A Mental Health Perspective on Alcoholism
As a former Mental Health Professional that proudly served the field of the Social Sciences for over 15 years I am appalled at the apparent disregard for the saftey of our children in Indiana. Not only is the safety of the children at risk but every citizen of our great state. Why am I apppalled? Why do I believe that the general population is at risk? Easy, the possible passage of Sunday sales of alcohol!
As I stated above; working in the mental health field for 15 years gave me a foundation of beliefs and beyond those beliefs came experience. I have experienced the pain of alcoholism from the parent to the spouse to the children and all involved in the alcoholics’ life. The latest statistics show that an alcoholic’s behavior affects not only himself but also seven people close to him. Insisting that Indiana needs Sunday sales will only promote the alcoholic to consume more and put more at risk. Many times in my career I saw Sunday as the only dry days that my clientale would not consume alcohol since it was not available. Most alcoholics do not plan (can not plan) on reserving a few drinks for Sundays while on a Saturday night binge. This is a disease that affects all judgement and rules out common sense. I, as the Supervisor of an adult group home, looked forward to Sundays because most times it was when the best treatment happened because I had a sober audience.
I have seen the devastation of alcoholism through drunk driving deaths to cirrhosis of the liver to suicides. Opening Sundays for alcohol sales is opening the flood gates for more and more tragic losses of human life, both unintentional and intentional.
For the record, I am not a Bible “thumper” or preacher. I do not protest the sale or consumption of alcohol, nor do I believe that alcohol is an evil. Personally, I consume beer nightly, but in my own home and for the most part in moderation. What I do protest is Corporate America (boxstores, etc.) telling me that our lives will NOT be harmed by Sunday Sales. Give me a break!! That’s like having a doctor today endorsing cigarettes as a safe and harmeless product.
I beg of you to do more research on the impact of Sunday Sales; not just for the local liqour stores but for all mankind. I know that this is a mistake that would impact the lives of many citizens in Indiana. To assist you in your research efforts consult your local NAMI organization or nationally at www.nami.org or visit www.samsa.org for more information or please feel free to contact me directly.
Blake Montgomery
Mental Health Professional, QMHP
savemysunday
Veteran Firefighter Eric Wilson
Catholic Priest Michael Heintz
Package Store Owner Myron Glover
QMHP Blake Montgomery
Mental Health CEO Steve McCaffrey
Pamela Erickson, Public Action Management CEO
Dick Robertson, Lebanon City Councilman
Mike Karickhoff, Kokomo City Councilman
Package Store Owner Randy Zion
Overeaters, through obesity, are unhealthy and cost us loads of money in health care and lost productivity… should we BAN FOOD ON SUNDAYS?
Greetings. Well, I’m going to dissent on several issues. First, I prefer to have a beer or two on the weekend, when I’m not working an when I am doing yard work, cleaning the house, having dinner with family or just relaxing before another week.
I’d also like to point out some problems with your blog’s mission statement…
“Save My Sunday is a blog devoted to the joys of reserving one day a week for rest, rejuvenation and family. (A BEER, EVEN WITH FAMILY, IS REJUVENATING TO ME.) We decided to start it when we heard about a push in Indiana to legalize the sale of alcohol on Sundays. Convenience is great in the 24-7 world we live in (I OFTEN DO MY GROCERY SHOPPING ON SUNDAY AND CAN’T GET BEER), but we believe (WHY IMPOSE YOUR BELIEF ON ME?) Sunday is the one day we should spend quality time with family (THAT PRESUMES EVERYONE HAS FAMILY OR THAT SAID FAMILY LIVES CLOSE OR THAT HAVING A BEER WHILE WITH THEM IS BAD) and friends (EAT, DRINK AND BE MERRY!), worship (ASSUMES ALL HOOSIERS ARE CHRISTIAN OR OTHER RELIGION) when and where we can (NOT ABOUT TO WASTE MY TIME, REGARDLESS), and generally focus on what is good and healthy (BEER AND WINE ARE HEALTHY WHEN CONSUMED IN SMALL QUANTITIES, EVERY SINGLE DAY). In this fast-paced world, our lives are complicated enough (LET’S SLOW DOWN ON SUNDAY AND SHARE A BEER). Let’s leave Sunday alone (PLEASE GET YOUR DOGMA OUT OF MY LIFE).”
Thanks for your time and I’m happy to hear any responses. I may have a six pack in the fridge for three weeks, but Sunday is the most convenient day for me to have a beer.
Please, ‘Save Your Sunday’ and free mine to let me make my own choices and be responsible those choices.
The posts here seem to talk at length about ‘Alcoholism’ and ‘Religion’. I’m not burdened with either ‘Alcoholism’ or ‘Religion’. Don’t pass laws to protect idiots from themselves, let those of us who are responsible keep and add to our rights and liberty even in the face of those who make bad choices.
Anthony Piatt
I appreciate Anthony Piatt’s sentiments and agree with a lot of them. I don’t like it when anyone tells me how to live my life. But this is one of those issues that has me conflicted because I do care about my community.
I can see how one more day a week of alcohol sales would do actual harm. And I don’t want local people to lose their jobs. If any old gas station can start selling on Sundays, I hope they all so some under the same set of rules. That’s only fair.
Second—there will be consequences if there are sales on Sundays. There just will be. That’s one more day of access for kids and people who don’t need to be drinking.
My neighbor is a policeman and he tells me that that alcohol in the mix, especially domestic violence, does do harm.
And I bet people who buy cold beer and get into a car (or truck here in Indiana) won’t wait to get where they’re going before they start drinking. There could be more accidents and more public nuisances, period.
Like Anthony, I don’t mind a good beer on Sunday watching football with my family. And I don’t want to tell other people what to do. But sometimes you have to think about more than yourself and your family and your neighborhood. As a Christian, I’m OK with one day without if that makes where I live a better place.