The Big Three

The alcoholic’s trifecta is upon us. Actually, Thanksgiving has passed and if you didn’t make a fool of yourself you have two more chances, Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Denial is not a river in Egypt. Merriam/Webster Dictionary defines denial as – “refusal to admit the truth or reality of something”.

Truth is alcoholic’s don’t need a holiday to celebrate. Their drinking is already a daily habit. That habit may have begun in high school or earlier as a way of belonging. Alcoholism is a progressive disease. As one speaker said at  a recent substance abuse meeting “I was sober for five years and for some reason decided to get a half pint one night. The next day it was a full pint and the third day it was Billerica Correctional after I bagged my sixth DUI”. Another guy was told by his wife to attend those meetings. When he came home she asked how the meeting went. Great, he said. When do you go to your next one she asked. Oh you just have to go to one he said.

Truth is if you get lost in the forest after walking two hundred miles, you have to walk two hundred miles to get out. Maybe the gift of desperation will help you to stop the insanity you are currently feeling or a moment of clarity. When you’re hiding your drinking in the basement or garage you just may have a problem. Substance abuse meetings are not for those that need them but rather for those that want them.

Wishing everyone a happy and sober holiday, it may save your life or someone else’s

A few helpful resources