November 23, 1978 Shelton Mason County Journal | ![]() |
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November 23, 1978 |
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oze isn't
PkTCH and Iris master's in education at
tnth be known, Bill Seattle University, and before
and Jackie Searigllt going conlpletely "dry and
ee0me alcoholisnl clean," as he puts it, spent a
because of any good ten years of his life
of "demon rum." enjoying tile world's decidedly
the two no more artificial stimulants.
!tOday than they did "I loved getting high," he
When they were admits today, some nine years
themselves, after he kicked his booze habit.
bad," insists "1 couldn't handle reality, so I
teamed with had to gloss it over. And for a
(Thurston and good ten years or so the pleasure
lolism Referral seemed to outweigh the pain.
Searight to staff "Then, when the pain
first full-fledged eventually began to outweigh the
in Shelton's pleasure, I couldn't get out."
To the likes of Searight and
continues,"to Carrigan, of course, such
it's a fine social consequenes are known to be
a relaxant. And,
it's mostly "'Alcoholism is a pro-
it is a rich and
f energy, gressive Illness. It's like
can any thing pregnancy; it will hap.
be bad?" he pen..."
itself doesn't
The allergy to
inevitable. It's the nature of the
long before an
a drink." disease.
come out "Alcoholism is not the
merely to alcoholic's fault," says Carrigan.
Points with the "It's an illness, and there should
and spirited be no shame or blame in an
many and illness."
seem to A common misconception,
says Carrigan, is that most
are that Mason alcoholics take to the bottle
has a very high primarily because they can't
higher than handle life's myriad frustrations.
of one in "But problems don't cause
"But we don't alcoholism," he insists. "Oh,
across like this is they might have perpetuated the
af Witch hunt. drinking at the start, but the
not bad." alcoholic is drinking now because
social drinking he's addicted to alcohol."
Seafight. "And l In probably 85 percent of all
People who go cases of alcoholism, says
Carrigan, the drinker actually has
want this
as some
hunt "
..e
every
and never
got to know
line."
has not been
experience
much to
and Carrigan's
the importance
personally.
married mother
of numerous
Irug programs at
of Utah and
as enjoyed 14
- but only
habit got
her.
solution quite
of some sort of
a physical predisposition to the
problem. In ,other words, he was
born with an inclination toward
alcohol addiction.
"Of course, that's not to say
that a person who does not have
a predisposition to alcoholism
can't become an alcoholic,"
cautions Carrigan. "Irresponsible
drinking over a period of time
can make anyone an alcoholic, if
he tries hard enough."
Then, too, there is the
problem drinker whose
dependence actually is more
psychological than physical, at
least at its inception.
"Alcohol becomes his 'bottle
of courage,'" says Carrigan. "It
seems to take him out of the
'crappy world' he lives in. To
that individual, alcoholism is
primarily the result of an
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Bowling News
something
PUsh her family IllIIIIiIIIiIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIllIIIIIIIIIIllIIIllIIiIIIIIII
her," observes MEN'S CITY 11/20178
simply Men's Hi Game: George
McAulay, 213.
cracks.' We Men's Hi Series: Scott
all. And very Robertson, 557.
members Standings: DQ 29-15, Elks
29-15, Bob's 28-16, Garbage
to the 27-17, Miller 26½-17½, Burnett
alcoholic that 22-22. Parts 14½.29½.
realize how DQ 2, Bob Monger 521; Elks
2, Jeff Thompson 507; Garbage
3, Ken O'Dell 551; Miller 1,
arrigan, before Scott Robertson 557; Burnett 3,
Dick Bolm 484; Parts 1, Steve
work at Howland 469; Bob's 4, Dave
of West Florida McGee 483.
,r to visit Assembly
nissionary to The Guges have served one
will be missionary term and will be
the Shelton relating experiences they have
od Church, had.
By Realtor REID MITCHELL
MASON COUNTY REALTY
,LSE ECONOMIES
Y ways to about precisely in this
you sell manner.
of these Select a REALTOR from
in the the start. Listen to his
I refer to recommendation for the best
services of selling price. He knows the
and bonded local market. Let him handle
bg. Thei r the whole transaction for you
knowledge -- from advertising, showing,
e the best financial arrangements down
nee you can to the final closing. Anything
less could be very false
or bonded economy. Selling a home is
can be well serious financial business. It
he steers you should be handled just that
financial or way.
expert by If there is anything we can
s of do to help you in the field of
PUrchase and real estate please phone or
binders or drop in at MASON COUNTY
can easily REALTY, 724 Railroad
the biggest Avenue, Shelton, phone
have come 426-4486. We're here to help.
the problem alcoholism is/'
overwhelming urge to repeat the
experience of getting high."
Some people, regardless of
incentive, seem to become
alcoholics much easier than
others. A case in point is the
Anlerican Indian.
"Oh, yes, members of many
Indian tribes very definitely
become alcoholics easier,"
confirms Seafight. "Certainly
their problems with self-concept
may have something to do with
it, but body chemistry clearly is
an important factor as well."
"Studies of Indian villages in
Alaska have shown alcoholism
rates as high as seven in ten
individuals," adds Carrigan. "In
some cases entire villages are
involved."
Although they recognize the
possible significance of the fact
that Mason County encompasses
some sizable Native American
communities, with the Squaxin
Islanders to the south and the
Skokomish Indians to the north,
counselors Carrigan and Searight
admit their primary target area is
not so much ethnically as
situationally defined.
"Over half of our school
children with significant
"'1 loved getting high.
I couldn't handle real-
ity, so I had to gloss
it over..."
problems are having those
problems as a direct consequence
of the fact that one or both of
their parents are alcoholics,"
states Carrigan. "These are the
ones we'd really like to reach."
These kids, by the way, are
hardly an isolated few. A
conservative guess, says Carrigan,
places the national figure at
somewhere around 15 million
alcoholism-impacted kids.
"And their parents blame
them and they blame
themselves," he says. "These kids
often don't know whether
they're coming or going."
What's more, says the
counselor, more often than not
it's these very same €ldren who
grow up to become tomorrow's
alcoholics - primarily because
the physical predisposition
they've inherited from their
parents has been provided
psychologically fertile
surroundings in which to grow.
There is hope, though.
Experience has proved it.
"Kids can change their
attitudes and learn to stop
blaming themselves," testifies
Searight. "Groups are especially
good. Peer pressure helps them
accept a lot of things about their
parents."
L
Acceptance isn't the only
resource, though, and often it
isn't even the best when it comes
to actually helping the alcoholic
himself. In short, somebody has
got to be willing to •risk
confrontation.
"That's what we're here for
too," says Searight, "-to
counsel family members, to help
them 'ann up' to confront the
alcoholic in an unemotional
way."
"Arm up"? Indeed, though
the expression may sound a bit
ominous, Carrigan assures that
the would-be confronter
unquestionably needs all the
ammunition he can get,
considering the nature of his
"quarry."
"The alcoholic, because of
the stigma involved with his
illness," says Carrigan, "often
develops a highly refined denial
system, and he can be an
extremely successful
manipulator. What's more, he
may be quite intimidating,
exhibiting very grandiose verbal
and physical aggression."
Perhaps worst of all, adds
Carrigan, the alcoholic finds
himself compromising himself
and his integrity more and more,
until eventually he gets to the
point where he has to reject
reality altogether.
"The first thing he has to
come to terms with is that
alcoholism is a progressive
illness," he concludes. "It's like
pregnancy; it will happen. And
when it does, unless you abort,
the end result will be the same:
death or insanity ...
" - or abstinence."
Quitting, of course, has got
to be voluntary. Neither Carrigan
"BOOZE... is the ONLY answer!" reads the poster
overhead -- but alcoholism counselors Jackie Searight and
Bill Carrigan, recovered alcoholics both, aren't about to kid
such strongarm methods don't
work.
"You tell me I can't do
something and i tend to say, TII
show you!' " says Searight.
"Perhaps we wouM be a lot
better off without alcohol, but
there may come a day when 1'11
want it nonetheless."
TAMARC's new Shelton
"satellite" service is available
Mondays, Wednesdays and
Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Seafight is here Mondays and
Thursdays and Carrigan
Wednesdays, while volunteer
receptionist Ann Chapman will
Phone here is 426-9550. In
Olympia, call 943-8510.
Eventually Program
Coordinator Carrigan hopes to
expand his Mason County service
to include youth group
counseling, teacher and school
counselor training and alcohol
and drug education programs in
the schools.
In any event, he urges all
alcoholics or alcohol-impacted
persons here to throw off their
pride and/or fear and give
TAMARC a try.
"After all," he reminds,
"alcoholics may not always be
responsible for being alcoholics,
but they are responsible for
doing something about it."
nor Searight supports concepts man the desk for referral and
the likes of prohibition - appointment purposes every
primarily because they know Friday from I0 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The six-month average treasury
bill rate changes each Thursday
percent
Current Rate
,180-day certificate
Minimum deposit, $10,000
Substantial interest penalty
for early withdrawal
HOURS: M-rh 9 30-530 WE DELIVER
Fr 9 30-8. Sat 10-4
TERMS -- LAYAWAYS - 90 DAY PLANS
STATE & ADAMS PHONE 352-9161
Harry C. James
Vice-President ,- Manager
5th and Franklin
426-8295
Shelton Branch 426-8295, Member FDIC, Deposits Insured to $40,000
around when it comes to their goal here in Mason County:
to help problem drinkers and their dependents get the
monkey off their backs.
RECLINERS
Mfg. list
$ i 49.95
.0w'88
,rom$ 12 es
25%"
high
Reg, $29.99
NOW
s1600
HOKY
FLOOR SWEEPERS
"'° *19""
$23.95 Now
RACK
Reg. $26.9S
.0.*1
EAN BAGSI
MEo $12"
Thursday, November 23, 1978 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Page 11