Surviving Alcoholism: Who Pays the Price For Alcohol Addiction?

People who have been impacted by alcoholism speak to The Quint in this heart-wrenching story of addiction.

In this episode of Unmute, we talk to people living and dealing with alcoholism, and find out what it’s like to overcome or lose your life to alcohol addiction.

(Illustration: Shruti Mathur/The Quint)

How does alcohol addiction impact people and their loved ones?

“My mother was hospitalised. I was supposed to stay in the hospital and look after her. But the moment I found time, I went to the wine shop and got myself a bottle. Then I’d come back, inebriated, and sleep in a blackout.”

Pulin, 53

In this episode of Unmute, we talk to people living and dealing with alcoholism, and find out what it’s like to overcome or lose your life to alcoholism.

“I used to wake up and drink a quarter. Then I’d sleep again and wait for my mother to wake me up for dinner. I’d drink another quarter with dinner. This was if I stayed at home. If I went out, I’d easily drink four quarters a day.”

Sanjana*, 22

Alcohol is responsible for killing over 2.5 lakh Indians every year, as per a 2018 report by the WHO.

In this podcast, we spoke to a 53-year-old former alcoholic who has been sober for over six years now, a 22-year-old woman who was hospitalised because of alcohol-related health complications, a man who lost his uncle to alcoholism, and another whose family was torn apart because of his father’s alcohol addiction.

And together, we try to answer the question: What does alcoholism take from people?