggle with an addiction. Knowing what I went through and how hard it was for me to quit makes it that much harder for me to watch.
I know what it is like to be driven by addictive forces. I know how it feels to want to quit and then barely make it through the evening before giving in again. The same struggle goes on with food, drugs, pornography and pills. Any addiction has a driving force behind it. That is what makes it an addiction.
I am a people fixer. I want my loved ones set free...now! And yet I know there is nothing I can do about it. So I pray. I know God brings healing and deliverance. But I know is not always as easy as it seems. Getting sober can be hard. God wants to see those demons conquered. He wants my loved ones victorious over drugs and alcohol. But where do they begin?
The first step is willingness. If they are willing God will help them. If I treat my loved ones with kindness, compassion and prayer, I am doing the best I can. The rest has to be up to them.
What I want is to take them to a rehab or get them involved in a recovery program. I want them to experience the sanity I found in recovery with God. I want them set free to enjoy life or to be reasonably capable of making changes if they need to.
God, see their need. Hold them tight and let them know that you are with them ready and willing to help. And then God, please help me to step back and get out of your way.
God never gives up on you. God says He will love you and help you no matter what. So when you think you have failed one to many times for God to help you, think again. I must have tried 50+ times to quit drinking. God was there to help me with each failed attempt. He never gave up on me and He will never give up on you.