| When you have entered the realm of alcoholism, | | | | For all intents and purposes, you are now keeping |
| your priorities change then and there. | | | | everyone at arms length. So while you are drinking |
| Even though you may not be aware of it yourself, | | | | your life away, your friends and family have no |
| alcohol has become the priority, so you can't allow | | | | choice but to carry on without you. |
| anyone to interfere with your drinking. | | | | You start to notice that your friends are making |
| At the least, you minimize your drinking to the | | | | progress, maybe getting a house, getting a |
| outside world, never letting anyone know how much | | | | promotion at work, buying that new car, getting |
| you are really putting away. Many withdraw from | | | | married. Funny how nothing has changed in your life. |
| their family and friends, holing up so they can drink as | | | | It's always the status quo - there you sit with a drink |
| much as they want to, whenever they want to. This | | | | in your hand and everything is always the same. |
| of course makes you unavailable to the people who | | | | The important people in your life have learned to live |
| need you and may want to spend time with you. | | | | without you. Some may be hurt because you |
| Since, as a problem drinker, you drink at the most | | | | checked-out of their lives. They don't understand |
| inappropriate times knowing full well there are going | | | | what alcohol addiction means. |
| to be sometimes serious consequences, you start | | | | This is how your relationships can erode while you |
| missing family functions or outings with your friends, | | | | are under the influence, and since it is a process, by |
| particularly the friends that don't approve of heavy | | | | the time you notice and decide to do something |
| drinking. You make promises you can't keep. You | | | | about it, it may be too late to repair the damage. |
| become a no-show. You become unreliable. | | | | Chalk another one up for alcohol. |