I am much happier since I realised giving up drinking was not for me. I had been asking for help for my alcohol use disorder for a number of years and was always sign-posted to various recovery groups that never really helped me to reduce or abstain.
Giving up drinking was not for me.
After a ‘failed’ stint in a residential rehab in July 2014 (I had only lasted 5 weeks out of 12), I was feeling totally bereft. Then I heard of harm reduction for alcohol. This approach helped me reduce my drinking without forcing me to stop drinking altogether.
Harm reduction works for me
Many people believe that the harm reduction approach is a green light to ‘addicts’ everywhere to continue using. It is an extremely damaging view and one that permeates our society as whole. Even those in the medical profession and specialist addiction services are vehemently opposed to any form of harm reduction whereby the individual continues to drink in any shape or form.
So when I found a website promoting Harm Reduction for Alcohol I was intrigued. When I started to research this method fully I became convinced that this was the right approach for me. This is what harm reduction means to me.
I now make my own choices
Anyone who has ever sought help for their alcohol use disorder (or your preferred term) will be able to tell you that it’s a long drawn out process with many hoops to be jumped before any tangible help is received. Over many years I spoke to GP’s who would only ever advise me to
“not stop drinking straight away for fear of withdrawal, and attend my local AA meetings.”
That was literally it. The harm reduction approach gives me a CHOICE. In that choice is freedom to make my own decisions around my drinking. I am back in control. I set the rules. I make the plans. I am fully responsible for the consequences of my drinking or not drinking.
I could not find the right help
Throughout my drinking career (spanning 25 years thus far), I have experienced what most of us have. Loss of control both with drinking and with how our lives become because of our excessive alcohol use. I found myself losing relationships, jobs, friendships and homes. I lost myself completely in the bottle and didn’t know of any way to get myself out of it. Unfortunately not being able to find the right help at the right time played a major part in the continuation of my ‘downfall’. I wished I had heard of the the harm reduction approach and realised giving up drinking altogether was not for me sooner.
Empowerment
When I found harm reduction and engaged with the tools and techniques it offered, it opened up a whole new world for me. It made me realise that actually I was NOT a helpless addict who was destined to die young because I couldn’t stop drinking. I was in control; I could choose the right path for me. And it empowered me to take back control of my life in all areas. My relationships have improved and my friendships have grown. I have also met so many like minded people who I can count on for support.
I was n’t stuck any more
The words ‘stagnant’ and ‘stuck’ have been uttered from my mouth so many times over the last few years. I felt stuck in this never ending cycle of drinking, abstaining, and falling off the wagon that I was about ready to die. Many times, I have just lain on the bathroom floor, bottle in hand and said (to no-one in particular) I give up. I can’t do this anymore.
I was able to grow and develop as a person
When I decided that harm reduction was the right path for me to follow, it seemed to open up so much more opportunity for growth for me than I ever imagined. I did not have to focus all of my mental and physical energy on maintaining perfect abstinence. It brought me to an acceptance that yes I had a problem, but this was not the sum of my parts. I was not just an “addict” or “alcoholic”. I just happened to fight a battle with alcohol that was being made harder by my trying to force myself into a box I just did not fit into.
Sometimes baby steps work best
I perceive alcohol use disorder as having a spectrum just like a lot of other diseases or disorders. Any one of us can be on any part of the spectrum at any given time. Sometimes we’re at the low end. Sometimes we’re in the middle.Sometimes we’re at the high end or anywhere in between them all. It is fluid and does not always remain the same. That is why some people are able to abstain from alcohol completely. Some need to take baby steps to get their consumption down to safe levels. Others still can drink normally again with or without the help of medication and counselling. The harm reduction approach is fully supportive of each individual’s goals whatever they may be, and meets people where they are at in their journey.
One size does not fit all
This is why health care professionals really need to get on board with alternative approaches to alcohol and addiction. It is not a ‘one size fits all’ scenario when it comes to recovery. Giving up drinking entirely does not work for everybody. I believe many lives are still being lost needlessly. We are not meeting people where they are at. Instead of forcing us into treatment methods that just simply don’t work for us on an individual level we need to look at harm reduction. I do hope the tide will change very soon.
Editor’s Note
In Ireland, harm reduction approaches are not generally used. At the moment legislation is going through the Dail (Irish parliament) to allow supervised injection rooms for illegal drugs. So some signs of change here, but not much progress in alcohol. This is despite the evidence that harm reduction approaches can be very effective.
If you’re wondering if not giving up drinking could work for you, try out our course Stopgo which helps you make the right choice for you.
