I said that to a friend....
He was wondering aloud whether he might BE an alcoholic.
He seemed surprised when I said that, knowing that I've been sober for 5 years....
I continued....
"You might not BE an alcoholic. But what difference does it really make? You've just told me about years of suffering. You've shared with me your sense of futility. You've expressed pain, despair, negative consequences...... you've told me you want more than this out of your life.... right?"
Yes.... he slowly nodded..... yes. Yes.
"So who cares if you are or aren't 'an alcoholic'. Who cares what you label it. The message you are unfailingly sending to yourself and to me and through the way your life is going is - ALCOHOL IS GETTING IN THE WAY OF THE LIFE YOU WANT TO LIVE. Is that true?"
Yes.... he looked up.... YES.
"OK. So if something is consistently getting in the way of the life you want to live..... regardless of what it's called...... do you want to keep carrying it? Do you want to stay in cahoots with it? Do you want to keep on dragging your life down by consciously continuing to choose it?"
You might be an alcoholic. You might not be an alcoholic. If this debate is causing you delay in CHOOSING SOBRIETY, then I'll ask you:
What would happen if you just set that question aside and asked a different question:
"HOW AWESOME COULD MY LIFE BE IF I EMBRACE SOBRIETY"?
