To answer this question, I think we must first try to answer the question, what is an alcoholic? Thats is a tough one. I think for every admitted alcoholic you would get a different answer. It was told to me years ago that an alcoholic was a person who couldn’t stop after the first drink. Sounded simple enough, but try to get a weekend drinker to admit he could not stop after the first drink.
Today I choose this definition. The first step in the A.A. program. “We admitted we were powerless over alcohol-that our lives had become unmanageable”.
My story is this. When I was in my late teens and twenties I was what we call a weekend drinker. It wasn’t a problem (I thought then). I would go out with the boys on Friday and Saturday, tip a few, hang out at the bars until closing time then I would then follow that up with a few on Sunday just to get rid of the shakes. This is where powerless came in.
Monday morning rolls around and I’m feeling pretty good, a couple cups of coffee and out the door to work. What I did not realize at the time is that I was still pretty much under the influence. It takes about 3 to 5 days for your body to detox from alcohol. So, how productive was I? Not to I have to admit. The first three days of the week I was detoxing and the second 2 (Thurs. and Fri.) I was more focused on where I was going to go to drink this next weekend. God forbid if I were asked to work overtime or work on a Saturday, no-way! This would be where my life was becoming “unmanageable”. The evenings were the only quality time I spent with my family. If I dare to call what I was Quality. Needless to say as the years when by it just got worse. As it seems to in so many weekend drinkers.
This is the short version, I hope, I have shared some understanding with you all.
It is my firm belief that if you want something bad enough, you can get it. When I quit drinking it became the most important thing in my life. I just knew that if I didn’t I was going to suffer a long and hopeless life. Or just die. That might not have such a bad thing the way I was carrying on.
