Apr 23 2008
The Dangers of That First Drink When You Are Finally Sober
A guy walks into a bar and the bartender asks him “what’ll it be Bub?” The guy says “I’ll have a glass of milk” The bartender laughs and says “Milk!? Why not drink something that’ll put hair on your chest?” the guy says “I can’t, I’m allergic to alcohol.” “Allergic!” says the bartender “Yes” the guy says “one drink and I break out in a drunk”The danger of that first drink when you are in recovery is palpable. Every alcoholic or problem drinker knows the seriousness of taking that first drink, yet so many fall victim to this urge. There are some who believe that the alcoholic taking that first drink is a pre determined fact. The drinker already knows in advance that they are going to have a drink and merely blame the lapse of judgment on the strong lure of the alcohol.
There is also a school of thought that the alcoholic doesn’t think about the first drink, only their NEXT drink. The overwhelming craving to drink takes over and they are powerless to stop after that first drink. Whatever the case, the physical, mental and spiritual reasons for drinking all play a role in the alcoholic or problem drinker knocking back their first drink.
Physically speaking, there is a powerful urge to drink after that first one is consumed. There’s an overwhelming desire to continue imbibing until the craving is suppressed, at which point the cycle resumes as the person begins to metabolize the alcohol.
Mentally, the obsession to drink only grows stronger the more you drink. Even before the first drink is lifted to your mouth, you are constantly thinking about your need for a drink and eventually the urge to drink is fulfilled.
As for the spiritual aspect, it is the loss of spirit that so painfully illustrates the alcoholic or problem drinker’s devastating out of control spiral. This loss of spirit means the alcoholic loses their moral compass. Their values are drowning with every sip of alcohol they take. As alcohol begins to take hold of them the alcoholic begins to loosen their grip on things important in their lives such as family, friends and work. This loss of spirit is the beginning of the end for the often inebriated.
So before taking that first drink while trying to stay sober there are things the recovering alcoholic can do to put some color back in their knuckles. As harsh as it sounds, the recovering alcoholic needs to be selfish - which is not a very big stretch since selfishness pretty much defines the active alcoholic. I’m talking about selfishly guarding your new found sobriety. For example, if you are invited to a party or some social function and you will disappoint those who are expecting you by not going, TOUGH.
Alcoholics for the most part are people pleasers and this quality tends to lead them to trouble. Your sobriety should be the most important thing in your life at this early stage of recovery. You simply must stay aware and be strong while you wait for your body to overcome the irresistible compulsion to drink. Once this passes you will feel like you haven’t felt in years but be careful since you are still vulnerable. Your physical cravings have subsided but your mental obsession to drink will usually take longer to leave. In theory your mental obsession should be manageable without the physical cravings making even your pores cry out for a drink.
Your minds desire for alcohol can be controlled by always staying ahead of the addiction. By this I mean being prepared for anything your mind throws at you such as trying to convince you “that just one drink won’t hurt you”. It’s at times like these where you must listen to the good angel on your shoulder. If you’re short of an angel, you need to set up an appointment for therapeutic coaching or counseling. Having a professional filling your tank regularly with useful techniques to control your mental fixation to drink can be extremely helpful.
You may hear some cynics say that recovering alcoholics just switch up one addiction for another. These are usually people who have never been addicted to alcohol, or anything else for that matter. Let these holier than thou sticklers say what they wish, just choose another less harmful addiction such as exercise. Take up running or start playing golf. Anything to take your mind off of drinking. Start eating healthier and get as much rest as you are able to. This can be difficult, but meditation or hypnosis tapes can help to relax you.
When things get really bad you need to look back at the reasons why you quit drinking in the first place. At the risk of spouting an overused cliché, you must remember the past or you are destined to repeat it.
• It was literally killing you.
• Your family was suffering terribly.
• You lost all your will to function effectively.
• You couldn’t hold a job.
• You literally bled money and were on the road to bankruptcy if not already there.
If remembering your previous drinking life doesn’t at least give you a temporary jolt of reasonable thought to battle your obsessions with than you are in a very bad way and perhaps you should be in a long term therapeutic treatment program until you are able to cope on your own.
Always remember to look forward to the new life that awaits you now that you are sober. After what you have been through you have every reason to be extraordinarily grateful for a fresh start.
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