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Abstract

="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/escape?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a></figcaption></figure>I could only run for so long, however. Eventually everything came to a head in 2017 when I finally found the courage to say for the first time…“Hi. I’m Clark and I’m an alcoholic.”Leading up to that, however, my alcoholism had made me a bit more reckless. I had never been much of a morning drinker, but that started happening more on the weekends. I’d grab a few nips on the way home from work to get a buzz on by 5pm. Suppressed anger started coming out even though I had never been an angry or even a remotely violent person.All in all my drinking became very concerning to say the least. It was bad enough that even I could see it in my hungover, addictive state of mind. I knew something had to give. And while I was scared and at times I just wanted to die, my little boy’s presence reminded me that something had to change.I had to do better. For him. For me. Because we both deserved more than the fearful life I was living and currently giving us. He deserved 100% of me; not a shell of who I was meant to be.<h1 id="a497">Why I Quit Drinking</h1>So Father’s Day of 2017 I finally faced my demon and named it out loud. I did it for myself, of course, but I primarily did it for my son. It took me six months and a couple of relapses to get sober for good, but on October 1, 2017 I quit alcohol once and for all.And this is the real reason why…I wanted to break the chain of addiction and toxicity that came before me. I did not want to be a slave to my alcoholism any more and I most certainly did not want that for my son. More than that I did not want to be held down by the fear and trauma of my parents and their ancestors.Some people say alcoholism and addiction are genetic and I agree with them to a point. I do not believe it is written into our DNA, however. I believe it is emotionally and spiritually imprinted upon our DNA by those that came before us.If you don’t believe me be sure to check out books like Mark Wolynn’s <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Didnt-Start-You-Inherited-Family/dp/1101980362?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1656183018&sr=8-4&linkCode=ll1&tag=mybestestlife-20&linkId=fec3ecfa0e1e630bedfd86df9cd7585f&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl">It Didn’t Start With You</a> and Don Miquel Ruiz’s <a href="https://amzn.to/3mD03m4">The Four Agreements</a>.But when I realized all of this along with studying my family history and getting to know my own fears, sadness and grief a powerful change occurred……my mind, my spirit, and my DNA began to change.Anxiety went away. My fears no longer controlled me. I did not feel weak anymore because shame and guilt dissipated. The thirst was gone. Me feelings did not require me to cope of hide. I began to trust in something greater than myself. I was able to release control of my life by letting go of an addictive nature that was not my fault.In short, I began to un-imprint my DNA so that my son’s DNA would not be like those that came before him. He might have their blood and genetics, but he will not have their fear and trauma.<h1 id="32f0">How You Can Quit Alcohol And Change Too</h1>It’s a lot of work putting down the drink. It is no easy thing uncovering the why behind why we drink and the what that it is we are running from. The work is so worth it though.My

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sober journey and work began with grief work over the death of my mom and becoming a parent at the same time. I had no idea the can of worms I was opening when I began my grief recovery, but I am so grateful for it. It helped me understand the why behind everything. This knowledge empowered me and gave me the courage to quit alcohol forever.I want this for you. I’m not saying it will be easy, but if you are still reading this you are already on your way. You had the courage to keep reading so keep going.Books like the ones I mentioned above along with Richard Rohr’s <a href="https://amzn.to/3xmmPnd">Breathing Under Water</a> and Annie Grace’s <a href="https://www.amazon.com/This-Naked-Mind-Discover-Happiness/dp/0525537236?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1656188510&sr=8-1&linkCode=ll1&tag=mybestestlife-20&linkId=b0c6c649fbe040cc5ab87f0a1bb5cdf0&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl">This Naked Mind</a> are great places to start.I also highly recommend grief therapy as it is paramount to living a sober life. Grief specific therapists are hard to come by, but a great place to start is <a href="https://hasofferstracking.betterhelp.com/aff_c?offer_id=2&aff_id=3042">BetterHelp</a>. Their service allows you to connect virtually with a therapist from the comfort of your home.Please know that while I am a BetterHelp affiliate and may make a commission if you use their services via the provided link, by no means do you have to purchase anything nor do you pay any extra charges if you do. I simply recommend them because I think their services are very helpful plus the commissions help fund my content creation endeavors.Finally, and most importantly, if you or someone you know is looking for substance abuse help a great place to start is <a href="https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline">SAMHSA</a>.<h1 id="6e8a">I Quit Alcohol Summary</h1>In closing, I want you to remember that grief, fear, and trauma are roots of addiction and those roots have been around for a very long time. While your own journey and experiences are valid and you must own your addiction and do something about it, much of what you are struggling with has been passed on to you.There is a chain tethering you to an old way of life and living. It’s not your fault that the chain exist, but once you are aware of it it is your responsibility to do something about it.You can break the chain of toxicity, trauma and addiction and experience the change that I did. Your mind, spirit, and even your DNA can change. You can wipe the slate clean and begin generational healing for yourself and those to come if you have the courage to do so.And I believe you do, my friend. So keep going. Get one or all of those books I recommended. Find a support system and someone to help you through the process.A new way of life awaits and a new version of yourself is right around the corner.Much love and life and until we talk again I hope you’ll consider <a href="https://forms.aweber.com/form/40/1649039640.htm">joining my email list</a> so we can stay in touch.ClarkP.S. Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you purchase a product via one of those links I will receive a very small commission, but by no means are you charged extra or do you pay for that commission. You are not required to purchase anything via the links, but if you do I really appreciate the support as the commissions support my blog and content creation endeavors.</article></body>

I Quit Alcohol And This Powerful Change Happened…

When I quit alcohol everything changed. There was one specific change, however, that happened and it took precedence over everything else. First though, I want to tell you about why I quit alcohol and how I knew it had to go.

So please keep reading if you are struggling with alcohol. If you feel like you cannot stop once you start please know that you are not alone. I, and many others, have been where you might be right now and it’s okay.

Your drinking does not have to define you and this is how I know that to be true.

Should I Quit Alcohol?

This question ran through my mind over and over for years. Part of the reason I drank so much was because I was just too afraid to think about (let alone answer) the question…

…could I be an alcoholic?

It’s a vicious fire that burns inside of you when you are afraid of facing the truth. The fear of “having a problem” caused me so much shame and guilt. In order to quench the fear I just fed the fire even more.

Ironically, quenching my thirst just propagated the cycle of shame and guilt and thus more alcohol abuse. I can see it all now, but back then I felt so weak and scared because I just could not stop.

Not only could I not stop drinking once I started I also could not stop despising myself. Hating myself felt so much better than having any compassion for myself. Shame and guilt hold no space for self love and that was the biggest problem…

…I simply did not love myself even after I became a parent.

I Need To Stop Drinking

This thought began to take over after I became a parent. I did a really good job of muting it for the first couple years of my son’s life. Like, a really good job.

My drinking was the worst it have ever been after my son was born. My mom died from pancreatic cancer a few months before his birth and it was tragic. You can check out my personal growth story in another post or at my blog, but experiencing life and death at the same time fucked me up.

I did not know how to cope with the grief of losing my mom and the joy of becoming a parent. They each exacerbated the other and on top of lots of other sadness, grief, and fear alcohol was my…

I could only run for so long, however. Eventually everything came to a head in 2017 when I finally found the courage to say for the first time…

“Hi. I’m Clark and I’m an alcoholic.”

Leading up to that, however, my alcoholism had made me a bit more reckless. I had never been much of a morning drinker, but that started happening more on the weekends. I’d grab a few nips on the way home from work to get a buzz on by 5pm. Suppressed anger started coming out even though I had never been an angry or even a remotely violent person.

All in all my drinking became very concerning to say the least. It was bad enough that even I could see it in my hungover, addictive state of mind. I knew something had to give. And while I was scared and at times I just wanted to die, my little boy’s presence reminded me that something had to change.

I had to do better. For him. For me. Because we both deserved more than the fearful life I was living and currently giving us. He deserved 100% of me; not a shell of who I was meant to be.

Why I Quit Drinking

So Father’s Day of 2017 I finally faced my demon and named it out loud. I did it for myself, of course, but I primarily did it for my son. It took me six months and a couple of relapses to get sober for good, but on October 1, 2017 I quit alcohol once and for all.

And this is the real reason why…

I wanted to break the chain of addiction and toxicity that came before me. I did not want to be a slave to my alcoholism any more and I most certainly did not want that for my son. More than that I did not want to be held down by the fear and trauma of my parents and their ancestors.

Some people say alcoholism and addiction are genetic and I agree with them to a point. I do not believe it is written into our DNA, however. I believe it is emotionally and spiritually imprinted upon our DNA by those that came before us.

If you don’t believe me be sure to check out books like Mark Wolynn’s It Didn’t Start With You and Don Miquel Ruiz’s The Four Agreements.

But when I realized all of this along with studying my family history and getting to know my own fears, sadness and grief a powerful change occurred…

…my mind, my spirit, and my DNA began to change.

Anxiety went away. My fears no longer controlled me. I did not feel weak anymore because shame and guilt dissipated. The thirst was gone. Me feelings did not require me to cope of hide. I began to trust in something greater than myself. I was able to release control of my life by letting go of an addictive nature that was not my fault.

In short, I began to un-imprint my DNA so that my son’s DNA would not be like those that came before him. He might have their blood and genetics, but he will not have their fear and trauma.

How You Can Quit Alcohol And Change Too

It’s a lot of work putting down the drink. It is no easy thing uncovering the why behind why we drink and the what that it is we are running from. The work is so worth it though.

My sober journey and work began with grief work over the death of my mom and becoming a parent at the same time. I had no idea the can of worms I was opening when I began my grief recovery, but I am so grateful for it. It helped me understand the why behind everything. This knowledge empowered me and gave me the courage to quit alcohol forever.

I want this for you. I’m not saying it will be easy, but if you are still reading this you are already on your way. You had the courage to keep reading so keep going.

Books like the ones I mentioned above along with Richard Rohr’s Breathing Under Water and Annie Grace’s This Naked Mind are great places to start.

I also highly recommend grief therapy as it is paramount to living a sober life. Grief specific therapists are hard to come by, but a great place to start is BetterHelp. Their service allows you to connect virtually with a therapist from the comfort of your home.

Please know that while I am a BetterHelp affiliate and may make a commission if you use their services via the provided link, by no means do you have to purchase anything nor do you pay any extra charges if you do. I simply recommend them because I think their services are very helpful plus the commissions help fund my content creation endeavors.

Finally, and most importantly, if you or someone you know is looking for substance abuse help a great place to start is SAMHSA.

I Quit Alcohol Summary

In closing, I want you to remember that grief, fear, and trauma are roots of addiction and those roots have been around for a very long time. While your own journey and experiences are valid and you must own your addiction and do something about it, much of what you are struggling with has been passed on to you.

There is a chain tethering you to an old way of life and living. It’s not your fault that the chain exist, but once you are aware of it it is your responsibility to do something about it.

You can break the chain of toxicity, trauma and addiction and experience the change that I did. Your mind, spirit, and even your DNA can change. You can wipe the slate clean and begin generational healing for yourself and those to come if you have the courage to do so.

And I believe you do, my friend. So keep going. Get one or all of those books I recommended. Find a support system and someone to help you through the process.

A new way of life awaits and a new version of yourself is right around the corner.

Much love and life and until we talk again I hope you’ll consider joining my email list so we can stay in touch.

Clark

P.S. Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you purchase a product via one of those links I will receive a very small commission, but by no means are you charged extra or do you pay for that commission. You are not required to purchase anything via the links, but if you do I really appreciate the support as the commissions support my blog and content creation endeavors.