Hodd

I’ve written before about my last drink (on a plane somewhere), but I had an interesting memory just now. I landed back in the UK on 2 January (2019) and had an appointment to pick up my first lot of Campril the next day. When I got back from the airport, I went to bed and didn’t wake up until around 6pm - serious jet lag. So I headed out to the shops for some food, but it was of course a public holiday, so they’d closed early. Luckily we had some food in the house, but I really reckon the shops being closed did me a massive favour. No prizes for guessing what else I’d have bought.

Over the next few days, a combination of jet lag and the placebo effect of my new pills (Campril takes about 6 weeks to work and reduce cravings) meant I didn’t drink. As my body clock normalised, obviously the evening cravings kicked in. Being prescribed Campril is a lengthy process which requires seeing a GP, counsellor and nurse and paying for the pills, so it seemed ludicrous to go through all that and still drink. I stopped the Campril after 5 or 6 weeks, but it or its placebo effect had done the job.

I had some big cravings over the next few months, but I think the most effective way to deal with this is to have no alcohol in the house.

It seems illogical that an ex-drinker like me can’t have “just the one”. A successful dieter can have that chocolate bar with no consequences, for example, but this is alcohol we’re talking about. The posters who post on SR about relapses after months or even years are very brave to do so, and I really have to thank you guys for that even though I find it painful to read. If I do have that “one” drink, there’s absolutely no doubt it’d lead to hundreds more and a return to the pointless existence I lead before.

And on that last point, that’s the big secret to all this. Not drinking will improve your life. Things just seem to work out although in reality you’ve made your own luck. You need to cherish and protect the new life. It’s too important to throw it away by drinking again.

🙂 HNY all.