A New Life
P.S. This evening I watched a Public Radio discussion on the subject of New Year's Resolutions . A suggestion was made that it might help adhering to a resolution (like weight loss) if you made a side bet with a colleague that a person who broke his or her resolution would be required to forfeit a substantial sum to a charity which he or she hated, such as the National Rifle Association for one who hates guns. Giving up drinking was also mentioned as something which might be dealt in this fashion.
As to giving up drinking this seems to be using an externality as a control, like an alcoholic using a spouse. And a confirmed alcoholic might have no qualms about "paying for" that first drink by a substantial forfeit. Indeed, the way one "pays" for a first drink is to forfeit self control, to start down the slippery slope to chemical slavery. My experience has been that the only way to achieve sobriety is to do it for oneself. If one fails at that the forfeit is greater than a person in denial can imagine.
An alternative is to substitute a more healthy craving for a craving for alcohol, such as a craving for chocolate mousse. This has a superficial appeal except for the likelihood that, for a confirmed alcoholic nothing trumps alcohol for satisfying a craving. indeed, an alcoholic chocolate lover would probably head for a Brandy Alexander. On the other hand I have encountered some persons with long term sobriety who have become obese, probably having substituted one addiction for a more dangerous one. I have myself become addicted to my dog. I'm now on my fifth dog.
W.
As to giving up drinking this seems to be using an externality as a control, like an alcoholic using a spouse. And a confirmed alcoholic might have no qualms about "paying for" that first drink by a substantial forfeit. Indeed, the way one "pays" for a first drink is to forfeit self control, to start down the slippery slope to chemical slavery. My experience has been that the only way to achieve sobriety is to do it for oneself. If one fails at that the forfeit is greater than a person in denial can imagine.
An alternative is to substitute a more healthy craving for a craving for alcohol, such as a craving for chocolate mousse. This has a superficial appeal except for the likelihood that, for a confirmed alcoholic nothing trumps alcohol for satisfying a craving. indeed, an alcoholic chocolate lover would probably head for a Brandy Alexander. On the other hand I have encountered some persons with long term sobriety who have become obese, probably having substituted one addiction for a more dangerous one. I have myself become addicted to my dog. I'm now on my fifth dog.
W.
There is no cure for a dog addiction, no "recovery". If you lose a dog the only option is another dog. Uncertain of my future I have at times seen fit to acquire a "back up" dog just to make sure that the death of one dog did not send me into seizures, hallucinations, etc. It is embarrassing to be taken to an ER with a diagnosis of "dog withdrawal" syndrome. Most ER's are ill equipped to deal with that, having no dogs available in their pharmacy. Dog addicts have been known to resort to the "geographical cure", notoriously unsuitable for alcoholics. They travel and sometimes are tempted to pet strange dogs. Indeed, one time traveling in Turkey I was inclined to pet a large Turkish dog tied up near the tourist bus. My fellow travelers on the bus shouted "DON'T PET THAT DOG" (Turkish watch dogs often have rabies). I could not resist and petted the dog very carefully. That was about 20 years ago. I hope rabies does not have a very long incubation period. I'm still waiting.
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