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You Don’t Have to Fit The Stereotype to Quit Drinking
Why the idea of what an alcoholic looks like keeps us from going sober.
You could walk up to anyone and ask them what an alcoholic looks like and it’s usually the same image-
A man sitting on the side of the road with a brown bag, an unknown but definitely cheap liquor concealed inside. He’s more than likely homeless or just going through a bender. He might be someone who just lost their house, their job, their kids, and maybe even their wife to the addiction but they’re still drinking. Usually starts drinking in the morning to ward off the shakes and doesn’t stop until they go to sleep.
It was either the above image or an abusive husband but the point is, it was always about someone, generally a man, who had entirely given into their addiction and it ruined their lives. And admittedly, I used this as a barometer of my own addiction. If I didn’t match that stereotype, then I was more than likely not an alcoholic.
While that scenario is a possibility, addiction is more nuanced than that. So, let’s dispel some myths.
Keep in mind that a lot of these will be personal experience and I am once again, not a medical professional.
