Alcoholism's Antidote: Self-Discovery. Insights from an Alcohol Survivor Twenty-Four Years (Thirty-Three now) Free!

Note: This material is appropriate for an Oregon Du Drops’ Blog because if I hadn’t stop drinking there never would have been any Oregon Du Drops.

FOREWORD

YOU CAN ONLY QUIT FOR YOURSELF

I’ve written this book, not to convince you to stop drinking, but to help you succeed once you’ve made the decision to do so. You already understand that alcohol is getting in your way, or you wouldn’t be looking for tools to help you quit. You already know what a negative impact drinking has had on your health and your life in general, or you wouldn’t be so troubled about your future. You already know that if you don’t quit abusing your body with alcohol you may not even have any future to worry about.

If you haven’t reached such a level of concern yet, and are just flirting with the idea of quitting––for example, because someone is giving you grief about how your alcohol consumption is affecting your behavior and their tolerance of it––don’t waste your time with this book. Save your money too––for your next inevitable drink. As a matter of fact, please accept my apology if this material was given to you by some well intentioned “interventionist” who believes you have a drinking problem. Let’s face it, you won’t successfully stop poisoning your liver, kidneys, blood and brain because of someone else’s fears or desires.

If you are going to escape from alcohol’s grip, at some point you’ll make the decision to quit for yourself, and say, “No more for me. The cost is too great. I’ve had enough! I don’t even want it anymore.” It is then that you will overcome your physical addiction to alcohol with your indomitable will.

Once you have recognized that it is time to free yourself from alcohol’s unintended side effects and fatal consequences, once you have decided that you must act, this guide can help you with your next uncertain steps out of alcohol’s labyrinth.

The basic purpose of this book is to help you overcome your suislide toward disintegration by accompanying you through the initial rough and uncertain days that will follow the actual implementation of your decision to quit. This book’s higher purpose is to help you discover why you took up the bottle in the first place, so that the issues you have been suppressing can be addressed. Finally, this little book’s highest purpose is to help you find out more of who you actually are, so you can discover for yourself what your highest purpose is.

As you read through the text, familiarizing yourself with the ideas in it, don’t worry about following all of the instructions the first time through. You can do that the second and subsequent times you work your way through the material.

The honesty required to answer the questions, fill in the lists and keep a penetrating journal, may require privacy for your comfort. Protect yours. You will be coming in contact with some of your tenderest parts, and to be honest with yourself, you have to be able to explore courageously, and make notes, and question those notes, without being concerned that someone else might judge you or them. Therefore, it is quite alright to keep your innermost secrets hidden from everyone but yourself. Of course, if you feel it would help, it is fine to share them freely with someone you trust.

If you find the prospect of surviving alcohol dependency worth the effort of getting to know more of who you really are, prepare, literally, for the ride of your life. Hang on and stick with it, and this inner work will help you create a foundation upon which to build your sober future. Your success will secure rewards for you far beyond your initial objective.

May you take from these ideas what works for you and leave alcohol behind.

Watch for the Introduction of Alcoholism’s Antidote: Self-Discovery, “So You Know I Know” next Friday October 1st, 2021.