Irrationalizations
by Timothy - Toronto, Canada
Here is a list of apparently "good reasons" to get drunk that one problem drinker dredged up from memory. They may not make sense, but at the time it seemed they did! Maybe some of them will sound familiar.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm feeling good! Time to party!
I'm feeling bad! Gotta kill that pain.
I'm bored. Drinking will make things interesting.
I've got a dull job to do. If I drink, it won't be so bad.
I hate doing my taxes! I'll bet I can do them if I have a drink, though.
I'm feeling unmotivated and depressed. Alcohol will restore my enthusiasm.
I worked hard today. I deserve a reward.
I worked hard today, even though I drank yesterday. So I guess drinking isn't that much of a problem, after all.
I haven't had a decent night's sleep in a week. A few shots will help.
I'm going to be getting into a dangerous situation. I need a bit of that old "liquid courage".
I've got to discuss a sensitive matter with a friend. I'll be much more sympathetic if I have a drink, first.
I'm feeling unloved and useless. A few drinks and I'll be able to stop all this moping around.
Now that I've been sober for four days, I've proven I can do it! Guess I can have a drink, now.
I can't solve this problem I'm working on. Perhaps I can get another perspective by lubricating my brain.
I can't stand these cravings. Maybe it's a cyclic thing. If I drink now, maybe I'll be better able to deal with it next week.
These shorter days of winter are so depressing. I'll quit drinking when the days start getting longer.
I can tell that this situation coming up is going to make me angry. Better down a few so I can be mellow about it.
I just accomplished a difficult task. I guess my drinking isn't affecting me as much as I thought.
I just finished up a three hour power walk. I guess I'm not in bad shape, after all.
The guys are down at the pub. I'll just drop in to say hello. And maybe one quick beer.
All my friends drink and they seem to have mastered the art. Surely I can do so, too.
My friends drink. If I was to stop, I'd seem "holier than thou". I'm not going to be one of those preachy people.
Oh, it wasn't really all THAT bad, was it?
Well, so what? At least I'm not using heroin!
I think it would be a good experiment to see if I COULD control how much I drink. Hey, I'm willing to do this for science.
So what if I drink again? My support group is very understanding and they won't give me a hard time about it.
Hey, Winston Churchill drank a lot and HE helped win WW-II!
Ernest Hemingway was an alcoholic and he produced great literature!
I almost never miss any important appointments because of drinking, and I don't have one until three days from now.
The liquor store is closing in half an hour. I'd better get a bottle just in case. I don't HAVE to drink it.
If I was to drink today, who would know? So what's the big deal?
It's my body. Nobody can tell me what to do with my own body.
If I drink at home, it will remove the temptation to go to a bar. I'll be saving money! Better start now before I'm tempted to go out.
The universe is vast and uncaring. What does it matter if I drink?
I've wasted my life up until now. I'll never amount to anything. If I stop drinking, nothing will change. Guess I should drink, then.
I reached a moment of sublime peace last time I drank. Maybe there's some profound revelation there. I should investigate further.
Last time I saw this movie on TV, I was drunk and I laughed my head off. I guess it's one of those films you just HAVE to see drunk.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
A note about the Ernest Hemingway irrationalization: he may have been a creative genius, but he ended up killing himself with a shotgun.