The question of alcohol keeps coming back to my mind. Alcohol for me is questionable because I have come to recognize it as a toxin. A toxin in general terms is a substance that poisons the body. Deadly poisons intoxicate and kill the body at varying speeds. To illustrate, Cyanide kills very quickly. With in a few minutes of ingestion. Alcohol poisons much slower but persistently. Possibly over many years. It holds you in a grasp of tolerance buildup and unnoticeable subtle changes.
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The scientific research around alcohol has revealed over time the perils of this toxic substance. The facts cannot be denied that it is a toxic substance and the abuse of which diminishes health. I think that many of us at some point question the level of alcohol intake or if we should drink at all. That is a very personal choice. My goal with this writing series is to share with you some the INSIGHTS that I have had when reevaluating my choices in alcohol. These thoughts come from the mind of someone who has wrestled with the idea of not consuming alcohol indefinitely.
Insight #1:
I have a problem if I cannot stop drinking after 2 drinks.
This thought came to my mind during a meal I had on a Monday afternoon. I had previously made a decision to not consume alcohol on that day. Consciously saying that I need to cut down on the consumption. Probably had too much the previous weekend. Yet, I still found myself at a pub that Monday afternoon. I ordered a chicken sandwich. I said to myself that a beer would go well with my food. It was only one 1 beer after all.
Three 3 hours later, I had easily and un-noticeably consumed 5 or more beers and scotch to “finish the night.” For my body and mind of the customary drinker I was at that time, It felt natural to have many drinks in one-sitting.
It was apparent to me in the days after that I have a drinking problem. If I could not have convinced myself to only have one. Then I could not stop after having 2 and more throughout the evening, then I had to admit that I have a problem. This was a clear sign of an addiction, and that became my glimpse into the fact that I needed to change this. This was my moment of acknowledgment.
Writing these insights became part of my process in reprogramming my mind to view alcohol for what it is. The have helped me to put into words the things my mind is telling about this specific subject. Again, my first insight was:
Insight 1
I have a problem if I cannot stop drinking after 2 drinks.
I will be sharing more of these insights in future posts. For now, the subject is alcohol. We all have to evaluate where we stand and some the beliefs we hold.
“Culture, is not your friend.”
-Terence McKenna
If you have considered alcohol to be a negative influence in your life, how did you come to that realization?
I would love to hear some your experiences.
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I dont consume alcohol anymore for different reasons tho.
I have never had a problem with alcohol, if I was out my friends and I drank a lot, but being out every 2 weeks or so and not touching alcohol elsewhere, I dont see it has a problem.
I later had a problem where I consumed 1 beer after my shift and only one, but doing that 3 times a week, made me think I had a problem, so I stopped doing that.
In the same period I kinda got tired of drinking, since that was all my friends and I was doing at that time, so I reduced the alcohol to a minimum and to only on speciel days.
But after the 31 of August 2019, I said fuck it. I will not have alcohol for an entire year and lets see what happens at 31 of August 2020.
I can understand this very well. Good luck with going sober a whole year.
I started writing these some time ago when I was drinking more heavily and decided to stop. I just thought I'd share and maybe it is useful to a random reader.
Thank you for stopping by and commenting.
Its fairly easy and fairly boring :p
I have been to bars with friends without drinking, like I was out today at a bar where my friend works, only cola for me, its not hard :D
I hope you continue aswell, it feels good :D
Hi @deepwater, it takes a lot of self-reflection and courage to face whether one has an alcohol problem. I remember really enjoying a drink or two in my careless happy free young days. Being able to stop is the key. I look forward to your further posts.
Howdy sir deepwatersw! You are very well disciplined to recognize the potential problem of the alcohol and to take steps to remedy it. Reprogramming yourself is brilliant!
I have found the older i get the worse i suffer, its not something i need when i have other problems, my mind has to come first :)