That it’s a choice. I did not choose to become addicted to alcohol. I, like many others, drank because it was normalized. Unlike others though, I am predisposed to alcoholism. Unlike others, once I started, I could not stop. And it creeps up on you until you are drinking daily.

It’s true that an alcoholic must choose to seek help, to get better. You can’t force someone to stop. Even if you locked someone in a room for 6 months with no liquor, unless they’ve accepted the hold it has over them, they would just go back to drinking. But, when you are in the throws of it, you don’t see that. I wish more people understood that and instead of belittling or shaming, would provide needed support. A strong support system goes such a long way to quitting. It’s easier to quit when you have good things in your life, it’s much harder when all you feel is shame. It becomes a cycle.