When we are not in control, we are living in fear. When we are living in fear, we tend to run away or “escape”, but can you escape from yourself? It is essential to be aware of the process and motivations that lead to compulsive, obsessive, addictive activity in order to become whole and together again.
Stories of addictions line our library and book store shelves. From the “Top Of The World” with Karen Carpenter of the Carpenters, spiraling downward to Jacqueline Suzanne’s, “Valley Of The Dolls”, we have all rubbed shoulders with addiction and obsession.
A litany of personalities, from Elvis and Betty Ford to the two “candles in the wind”, Marilyn Monroe and Princess Diana, all have done battle with self inflicted abuse. It is all too common, yet gratifying that there is so much help out there.
A memorable study speeds to mind when I contemplate the problem. In the story, When A Man Loves A Woman, the word love is so significant. This man loves his woman in ways that can teach. You’ll love this man. He reeks compassion, loyalty, and understanding. He oozes pain, hurt, and sympathy. He is tough enough to walk and tender enough to forgive.
Picture this: The one you adore is on a fast track to self destruction. The children you cherish are eyewitnesses. You yourself, are feeling “cut like a knife”. Alcoholism is the hacker and your wounds take an eternity to heal.
This is reality. A story so deep it will turn you inside out. This young married couple work through their crisis in episodes that leave an indelible mark on the observer.
She gets plastered, passing out, forgetting her kids, blaming her husband, pushing one negative button after another, causing emotional fallout and physical incapacitation. Does she do these things to purposely inflict pain? NO. She is acting out of her own unreachable misery. All addictions are escape maneuvers.
Will it ever get better? He never loses hope. He is a one-man support system. He is a role model.
The creation of this story goes beyond talent. It requires insight and impressionability. Storytelling that gets inside you, unlocks awareness, and transforms attitudes.
Alcohol addiction is the subject but self-knowledge by way of identity crisis is the lesson. It is a tutalage in human nature. It enlightens and matures. Educational entertainment. I can’t be positive enough about this form of storytelling. I have read that the film is a tool used for discussions and therapy at actual AA meetings. It doesn’t get much better than that.
If you see the film, the children will steal your heart. These two little girls are every reason in the world to do the right thing.
By Barbara Ann Lyons [Original source:]
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