As Covid rages violently through Goa, taking a toll of our near and dear ones, I opted to divert our attention from this horrific scenario, which has justifiably angered, distressed and depressed us, to another scourge which has also brought and continues to inflict immense pain and suffering to many of our families. However, unlike the present situation, where many of us feel awfully helpless because of the risks involved in getting ourselves infected, there is much that we individually and collectively can do in reducing the real mental and physical torture which many of our people in Goa undergo due to alcoholism, which has unfortunately gripped them
Alcoholism is a worldwide problem which cannot be wished away altogether but can be handled in a way, which can reduce its pernicious effects on our society.
At the very outset, let me pay a tribute to an organization, which has been doing commendable and outstanding work in the service of alcoholics, in an herculean and sustained effort in bringing them out of alcoholism and helping them to lead a new life.: The ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, often known as A.A. What is even more praiseworthy is that the organization consists of people, who themselves came out of alcoholism and share publicly and without any qualms, their bitter experiences with alcoholism, how they became slaves to alcohol and how their spouses and children suffered due to their erratic behavior.
I myself had the privilege of hearing a number of reformed alcohol addicts, who in Churches and other platforms gave witness to their own lives, what they went through during their dark days and what made them give up drinking. In one such instance, a gentleman narrated that he was forced, one day, to reach his young daughter to school, which he would never do because of his drunkenness. When he dropped the girl, her class mates asked her who the man was, as they had never seen him with her and he was a known drunkard in the locality. Highly embarrassed, the poor girl retorted that he was their servant, who had to drop her in the absence of the mother who would regularly do it. The father overheard the daughter’s remark and questioned her, on her return from school. The girl confessed to the father what she had said and the embarrassment she felt because he was often seen lying drunk on the road or in the drains and many of the girls had been witness to it. The father emotionally testified that he gave up drinking that day after he realized to what shame he had put the family that his own daughter had to disown him.
There are numerous such examples that reformed addicts testify as circumstances which led them to give up alcohol.
A.A. identifies itself as “a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism. The only requirement for membership is to desire to stop drinking” A.A. is solely concerned with the personal recovery and continued sobriety of individual alcoholics who turn to it for help. Due to the very nature of the organization where many join, but also many leave,, unable to cope without a drink, A.A. has not been able to assess the exact numbers of its members, though it is estimated that over 3 million are part of this movement, with thousands of groups meeting regularly in their respective localities.
Alcoholism has unfortunately been a stigma to many families, and a torture to many others. Several families in Goa have suffered physically and financially due to alcoholism mostly of the father, but also sometimes of the mother or any other member. There is a small village not too far from Margao, which has lost many young men to alcoholism, leaving young widows to fend for themselves and their small children.
Whether we acknowledge it or not, alcoholism has played havoc in Goa and has been responsible for ruining many families and even breaking marriages. Wives and children are generally the ones who suffer the most at the hands of alcoholic husbands and fathers. Many of those who have taken to the bottle are endowed with such varied talents and qualities of mind and heart that they could have been great assets to our society. Often we observe how differently they behave when they are sober. Some do give up alcohol for good, but unfortunately not before they had fatally damaged their organs.
We can never perhaps thank A.A. enough for its yeoman service and immense contribution to Goan society in helping countless individuals to give up drinking, thus restoring their health and sanity in their families. A.A.’s active involvement and continued and dedicated pursuit in ensuring that their members do not revert to their old habits, are indeed commendable.
We, as individuals, NGOs, members of various religious or social associations, need to strongly support and propagate the aims and objectives of A.A., which is mainly to bring to it those who have taken to alcohol and now desire to stop drinking. No one should feel ashamed of having fallen victim to this illness. On the contrary, it is praiseworthy that one wants to give it up. The least we can do is to recommend to A.A. our relatives, friends and acquaintances, who may be willing to stop drinking. A.A. will take care of the rest. However, a concerted and relentless effort on our part will be needed in this direction. It will be a great service to our people. Can we do it for our families and for our society, so that we can at least minimize the agony many of our own are going through due to this dreaded illness?
(The author is a retired banker)
