Dealing with Alcoholism My Uncle Jim is a thirty-five year old alcoholic. The effects of his alcoholism have been devastating.
First, alcoholism affected his personality. When he was drunk, he would talk about stupid and uncomfortable things to me. If I would disagree with something he would become very offensive, raise his voice while using a lot of curse words. He had a short fuse; for example, when he would try to fix something, and if it did not go right the first time, he would then quit, get mad, and throw things around. This made him not too mundane to be around.
Alcoholism also began taking its toll on his work. He was too hung over most days, and he would often show up late, or sometimes, not even show up at all. While on his lunch breaks, he would be at the local bar partying and have a good time instead of eating lunch and returning to work.
Phil
English: Sand Dunes in Myrtle Beach
English: Hotels in Myrtle BeachHis supervisors, who were also friends of his, tried to keep him in line. However, this destructive behavior continued on a daily basis. Because of these actions, he went through several jobs, about one every three months. This did not look good on his resume.
Another affect of my Uncle's addiction was his determination to drive while intoxicated. He got caught several times; unfortunately, he got away with it more than several times. One time he went down to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina to take a vacation and party with his good friends. No sooner did he arrive than he was thrown in jail for drinking and driving. It took my grandmother two days to get him out of the mess he was in. When he got home from Myrtle Beach, he continued to go out and party with his friends and drink like nothing had ever happened.
The events of January 23, 1995, made my uncle examine his life. So he could return to normal. He was driving down highway 611 in his 1969 Chevy Corvette. This was not the best night to drive a car that was made of all fiberglass and is rear wheel drive. The roads had "black ice" on them. He went around a turn going too fast and slid out of control, hitting a telephone pole and wrapping the car around it. Shortly after the accident he awoke in the hospital with no idea of what had just happened. He could do nothing but just wait for the days to pass, so he could start progressing and finally get ready for his trip back home. I consider my uncle one lucky person. This all could have happened for a reason. Maybe it was to show him and all his family and friends that drinking affects your life in so many ways and could possibly kill you.
He realized that Jesus had given him another chance at life. He made a promise to not only his family but to himself, to never touch a drop of alcohol again in his lifetime. He has kept that promise for seven years.
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