The obsession to drink left me a while ago. But just because I no longer have the constant urge doesn’t mean I never have a fleeting thought about how nice it would be to have a cocktail or two to take the edge off.
This doesn’t mean that I can no longer trust God, nor does it mean that I’ve stopped working my recovery program. It is simply a temptation that every alcoholic – whether they’re active in their alcoholism or active in recovery – has on occasion.
We live in a drinking society today. Alcohol is accessible in every restaurant we go to, every sporting event we attend, and every other channel airs beer and liquor commercials on the television each evening. Parties and social gatherings – things that those early in sobriety would do well to avoid altogether – most always serve alcohol.
Just because I cannot drink like a normal person doesn’t mean others can’t, or shouldn’t for that matter. Just because Scott came home from rehab didn’t mean his favorite liquor store or neighborhood bar down the street closed for good. Although avoidance is very important early on (people, places, things/events) for someone new to sobriety, avoidance isn’t a practical long-term solution.
So… how does someone in recovery for alcoholism manage coexisting with a drinking society?
I find this question rather simple to answer.
- Attend recovery meetings.
- Know when your next recovery meeting is.
- Locate a home group.
- Get phone numbers of people in your home group who you can connect with.
- Get a sponsor.
- Get a Big Book.
- Start working the 12 Steps.
Every time I got in the ring with alcohol, I lost. So… I had to figure out how to avoid getting in the ring altogether.
I didn’t have to go forward in this journey of sobriety alone, and neither do you. Sobriety isn’t for people who need it; it is for people who want it.
Former Blackout Artist 