Out of sight

Little can be accomplished in life until the bottle is completely out of sight.

Mornings remorse

Mornings remorse could easily be remedied with a few drinks. And that is when I first realized how bad my drinking had become.

A desperate situation

'A desperate situation that one day got worse'
This is how I would describe my very first drink.

More than enough

Some days are just plain tough!  During those days I would remember, that if, at the end of the day I  hadn't taken a drink, the day itself was a success.  Sometimes just not drinking is more than enough !

Time

Drinking takes away time. Sobriety takes time.

Without sobriety

Without sobriety I end up a dismal statistic and a tear in the eye of a loved one.  That just ain't gonna happen.

More than enough

I am about ready to turn it all over to God. My best decisions have got me where I am today. I need to be where God wants me not where I think I need to be. His grace and blessings have always been more than enough.

Who am I?

Nice to meet me said I. About a year after I quit drinking I had the courage and clarity to get to know myself. That was the toughest part of recovery. It is also the reason I am still enjoying sobriety seventeen years later.
The bottle has a habit of keeping us in the dark about everything.

Swagger

A little swagger goes a long way. However, that 'way' is usually the wrong direction.  My mouth and poor judgement can no longer be blamed on heavy drinking. Sobriety is a great way to live but it is certainly not a cure all. Maybe I'm not as perfect as I think.

Thankful

Extremely thankful for sobriety and having no desire what so ever to take a drink. Everything else just seems to fall in place when alcohol is no longer around.

Serene Scene

My monthly article contribution for November can been seen at...
www.serenescenemagazine.com

Everything is better sober

Being down and out isn't as bad when your sober.

Danger

Thinking about drinking is the last step before the first drink.

How it is

For me recovery and Alcoholics Anonymous were temporary.  Sobriety was the only thing I was trying to make a permanent part of my life.

Desire no more

I can now walk away from what it was that I use to run to!

Amazing

My wife has the most amazing ability to have a drink or two and walk away.  As long as I live I will never no what that feels like.

Regrets?

I have no regrets other than not sobering up sooner!

Taking responsibility

It's okay to be a drunk.  It's okay to be an alcoholic, but it's a crime when we ignore our addiction and fail to seek help or treatment.

The fix

I have a sickness which can never be cured but it can be understood and overcome.

First light

For years mornings remorse blinded me from the beauty of a sunrise.

For mom

The prayers of a wonderful mother are sometimes all us drunks have.  But often times that is all we need.

Clueless

I didn't know what I was doing when I drank and that is why I continued drinking.

The wanderer

I wandered physically, spiritually and emotionally when I drank.  I knew deep down that somewhere, something better existed and I needed to find it if I were going to survive.

Twisted logic

Drunkenness is the best way to overcome peace and serenity.

A whole new world awaits

I now have problems in areas that did not even exist when I drank.

Same old

I am, who I am, except now, I have a bucket full of coping skills that take the place of all that drunkenness.

Remorse

I drank in the darkness of the night, slept during the sun of the day and wept in between.  

Holiday time

Drunkenness never takes a holiday.  I lost so many good times and memorable moments because my desire to drink was far greater than my desire to spend time with God, family and friends.

My ritual

As far as religion, church, psychiatry and medication are concerned the verdict is still out.  What really saved me and sobered me up was my personal relationship with God.  I developed that relationship with daily prayer.

Pray early, pray often has always been my motto!

Alcohol abuse

Nobody ever treated me as badly as alcohol.  And because I am an alcoholic I let it have it's way with me and that was wrong!

A drink or two

What I thought would be a nice solution quickly became a major problem.

Problems

Alcohol is a product of a much bigger problem.  But over time alcohol becomes the biggest problem of all.

Darkness

Everybody's got a dark side and alcohol makes it even darker.

Bottom

A moment so terrifying that I opened my eyes and saw what it was that I had been doing to myself longer than I could even remember.

How hard

The longer you wait the harder it becomes and nothing is harder than dying a drunk.

A place I cannot fully desribe

And at my worst moment I pleaded with God to remove the desire to drink!  And so it was that I was taken to a place on the inside that I never knew existed.  A place where alcohol, addiction and hopelessness could not exist.  A place of peace, reason, strength and contentment.  A place where I am moved to tears of joy.  I have remained here for the past seventeen years and I hope to remain here the rest of my life.

What looms

If your craving a drink, a big drunk cannot be far behind.  Everything after that is just plain misery.

Nobody wins

I abused the bottle and in return it abused me.

The truth

Alcohol takes us away from the truth and introduces us to nothing but lies.

Good day

As long as I don't have a drink it's been a good day no matter what.

One drink

One drink might not hurt me but it could kill you!  If I ever touch another drink the possibility of me driving drunk is overwhelming.  I AM AN ALCOHOLIC THAT HAS NOT HAD A DRINK IN SEVENTEEN YEARS AND I NEED TO KEEP IT THAT WAY!!

Regrets

In my quest to help others overcome I shall forever regret that few, if any, allow my words into their hearts.  This is where the seeds of sobriety must be planted.

Never stop quitting

The best way to quit drinking is to never stop trying to quit.  Recovery is loaded with screw-ups, blunders and setbacks.  I went through treatment at least six times before I got it right.  If that's what it takes than so be it.  Sobriety is the permanent separation from alcohol, hopelessness and misery and that my friends takes time to achieve.

The sober side

Drunk, miserable and hopeless do not exist on the sober side of alcoholism.  

Dizzy

I was under the weather for a day because of severe dizziness.  A trip to the ER discovered I had nothing more than a inner ear infection.  Feeling better today and ready to get back down to business.
I was sitting in that waiting room thinking what a different situation it would be had I never put the bottle down.  Today, I am blessed and enjoy near perfect health! That would not be the case had I let alcohol continue to destroy me both physically and mentally.

Stop!

Stop the madness, seek help and find out what it's like to live life minus the misery of constant drunkenness.