You May Be The Last To Know

From an article by Stephanie Woerle for The Daily Press;

Do You Have A Drinking Problem?

“There is a common saying among recovering alcoholics that the alcoholic is the last person to know he or she has a problem with drinking. Spouses, family members, employers, friends, and sometimes law enforcement may know there’s a problem before the alcoholic will admit that drinking is causing a problem in their life.”

Hmmm – Just my personal belief today, but I knew it long before I was ready to admit it. I came very close to drowning in that river of denial.

“Alcohol is a problem for you if it causes problems in any part of your life. Many people think of a “skid-row bum” when they think of someone with a drinking problem. This is the end stage of alcoholism and you do not reach this stage overnight. The misconceptions about the nature of alcoholism keeps people from admitting there is a problem.”

I was (and am still to an extent), just like many of my brothers and sisters both in and out of the “rooms,” a master of self-delusion. Any problem in my life went away when I was able to consume enough alcohol. Temporary fix to a permanent problem. Today, the Steps, my AA friends and God are the answers to life’s challenges.

“Many people find it hard to admit when alcohol is a problem. You need to ask yourself these important questions: What is drinking doing to my life, my relationships, my work, my sense of responsibility, my value system and my peace of mind? What kinds of problems are consistently related to my drinking? Would my family be happier if I were to quit drinking entirely?”

But that would require getting honest with myself and then I might have to go to work to change me! Oh no – no way. Work! Nope. I’ll die first. (And so many do).

“Alcoholism treatment is effective in many cases, and coupled with weekly AA meeting attendance, gives the recovering alcoholic a better chance of long-term sobriety.”

Substitute “drug addiction, over-eating, whatever” for alcoholism. Substitute NA, OA, EA, RA, whatever, for AA. Call sobriety recovery if it works for you. Bottom line is “Rarely have we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our path.”

Keep Trudgin’,

Mark