Notices

The Second Most Dangerous Time

Old 02-20-2011, 04:41 PM
  # 1 (permalink)  
Member
Thread Starter
 
wpainterw's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 3,550
The Second Most Dangerous Time

When, do you think, is the second most dangerous time? I think many would agree that the first most dangerous time is when you've been drinking heavily for a long time and the situation is rapidly slipping out of control. Perhaps you're on your way back from a bar or party, with a blood alcohol level pretty high and driving on a suspended license with two DUI's to your credit. And suddenly in the rear view mirror you see those red lights flashing and you pull over to the side of the road and wait.
Anyway, what's the second most dangerous? I submit that that may be when you've finally managed to get sober for about a week. You've done it on your own and didn't go to a rehab. You're feeling pretty proud of yourself, feeling good physically, really a bit elated. "Guess I had been drinking a little too much" you might say. "I'm going to give it up. Well, anyway I'm going to be much more careful. Maybe a glass of wine, just one...."
Some counselor once referred to this as the "flight into recovery." From my own experience that may be the second most dangerous time. I like to think of a book I once read about a professional tiger hunter in India, who was often called in to dispose of a man eating tiger. He said he had spent most of the day stalking the tiger and felt he was getting pretty close, was pretty pleased about how things were going, how skillful he was. Then suddenly he had a funny feeling and, glancing over his shoulder, saw the big cat four feet behind him, perched on a rock, just ready to pounce, since, all that time, that cat had been stalking him....!
So any of you folks out there- is that the second most dangerous? Is there also a third, a fourth...? Well you take it from here!

W.

Last edited by wpainterw; 02-20-2011 at 04:44 PM. Reason: typo
wpainterw is offline  
Old 02-20-2011, 04:56 PM
  # 2 (permalink)  
Living In The Now
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Kent, England
Posts: 34
Complacency is the first dangerous thing in my opinion. I.e - I only need to cut down a bit or I'm doing really well I can have one drink. Certainly in my recovery I have tried not to be complacent as I know it will be my downfall. I also think that things that are dangerous for one person may have a different level of severity for another.

Cheers,

Tom x
tomtricky is offline  
Old 02-20-2011, 05:48 PM
  # 3 (permalink)  
Member
 
Taking5's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: LA - Lower Alabama
Posts: 5,068
Any emotional high or emotional low is a critical thing and you need to watch out for, IMHO.
Taking5 is offline  
Old 02-20-2011, 05:58 PM
  # 4 (permalink)  
Member
 
MsCooterBrown's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: The Great Outdoors
Posts: 1,992
The scariest thing that I have seen is the thought that maybe I can have just one..I got x amount of sober days before..if all hell breaks loose I can quit again. But sometimes..bad things happen before "again" comes. I don't believe there are alot of sobriety chances. A dear friend of mine had that logic..and he didn't make it. Died 2 weeks before his 53rd birthday. Passed out and choked to death. He struggled..and didn't make it. THAT is the ultimate danger we all face.
MsCooterBrown is offline  
Old 02-20-2011, 06:48 PM
  # 5 (permalink)  
Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 581
The most important word, I think, in the AA textbook is "suddenly."

In "More About Alcoholism," on page 36, they say

"Suddenly the thought crossed my mind that if I were to put an ounce of whiskey in my milk it couldn't hurt me on a full stomach."

My understanding of this is that I should not be surprised when "suddenly" happens to me. I'm actually being warned that I am defenseless against the first drink-- that regardless of how much time I have since my last drink, if I am an untreated alcoholic, I will be plagued by moments of insanity where a thought crosses my mind that is utterly insane, but I will be unable to process it as such because I have a mental obsession.

So I do not believe in triggers-- I believe I have a permanent condition that requires a permanent solution. When I disrespect that disease by thinking it is occasion-based-- that there are predictable moments of weakness-- I am focusing my attention on the symptom and not the cause.

I have to treat the cause.
FrothyJay is offline  

Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are Off




All times are GMT -7. The time now is 01:57 PM.