LITMIR.BIZ

       “As any medical professional would tell you, drinking problems are never 100% cured — they are managed. As long as you continue to breathe, it will be a challenge.”

      I want to make it clear I am not making light of alcoholism. It is quite the opposite. Alcoholism, or any other addiction, is a degenerative condition that destroys not only the person afflicted, but their loved ones equally. In fact, there is no one in our society that does not pay the price for a person’s addictive behavior.

      It is my hope none of you ever experiences such a circumstance. You should know, that if you do, I would plead for you to find professional help immediately. You should also know that I realize everyone finds themselves — someplace at some time — they never thought they would be. We are all much less invincible than we think and more susceptible to getting lost in seemingly harmless, yet dangerous behavior.

      I beg you to keep yourself safe from delusions of being able to control the power of any potential addiction. Should you arrive at that point anyway, find your way back to a healthy life and remember this: I have the greatest respect for anyone who confronts their mistakes, takes responsibility, turns their world around, and does not look back. I admire and applaud their strength. Ultimately, I would be immensely proud of you and your ability to achieve self-control.

       Back to the Cup:

      As any medical professional would tell you, drinking problems are never 100% cured — they are managed. As long as you continue to breathe, it will be a challenge.

      So is true for the Fuddle Cup drinking problem everyone has. You will never be rid of it; however, you can manage it — especially to your advantage. Many alcoholics who are managing their situation well, explain that while they wish they could take back all of the mistakes and pain they caused, they have never been happier or felt more alive since their recovery. Interesting.

      I interviewed a group of Alcoholics Anonymous members on the subject. Some of the reasons they cite for the shift in their life happiness and satisfaction are things such as:

       Freedom in honesty about who you really are [especially with yourself]

       Humility and responsibility of how your actions affect others

       Permission not to be perfect and skills to make restitution

       Living by a new code that admits: life is bigger than you are. You are not the center, nor can you control everything — and those are good things

       A new awareness and true sense of purpose

       Mastering new skills of empowerment to balance your life and have more control over your future

      I learned a great deal from those brave and honest people. I am grateful for their candor. It was not difficult to identify that what they were describing — the very thing that saved their lives and spared the loved ones around them — were basic life skills that everyone could benefit from, but too few have had the opportunity to receive.

      It is both tragic and ironic that something terrible had to happen to these people in order for them to have an extraordinary life later.

      Then I considered the countless others in the world; those who are somewhat or incredibly dissatisfied with their life. Nothing tragic has happened to them and, therefore, nothing has changed. They continue to live an unsatisfying life where they experience insufficient reward or peace, and have not honed skills to effectively change their situation beyond escapism and/or denial.

      Then I thought of you. I do not want any of you to experience something tragic in order to learn how to make life more fulfilling. Perhaps worse, I do not want you to live a life of unfulfilling, quiet despair — and actually believing that is how life is supposed to be.

      It seems reasonable that if people were given some of the basic life skills taught in recovery in the first place, perhaps a tremendous amount of tragedy could be avoided. Who needs a false stimulus or sedative when you are already high on life and have peace about what you can control in your future?

      I hope you go from learning how to drink from your sippy cup directly into learning some principles on how to handle your Fuddle Cup. The thought of that gives me incredible joy and peace. Should these concepts not make their way to you until you are much older, remember that you are never too old to learn or change things — sometimes it just hurts a little more to stretch yourself later in life.

      One Life — One Life-Long Drinking Problem