How To Banish The Booze: Overcoming Alcoholism

The journey is difficult but so worth it

Today we’re tackling the beast of alcoholism with a sprinkle of inspiration from Mrs. Winters, the librarian and my personal hero.

It’s Time To Take Back Control and Address The Elephant in the Gin Shop

One must first face the dark shadow lounging in the corner of one’s consciousness.

I remember my university days, where the most challenging question was not on my final exams but, “Jim, will it be gin or scotch tonight?”

Alcoholism when you really think about it is like an elephant. Yes, you did read that correctly.

Alcoholism starts small and innocent enough just like a cute baby elephant romping about making merry. In the beginning, it’s all a spot of fun. A pint here or a glass of claret there and life seems more vibrant. More humorous.

But over time, the elephant grows and it becomes increasingly difficult to navigate the room without bumping into its sizable girth. Soon enough the elephant is consuming all your hard-earned peanuts. Your emotional, financial, and even temporal resources that maintaining an alcohol-fuelled lifestyle devours.

And let’s not forget that an elephant never forgets. But you will find your memory tinged with gaps and lapses.

Ironic.

And let’s not even talk about its impact on your liver. If your liver could talk it would surely be writing its resignation letter.

It’s time to take back control.

It’s time to say enough is enough.

It’s time to kick out this monstrous elephant back into the Savannah.

Seek Community

Who better to assist you than your trusty family and friends? I recall my library days when the sweet scent of parchment wafted through the air like a fine cologne. Mrs. Winters, with her stern countenance and prodigious collection of Agatha Christie novels, was my Dumbledore in a cardigan.

One day, in the midst of my Jägerbomb-fueled haze, I stumbled into the library, looking for sanctuary and perhaps a spot of wisdom from an encyclopedic time. Mrs. Winters started at me and sighed deeply as if contemplating the futility of existence, then she said, Jim, you’re a brilliant student but perhaps it’s time to switch from Hemingway to self-help.

Mrs. Winters really was a beacon of sensibility in a world gone mad. For more detail on Mrs. Winters, check out the story below.

Draw Up a Plan and Stick to It Like a Barnacle to a Ship’s Bottom

You need a plan.

Write it down.

Carve it into stone.

Tattoo it on your arm if you must! Just create a plan!

It doesn’t necessarily have to be a good one, but by writing your intentions, you bring them into the tangible world. This gives your commitment that heft that makes it far harder to ignore.

I myself am rather fond of the ‘Champagne Method,’ which involves substituting something you adore (in my case, Latin epigrams) whenever you feel the urge to drink. Works like a charm!

I like to dive into my repository of Latin phrases. “Carpe Diem!” I shout, seizing not the bottle but the day. Or perhaps, “Veni, Vidi, Vici,” upon conquering the urge. Substitution is not a compromise but a trade-up. You’re replacing the lesser angels of your nature with pursuits that exhilarate!

Educate Yourself on the Perils of Alcohol

Knowledge is power and nothing gives you more motivation to quit the hooch than learning about its disastrous effects on your liver, your relationships and your aspirations to become King (Or Queen) of the world!

It’s one thing to know on a conceptual level that alcohol can be harmful. It’s quite another to grasp the full arsenal of its destructive powers of addiction. It’s like the difference between hearing about the Grand Canyon and standing on its edge gazing down into the depths

Look at the liver, that unsung hero that toils away day and night, processing all the rubbish you throw its way.

When you subject it to a relentless deluge of alcohol it’s like sending a prize-fighter into the ring, round after round after round, without a breather.

Cirrhosis is the knockout punch you never saw coming. As someone who sat through a bone-chilling lecture on liver cirrhosis, I can tell you, it’s nasty stuff that you DO NOT WANT.

Celebrate The Small Victories

If you make it through a day, a week, or even just a social function without partaking in alcoholic beverages give yourself a rousing pat on the back!

I remember my first alcohol free university party. I was in a room bursting with laughter, chit-chat, and the clinking of glasses. It was one of those soirées where even the houseplants seemed to be enjoying themselves. Friends and colleagues mingled effortlessly each holding their favoured poison.

Some even sipped wine as if it were the elixir of life while others cradled their whiskies as if hugging long-lost relatives.

Temptation

There I was clutching a sparkling water. The bubbles rising to the top like my mounting sense of social awkwardness. Each glance at the wine bottles seemed like a siren’s call.

But then I remembered.

The liver cirrhosis lecture.

And every time a well-meaning friend offered me a drink I muttered not today and whispered Audentes Fortuna Juvat! And then wandered off. Fortune favours the bold, after all.

Mrs. Winters to the Rescue

Just when I was teetering on the edge of surrender who should appear but the venerable Mrs. Winters? As if sent by divine providence she emerged from the crowd, holding not a cocktail, but a cup of tea. Thank goodness.

Fortified by Mrs. Winters’ timely wisdom, I soldiered on. As the clock struck midnight and the partygoers hailed the advent of another day, I raised my glass of sparkling water high. To new beginnings, I announced. No one cheered as they were all in a drunken stupor oblivious to my small but monumental victory.

However, if you do slip, don’t consider it the end of the world. Even Wellington lost a battle or two before Waterloo. It’s quite simply really, just get back on your feet and try your damn best to make it through tomorrow.

Follow this advice and you’ll be well on your way to routing the alcoholic adversary. If you found this helpful, you may also find my below story Rolling Beyond Boundaries: The Mental Health Journey of Life in a Wheelchair helpful too!