After the shocking revelation by daughter Willow Smith about her struggle with self-harming tendencies in her preteen years, it is now candid confession by the mother, Jada Pinkett Smith, who recently opened up about her past addiction to sex and alcohol in a new episode of her Facebook series “Red Table talk”. She called herself a “binger” who gets obsessed with things to fix her problems. For years, she considered sex and alcohol as the greatest escape routes but reached the rock bottom and realized in time that she was ruining her life.

Smith was born at a time when America was badly hit by the crack-cocaine epidemic. She was raised in a neighborhood surrounded by drugs and poverty. Her mother Adrienne Banfield-Jones battled heroin addiction for several years. Despite knowing the perils of addiction, Smith started drinking heavily – almost two wine bottles a day. But she soon went cold turkey and has been sober ever since. In one of her previous Facebook posts, she confessed what recovery meant to her. “I’ve learned that recovery isn’t just for those suffering from substance abuse, but that recovery is about recovering from our traumas, abuse, neglect, abandonment, lack of self-worth, disappointments, failed relationships, the loss of loved ones and so on…”

Twenty years after her ordeal, she is spreading the word that those struggling with an addiction are not alone in their battle. She intends to help such people who do not seek help due to shame and stigma.

Perils of alcohol addiction

Medically, alcohol addiction is a serious health condition that can lead to several physical and mental health problems. It is not necessary that all heavy drinkers would develop alcohol abuse disorder but there’s a high probability that they would. It is imperative to look for the warning signs such as drinking all alone, prioritizing drinking over other tasks like job, school or other responsibilities, continuing drinking even if it’s affecting health in order to get help at the right time.

Many people have the tendency of combining alcohol with other drugs or prescription medications to increase its potency. But they do not realize that a concoction of harmful substances is even more lethal. Excessive drinking can impair brain function and motor skills, cause cognitive decline, and increase the risk of accidents and fatal crashes. The problem needs to be addressed timely to prevent the loss of lives.

Recovery from alcohol addiction

Quitting alcohol within a day is a far-fetched idea, as it results in extremely painful withdrawal symptoms that can lead to death. One should strictly avoid going cold turkey and, instead opt for professional alcohol addiction help from addiction treatment specialists.

Alcohol addiction can be treated with timely medical intervention through various recovery programs, including medication, cognitive behavioral therapy, individual and group counseling, and other experiential therapies like art therapy. One of the widely used methods is 12 step alcohol program that is offered by majority of the alcohol rehabilitation treatment centers in the United States.

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