Conclusion of AlchohoLism's Antidote: Self-Discovery, Insights from an Alcohol Survivor, 24 Years Free!
Today I am happy to share the conclusion of my book, Alcoholism’s Antidote: Self-Discovery, Insights from an Alcohol Survivor, 24 Years Free!, it includes the Afterword, In Closing, and the Appendix, Evolution to Sobriety. For this presentation it seems appropriate to me to reverse their order from the book and present the Appendix first. I hope you find both segments helpful.
EVOLUTION TO SOBRIETY
Desire to Be Free Stirs
It may be the result of physical consequences––accidents, DUI conviction(s), separation(s), divorce(s), illness(es)––or the psychological and emotional strain mounting to unbearable degrees, but at some point the voice of self-preservation is raised within the drinker who is going to free their body and mind from their addiction.
What everyone who cares about the drinker has been telling her, or him, for a long time has finally dawned on her, almost as if she had come upon it independently: drinking has taken over her life. The self-preservation energy of the individual is awakened by the alarm of this recognition.
Psychological Struggle Ensues
The self-preservation energy of the drinker seeks out allies within his own psychological community of sub-personalities––other parts of himself that have been starved of attention and seek to thrive.
Energies that want to quit and those fighting to maintain the status quo, or even drink more, begin a titanic struggle to gain dominance within the individual. Many who get caught by alcohol don’t make it past this point and their desire to be free, along with the actualization of so many of their other possibilities, is never realized.
When a large enough number of an individual’s sub-personalities join forces for the common good, the common weal, they become the common will which can overwhelm, and eventually heal, the “problem drinker” energy.
Physical Struggle Ensues
Once the parts of someone’s psychological make-up that wish to be free get the upper hand, a second raging battle begins within the physical body. A person will undergo the symptoms of withdrawal proportional to the amount they drank each day,
Withdrawal symptoms last longer the longer one has been drinking too. Once detoxification has been achieved, healing the body can take years.
Rebirth
The length of time for the establishment of physical health and the establishment of psychological and emotional health varies from individual to individual. Recovery and health are wholly dependent on diet, lifestyle and, most importantly, self-awareness.
Self-Discovery
A sobriety candidate needs to soberly ask him- or herself:
Was I drinking to guarantee I wouldn’t find love, success, or happiness?
What keeps me feeling unworthy of such things?
Was I drinking to verify someone else’s opinion of me?
Who am I really?
What do I want to do that I haven’t allowed myself to do?
What energies inside of me would appreciate their chance at expressing themselves?
What would I do if I could do anything within the realms of possibilities?
What if I stretched it a little beyond what others think is possible?
Beyond Sobriety
Having discovered and proven his, or her, power within––by remaining sober––the individual uses this positive energy to brighten the world around them. The alcohol-free seeker goes beyond seeking and discovers and pursues her contribution to the universe: a creative, constructive, productive, benevolent goal.
One reaching this plateau has released a lot of fear. He has overcome a living death. She has kicked the devil’s ass!
Here is the opportunity for courageous action in pursuit of the sober individual’s contribution to the universe. Now is the time that he, or she, can release what has held him, or her, back in the past-- just like letting go of the bottle--and freely pursue something his, or her heart truly desires, something that will naturally and spontaneously spread joy in the world!
IN CLOSING
When I say my prayers are with you, I mean it. Here they are again. I hope repeating them over and over, or your version of them!, will give you the strength I gained by doing so.
From Deep Down Inside of Me
Comes the Desire and Determination
Not to Drink Today.
…
God Is Within Me,
I Am Safe.
God Is Within Me,
I Am Strong.
…
I Open to All of the Positive Essence, Spirit and Energy,
That Has My Best Interest at Heart,
Lead Me This Day to Heaven’s Embrace
And Teach Me My Place in All.
…
FINALLY
I pray for your strength and perseverance
on the journey only you can take,
the pilgrimage of Self-discovery.
Peace be with you.
Thank you for reading this far.
FOR THOSE WANTING MORE
I’ve already told you that I didn’t publish my book here to sell more books, but to share this information and I meant that. However, for those who are looking to access Alcoholism’s Antidote, here are three ways:
THE WHOLE BOOK IS AVAILABLE FOR FREE, chapter by chapter, on the blog page at www.oregondudrops.com/blog. You also have the option of scrolling through my Facebook page posts https://www.facebook.com/jamesncat.dubois.5 for the chapter by chapter rendition. In either case, remember to start back on September 24th, 2021, the 33rd anniversary of my divorce from Ethyl Alcohol.
If you would like a physical copy of this book, it can be obtained by sending a check for $15.00 (that includes the shipping and handling charges) to James Stephen Du Bois, PO Box 936, Rockaway Beach, Oregon 97136. You can call 503-355-2541 with a credit card number as well, and we’ll ship a copy out to you.
If you would like to download a five dollar, or less, electronic version of Alcoholism’s Antidote: Self-Discovery, Insights from an Alcohol Survivor, 24 Years Free!, go to https://books.apple.com/.../alcoholisms.../id566326822 for one of the many places it can be found on line. The above cited site has a review.
THAT'S ALL FOR THIS POST, FOLKS