Alcohol Addiction: On The Wagon Or Social
Drinker?
Author: Landau, Paddy

Learning how to stop drinking alcohol for some people is a long
and difficult process. If you have become dependent on alcohol
to cope; if you drink in the morning or before work; if you are
unable to cope in social situations without your "friend" (the
drink); if you have hurt people while you were drunk - then you
have some important decisions to make.

The most important decision, of course, is to get rid of that
alcohol addiction. Unfortunately, without that decision, it all
too often ends up on that "slippery slope", that "downward
spiral".

Another decision to make, and this is an important one, is
whether to aim at becoming a teetotaler, where you never drink
alcohol again, or allowing yourself the occasional drink in
social situations.

This is a controversial topic. Some people and organizations
claim that once you are addicted, you are addicted for life.
Just as an ex-heroin addict can become instantly re-addicted
after just one dose, so the ex-drinker can become instantly
re-addicted with just the one drink.

Other people, such as certain NLP practitioners (but not all),
say instead that it's better to aim for choice. In every
situation, the ex-drinker can choose to drink or not to drink.

I believe that it's a little more complicated. Firstly, there
are degrees of addiction. An alcoholic needs to aim at total
abstinence in the first place. Only when he or she has become an
ex-drinker, and (with the help of mind skills such as NLP, EFT
or self-hypnosis) can have a good time without drinking any
alcohol, can the decision be made.

The ex-drinker would do well to always err on the side of
caution. If there is any doubt at all, then the safe route is to
avoid all alcohol. The problem is not that the person may be
irresponsible, but that the first thing to disappear with a
drink is judgment (that is why drink-driving is so dangerous).
So, after the first drink, the ex-drinker is no longer in a
position to judge whether another drink is safe.

Here are my tips for an ex-drinker as to whether a social drink
is safe. If the answer is "no" to any of them, then stay on the
wagon!

1. Are you enjoying yourself?
2. Are you in a safe environment, where you will not be
subjected to stress or bad feelings?
3. Have you coped well with this situation before without
drink?
4. Have you learned to take control of your emotions even in
stressful situations?
5. If you have drunk in this situation before, did you do so in
strict moderation and in good spirits?
6. Finally, are you absolutely sure that you will cope with
just one drink and know how to stop drinking alcohol before it
has any effect on you?


About The Author: Learn how to stop drinking alcohol. Learn to
take control of yourself and free yourself from the slavery of
alcohol addiction.
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