When Drinking Alcohol Is No Longer a Choice: Understanding the Grip of Addiction

By Foday Felix Sesay | Edited for Lion Hills Wellness Center

At Lion Hills Wellness Center, we are committed to transforming lives by addressing the root causes of substance use disorders—offering treatment and hope. Alcoholism, often misunderstood and underestimated, is one such disorder that devastates individuals, families, and communities across Sierra Leone and beyond.

Reflecting on his early years at the Government Secondary School for Boys in Magburaka, author Foday Felix Sesay recalls a lesson from Economics that left a lasting impression: money gives us the freedom of choice. The autonomy to decide how, when, and whether to spend it speaks to the dignity of self-control. But for those suffering from alcohol use disorder, that freedom disappears.

When Autonomy Turns to Dependency

Alcoholism is not a moral failing or a lack of willpower. It is a chronic disease—one where the person loses the ability to choose. The alcoholic no longer drinks for pleasure or social connection. Instead, they drink because they must. Their body, now physically dependent on alcohol, demands it to avoid painful withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety, tremors, insomnia, nausea, and even seizures.

As Public Health graduate and Lion Hills Wellness Center founding member Amara Nabay aptly states, "An alcohol use disorder individual no longer consumes alcohol for enjoyment and often drinks in isolation. Their daily thoughts are dominated by the need to obtain alcohol." This cycle of craving and withdrawal traps individuals in a downward spiral, often isolating them from family, work, and community.

A Call for Compassion and Treatment

Recognizing alcoholism as a disease means changing how we respond to it. It requires us to replace judgment with compassion and punishment with care. At Lion Hills Wellness Center, we are working to build a comprehensive inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation program tailored to the unique needs of Sierra Leoneans suffering from substance use disorders like alcoholism.

Our vision is to provide medical detoxification, therapeutic counseling, peer support, and holistic healing to help individuals reclaim their autonomy and rebuild their lives. We believe that recovery is possible—but it begins with awareness, access, and action.

How You Can Help

The journey to recovery is long, and we cannot do it alone. We invite you to support Lion Hills Wellness Center as we fight against addiction and work to provide hope for our communities. If you’re inspired by our mission, click the "Donate" button on our website. Your contribution could change a life.

Together, let’s restore the power of choice to those who have lost it—and help them rediscover a life free from the grip of alcohol.