Showing results for "We" in Alcoholism

What could possibly be “lucky” about addiction? Absolutely nothing, thought Laura McKowen when drinking brought her to her knees. As she puts it, she “kicked and screamed . . . wishing for something - anything - else” to be her issue. The people who got to drink normally, she thought, were so damn lucky. But in the midst of early sobriety, when no longer able to anesthetize her pain and anxiety, she realized that she was actually the lucky one. Lucky to feel her feelings, live honestly, really be with her daughter, change her legacy.

Some people come to Alcoholics Anonymous feeling terrible about themselves and are told, bewilderingly, that their problem is too much ego and a lack of humility. Bill W., who wrote most of the AA literature, described himself as an egomaniac. He put his own needs and wants ahead of others, was grandiose, felt entitled, and thought he was all-powerful. He called this the alcoholic personality type and designed a program to crush the ego as the foundation of sobriety. It worked for him and millions of other alcoholics like him, and he deserves great credit.

As Chris’s home life deteriorates and he descends into an abyss, he’s showing up for high school finals so high he can’t even remember his locker combination. While other kids are having Thanksgiving dinner, Chris is chasing his drunk mom down the sidewalk of a strip mall, trying to take her to rehab. He’s winning a cruise to the Bahamas, drinking and pretending to be in his twenties to hook up with someone much older. Bad decisions and misadventures abound when Chris tries his best to be “normal” having no idea how.

This is not a self-help book.... Here you will not find any quick tips and tricks on how to live a fabulous life free of suffering or fear or confusion. The approach I outline here goes against most of the popular ways to tackle depression, anxiety, or general malaise. But it is an approach that allowed me to dig deep into my own authenticity, be honest with myself, and start to make real, lasting changes in my life.