mick3580

I suppose most reading this are trying like hell to not take the first drink. Maybe it's seemed easy. Maybe it's seemed hard. How many believe they have the problem solved? How many believe they don't? If you cannot not drink, then you are like I was. I am not that way anymore. Many on this site are not that way anymore. Until I realized I could not not drink, i continued to drink.

PurpleKnight

Keep pushing through Mick!!

ForgetfulKevin

Mick, thanks for that subject: "The First Drink" -- that's always the one to watch out for, isn't it?

mick3580

It depends on how you choose to address the issue of not taking the first drink. My watching out for it failed overall.

Gottalife

Ah, the fatal first drink against which I had no effective defence. Even knowing I could not drink (imminent death) did not keep me safe. When I first came to AA I was so discouraged, so convinced that nothing could save me, that I did not even take a note of the date of my last drink.

Instead of not drinking, one day at a time, I embarked on a spiritual program of action where the drink problem was removed almost as a by-product. My sponsor one day informed me I was three months sober, and at that point I realised I had found a defense, and it's never let me down.

biminiblue

Then what is your solution?

mick3580

GottaLife just mentioned it. A spiritual solution in aa. I needed a spiritual awakening. There is more than one way to have one. People have them by accident. I had mine by embarking on a program of action called the twelve steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. I have no desire to convince anyone else that that's what they need but I hope that people realize how ineffective just trying not to drink is. PM me if you'd like more info.

biminiblue

Glad you found what worked for you. Congrats.

jason2

I do have the problem solved. It just took a different approach.

ElleDee

mick3580

Me too. My point is to encourage people to find a solution to the problem of the first drink by doing something other than taking the first. I don't care what anyone does. But most of is need a solution other than the simple instruction to not take the first drink. It's putting a bandaid on a problem rather than solving the problem.

mick3580

Good that you took an approach. That was my overall point.