Burlington, Vermont - November 4, 2011
"One day I woke up and knew that drinking just wasn't working for me anymore," said a mother of two who did not want to be identified.
She said when the booze could no longer fill her emptiness, it was time to quit. A decision that's terrifying to most alcoholics. "It was probably the scariest, most difficult thing that I did at the time," said Dick, a recovering alcoholic. But Dick couldn't kick the habit without help. His doctor got him into a residential treatment facility in Underhill. "I was in detox for three days," he said. "Maple Leaf Farm is a savior to me. It saved my life."
Experts say withdrawal from alcohol is best done in a supervised setting. Withdrawal symptoms can be life threatening. But the alternative is even more grave. Prolonged alcohol abuse can lead to brain disorders, organ damage, certain cancers, dementia and delirium.
"What I call the addiction train has a lot of stops, but the end of the line is institutions, jails and dead," said Bill Young with Maple Leaf Farms treatment center. He says while there's no cure for alcoholism, treatment does work. But maintaining sobriety is a lifelong fight and its easy for an alcoholic to relapse. "If you have a slip and you fall back into use, don't waste one minute being embarrassed," Young said. "Get back into treatment immediately and get right back into the program that's working for you."
But how do you help someone who doesn't want to help themselves? Family members often spot the problem before the alcoholic is ready to face their addiction. "The family sometimes can be the worst people to try to intervene," said Hannah Rose with the Turning Point Center, a sobriety center in Burlington.
Rose is a recovering alcoholic. She recommends that families seek outside help -- explaining that many addicts get defensive when nagged by loved ones to quit. "For families, it's really hard if you've been trying to take care of somebody all your life and then a recovery center or a 12 step program or a recovery coach or a sponsor comes in and they all of a sudden are doing all the work that you've been trying to do all these years," she said.
But even peer counseling can be a bumpy road for an addict who's not completely sold on accepting help. "These women surrounded me saying we promise your life will get better and I was a snot. I was like, get away from me. I don't want any part of you -- this is odd and icky," said the mother of two. After years of burying her pain in a bottle this stay-at-home mom broke down and allowed a support group into her world -- healing her pain and making her feel whole -- even without alcohol. Now she tries to do the same for others. "It might sound like a Hallmark card or a cliche but we love you and we're waiting for you and we're here to help you," she said.
Sober and surviving -- living proof it's possible. "I have a life today I've never ever had before. This does work if you want to work for it," Dick said.
"I think women should seek treatment cause a sober mom is a gift to your children your family and society," the mother said.
Alcoholism: A Family Secret - Part 1
Alcoholism: A Family Secret - Part 2
