Addiction. A scapegoat or a disease.

When I first heard someone say, "My addiction caused me to do this," as a die-hard cynic, my first thought wasn't "poor guy." Or even "poor girl." It was, "wait - what? Is that right? It sounds like they're using addiction as an excuse." I'm not the devil for thinking this. Super slippery slope though.

Sure enough,
I heard it again.

Later, I heard it again. 

Each time I heard it, the phrases "my addiction caused me to do this," or "while I was in my addiction..." sounded exactly like that person who said it didn't know the difference between alcohol addiction and alcohol abuse. "My addiction caused me to do this," sounded exactly like the phrase was being used as a tool to get them off the hook instead of holding themselves responsible.

Now - and I'm convinced of this - because we do this all the time, ya know, blame the food for our weight problems, "My addiction caused me to do this," is so easily used as a crutch for poor choices.

For some people "my addiction caused me to do this," is real and their addiction did/does mess with them while using and their addiction drives them TO use and continue the damage to themselves, their relationships and, uh, most of all, their self-worth.

But for some of us, "my addiction caused me to do this," is simply not the case. We just overdrank again and again and again. We made horrible choices again, and again, and again. And we must keep one thing super-clear:

There is a difference between alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction. 

The difference is big and sensitive. Choices you make when you're not drinking HAVE to be considered. 

If you have ever skipped classes, skipped meetings, called in sick, canceled or rescheduled an appt, or blacked out because you drank too much the night before -- I don't believe it makes you an alcoholic. But it do think it's abusive.

If you should have skipped class, skipped meetings, called in sick, rescheduled appointments or blacked out because you drank too much the night before -- I don't believe it makes you an alcoholic. But I do think it's abusive.

If you've ever lied about how much you drank, or woke up worrying about what you said or what you did because you drank too much the night before -- I don't believe it makes you an alcoholic. But I do think it's abusive.

You don't have to have a million regrets to want to stop drinking, or accidentally get someone pregnant, or accidentally get pregnant, or test yourself for 30 days to justify wanting to stop drinking. 

You definitely don't have to be labeled an alcoholic because you want to stop drinking.

All you have to do is have the awareness that you want to stop for any bleeping reason and that is good enough.