A New Life
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Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Massachusetts
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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.
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Join Date: Jun 2010
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Originally Posted by JanieJ 
So what do you do for a dog addiction ? Work the 12 walks ? 
W.
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