True Stories of Addiction: Danny
Danny’s childhood was somewhat fraught with tension and judgement. He was separated from his biological mother and held to high standards at home. Reveling in what felt like acceptance and love, he got wrapped up in drinking after he graduated high school. This eventually turned into alcoholism, but now he has overcome Alcohol abuse.
Underlying Issues that Can Lead to Substance Abuse
Danny’s caregivers were religious and they struggled with him being gay. While they loved him, they told him on many occasions that he would go to hell for being gay. This wasn’t a positive thing to hear from the people who should support him and make him feel safe.
Many people who turn to drugs and Alcohol feel rejected, judged or alone in some way. Danny was shamed because of who he was, and was rejected by his caregivers.
His strict and rigid upbringing suffocated him with a structure that he didn’t feel he had a place in.
Freedom Came with Alcohol
The summer that Danny was fifteen, he spent time at his biological mother’s house. She gave the kids Alcohol and was much less strict than his current care giver’s home. As he got older, he was eager to escape the hyper-controlled setting of his home.
Once he graduated from high school, he had the freedom to go where he wanted. Danny came running to his biological mom and her family. With them he felt more accepted and even adored. Someone always wanted to see him and hang out. This is when his drinking became more frequent and excessive.
It Was Easy to Overlook Alcohol Abuse
Danny wasn’t worried about developing Alcohol use disorder, because it didn’t seem like there was any chance of it. Alcoholism is often overlooked until the problem gets way out of hand.
This is partly because drinking is socially acceptable, while using illicit drugs like Heroin or Meth is completely unacceptable. There is less stigma or suspicion of addiction when it comes to Alcohol. For a long time, Danny drank heavily without ever thinking that he had a problem.
When his drinking became more excessive than seemed appropriate to others, he didn’t want to hear what anyone had to say. Instead of answering to the concerns from the people who loved him, Danny isolated himself and drank alone at home where he couldn’t be judged.
Drinking More After Grief and Tragedy
Danny’s sister also had a bad drinking problem, which he recognized as unhealthy and addictive behavior. She came to live with him and he took care of her while her health declined. While he also had a drinking problem, he didn’t believe it was of the same caliber as his sister’s habit.
She eventually was hospitalized and died soon after. Ironically, this tragedy brought Danny to immediately go get a drink. Grief and tragedy are common triggers for people who abuse substances. For Danny, Alcohol was a way to cope. Even though he had just witnessed the tragic results of alcoholism in his sister’s passing, drinking was a go-to activity for him in his grief.
Isolation swallowed him up again as his drinking grew worse.
Deciding to Get Help for Alcohol Abuse
Danny knew in his heart that he was heading down the same path as his sister, but he couldn’t let himself go. He had told himself over and over that he would stop drinking at this or that time, but hadn’t stuck with it yet. Eventually, he decided to commit to recovery by moving into a sober living home.
He kept busy, going to meetings and talking with a sponsor, working in the daytime and going to outpatient rehab treatment in the evenings. Slowly, he started to build up a new life that doesn’t revolve around Alcohol.
Now, Danny is passionate about helping others to overcome substance abuse. He has a goal of eventually working as a counselor for people in rehab suffering from addiction. Danny encourages others who are going through the same battle he did to believe in themselves and ask for the help they need.
He urges others not to have the same inhibitions and to seek the help they need without worrying about judgement. If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction, give us a call. We can help you find the right type of treatment to help you start over in life, just call (866) 578-747.
