Effects of Alcoholism Essay Example for Free

Effects of Alcoholism Essay I never thought drinking alcohol could destroy all I had worked for. Sure, I have had my share of hangovers. However, to think I was hurting myself or others never came to mind. I had a great job and really liked the people I worked with. I worked hard and played harder. Going out with my friends and drinking was a major part of my social life. The thought of calling a cab or getting a ride was not a congenital thought. It would take a head on car crash with another vehicle to change my life forever. When I was about seven years old, my dad had a few of his friends over to watch a football game. I took one of the beers when no one was looking and went into the garage. I opened it and took a big gulp. I spit it out and thought, â€Å"This stuff tastes terrible, how can anyone drink this and like it†? It took until I was in my teens to try beer again. I was with my two best friends and one of them had stolen a six-pack of beer from his dad. We each took a can and opened it. I remember taking my first sip and thinking it was warm. I did not like it, but I was not going to let my friends know that. Therefore, we each drank the first can. I could feel a warm glow permeate my body. When we drank the second can, I felt high and became intoxicated. From that moment on, I drank for the effect not the taste. After I got my driver’s license, my friends and I would go to the bars and drink. When it was time to go I would get in my car and drive home. This went on for years. I always thought I could handle my liquor. When my friends would be pulled over and get a D.  U. I. , I thought they were lightweights and could not hold their liquor. As I grew older, I began to work in the hospitality industry of nightclubs and restaurants. I really enjoyed what I did and was good at it. During this time, I would always have a drink or two at closing time. After we closed, I would get a cocktail for the road. This went on for years. As the years progressed so did my consumption of alcohol. I grew tired of the hospitality industry and changed jobs. I started work in the heavy construction industry. I became close friends with a group of people I worked with. We would meet after work at a bar or restaurant and have some drinks. When it was time to go, I would get a drink for the road. This habit continued until one day I was going to my best friend and his wife’s log home they were building on some land in Northeast Missouri. They were having a house warming and Fourth of July party. They were going to have a huge barbeque with all their neighbors and some friends followed by a giant fireworks display. I began my day to leave for the party by going to work. I had a very strenuous day without any breaks. When I got home, a friend shows up and we have a couple of drinks. I pack my car and said goodbye to my friend. I made a drink for the road and headed out. I do not remember a thing after that. I came to in a hospital. The nurse said I was in an accident and I was hurt very bad. She said I had been in a car accident and that I had a head on collision with another vehicle. She explained that I was in a coma for fifteen days. That I had a broken pelvis, hip, ribs, knee cap and collapsed lung. When the doctor came by to see me, he informed me I had some brain damage and that I would probably not walk again. My brother was there and explained to me what the police had told him. He said that I had crossed the centerline of the highway and hit a car head on. The other car had a mother with her four young children. Thank God they were not seriously injured and did not require a hospital stay. Once the hospital lowered my condition to stable, the Missouri Highway Patrol came and took me to jail. I was charged with five counts of second-degree assault and one count of possession of a firearm while intoxicated. All of these charges are felonies. I was tried, convicted, and was sentenced to twelve years in prison. I served four months in a prison treatment facility and I was released on parole with five years probation. I lost my job. I lost my life’s savings. I lost my car. I am crippled and cannot work. What drinking and driving has cost me is being paid with every step I take and the thought of what I could have done to that family.