…if I didn’t at least touch upon the subject of Christmas and how I deal with what could be a precipitous time for a recovering addict.
The short answer is that I treat it as I do any other day of the week to the best of my ability. This is by no means easy for some, when celebrations are in full swing all around you, and especially in the early days.
The bottom line is that it all depends how much you want sobriety. If you are at the stage when your sole object in life is achieving sobriety and the lifestyle that comes with it, then you will sail through the day, and the next day, and many more after that. If , however, you have allowed yourself to become carried away by the hype of the run up to Christmas and you feel you are missing out on something and are telling yourself “Its not fair”, then your defences have been smashed and a drink or several are imminent.
I’ll be the first to admit that its not an ideal situation to be in, when everyone around you is drinking alcohol. Its so easy to forget about what happens when we drink. Its human nature for most people to want to fit in with the crowd. In this particular instance, this means taking alcohol. The mental arguments begin and a battle with logic and common sense :
” Maybe it will be different this time “, I would say to myself. “Maybe I can just have a couple and tomorrow I’ll climb back on the wagon. After all , if these people can do it then so can I. I’m just the same as them at the end of the day.”
On sober reflection, I can ask myself ” Why should it have been different this time ?” This theory had been tried and tested and turned upside down and inside out over the years and the result had always been the same. This thinking was potentially the precursor to many months of misery ahead. Yet, I clung with hope to the one millionth of a percent chance that things would be different this time. In short , I wanted to drink, and if I’m honest, I wanted to drink long before this opportunity presented itself and gave me the excuse which I felt was necessary justification for what came next.
Over the years it has become easier with my ” just another day ” approach and we enjoy a special day together with gifts and special food and a nod in the general direction of Christmas. Alcohol just doesn’t come into my equation any more , although it is present in some form or other.
The difference is that its not ” my ” alcohol. I didn’t buy it for my or anyone else’s consumption. Its part of someone else’s plan for Christmas day but has no place in mine.
Lastly…
I might be stating the bleeding obvious , but drinking and driving don’t go together. Please leave the car at home if you are going out. After a couple of drinks we are mentally and physically impaired ( yes, we are ) and unfit to be operating a lawn mower, never mind a speeding projectile like a car. One moment of forethought can spare a lifetime of misery and regret.
Here endeth today’s lecture.
more to come…
An Ex Drunk's View From The Driving Seat 