Surrender yourself to a higher power because you are helpless over alcohol is the advice proffered by A.A. and for a person ruled by their intellect like me, it is impossible to accept as my only avenue to escape slavery to a substance. On the other hand, it has worked for many thousands of people who have attained lasting sobriety in their lives.
I accept that no person is free and clear of the dangers of alcohol once they become addicted to that substance and come to be called an alcoholic. In becoming alcohol dependent they have changed parts of their brain to the extent that re-introducing alcohol to their system sets off a chain reaction or cycle of addiction. You can never get enough alcohol once you start drinking and an irresistible compulsion to continue drinking takes over your mind. If this sounds like science fiction to you, suspend your judgement for a moment because thousands of alcoholics can describe how this takes place in their lives. Overwhelming anecdotal evidence that was part of the A.A. philosophy all along, is that you are helpless over alcohol and that you can never take the first drink without terrible consequences.
Do not take the first drink because you will not stop at one or even many drinks. I see a change of attitude happen to people almost immediately and they begin rationalizing why they can and should drink more. Sadly, this cycle can be a very long one, some people saying that one drink after many years of sobriety put them back into the life of alcoholism for many years again.
Do not be deceived if things go well for awhile. While you may think that maybe you have been away from drink long enough for it to be safe to drink moderately again there is lots of evidence to the contrary provided by people who have tied it before you. You were an alcoholic once and as the saying goes, "once a pickle, always a pickle". You are like an athlete who has sustained a career ending injury. Find a new hobby.
You need to be vigilant concerning thoughts of drinking and squelch them immediately because it is your addiction talking. To even suggest taking a single drink again is disaster in waiting. Thinking about drinking, planning a safe time to drink and seeking opportunities where drinking is acceptable are all traps laid for the alcoholic by a powerful addictive response trying to be satisfied. This type of mental response is called a trigger to start your addiction again. Pleasure at your expense and your loved ones' expense because you will be right back into a round of suffering financially, morally and physically.
People often try drinking with the same results they always get which is immediate loss of control. It is hard to explain why they are so reluctant to allow experience to change their behavior and their choices around alcohol. The sooner you realize that alcohol is a powerful enemy that can only be beaten by abstinence, the sooner you can heal your body and mind. Giving yourself some time sober is very healing and many of the problems in your life that seems insurmountable will begin to melt away. Maybe that makes abstinence my Higher Power to an advocate of the A.A. methods for achieving lasting sobriety.
Christians are born again by accepting Jesus Christ as trheir Lord and Saviour and putting their trust in God. In the same way, the alcoholic who surrenders to his Higher Power overcomes his slavery to alcohol and the gloom to start lifting on his struggle.
“Be still and know that I am God!” is the first part of Psalm 46:10 Here, the word 'still' comes from a Hebrew word meaning to “let go” or “release.” The meaning would be best understood to say “cause yourself to become restrained and to let go.” In other words, we need to come to a place where we are willing to submit ourselves to God and acknowledging that He is in sovereign control.
When we realize that we are truly incapable of controlling life, we can surrender our will to God’s will. It may be a matter of finally saying we trust Him. This will open the door so that we may experience the fullness of all God wants and has for us. After all, He is our Creator and has a perfect plan for us when we let Him orchestrate it.
Not being a religious person myself and it was impossible for me to see A.A. as much more than another religious group caused me to look elsewhere for my salvation. Albert Ellis was a psychiatrist who appealed to me because he felt that we are capable of managing our thoughts and seeing where our own thoughts were getting us into trouble around things like anxiety or compulsive behaviors like over eating or substance abuse. The ideas of Ellis are described in a book called "When A. A. does not work for You" and it is also described in the Rational Recovery system of getting sober and staying sober. Anyone can quit drinking for a time but to live sober is the real challenge. The RR system is improved upon by others like Stanton Peale, who prescribe methods to become a productive member of your community to overcome the selfish behavior and addictive thinking of an alcoholic.
My feeling is that they are right. William Glasser, a psychiatrist, before them encouraged finding other outlets for your energy. He suggested acquiring positive addictions like exercise or a hobby to engage you and replace alcohol in your life.
Hope can set you down the road to sobriety and anyone who has gotten sober will tell you that your life will get better without alcohol. Take the first step of acknowledging your problem and then do something about it. There is great power in taking action to combat your disease. Whether through A.A. or some other group that appeals to you, take the first step to changing your situation by recognizing that you have a problem with alcohol. It is your responsibility because only you can get sober and no one can do it for you.
Temptation
Baffling, cunning and confusing addictive thinking ruins lives.
