Hey Nodrama,
A little over a week ago, I embarked on a three day hunting
trip with two close friends; a trip that was planned one year in advance. A few days before the trip, one of the guys
asked me about how I felt about him drinking and smoking while at our remote
hunting cabin. I really appreciated his
concerns and I told him not to worry, for I wasn’t. The day of the trip the three of us packed up
our supplies (including beer and rum) on the ATVs and started on the two hour trail ride
to the cabin. During the ride, I was
wrestling with the decision to drink or not to drink, knowing that if I have
one, I was going to have many. Before
reaching the cabin I had made a conscious decision that I was going to drink. It wasn’t like something had suddenly come
over me and I didn’t know what was happening; it was a calculated decision that
I purposely made. When we reached the
cabin we unloaded our supplies, lit the woodstove fire, prepared dinner and sat
back drinking while devising a plan for the morning hunt. The three days did not result in a three day
drinking binge, but rather, a very good hunting experience with a lot of walking/tracking
involved. My last evening at the cabin I
began to wrestle with another decision; to try and maintain moderation or return to abstinence. That evening I chose the latter. It’s been a little over a week since
returning from the hunting trip (AF) and as I reflect back to my initial
decision (almost 5 weeks ago) to quit drinking, I’m wondering if the
anticipation of the hunting trip somehow influenced my reluctance to set any
goals.
Ashley,
I believe there were several things that helped me stay in
control, the main one being; this hunting trip was planned well in advance and
I did not want to ruin it for my hunting partners or myself (we take our
hunting seriously). In addition, safety is always a big consideration, especially
when using firearms; alcohol just doesn’t belong there. Following a long tiring day of hunting, it’s
great to relax back at the cabin in the evening and enjoy a few drinks (if you
can keep it at a few).
I didn’t consider my actions as anything amazing, rather, I
felt somewhat disappointed in myself for not remaining AF. I didn’t feel like I had accomplished or conquered
anything by drinking responsibly. Sure,
I was able to maintain my priorities over alcohol on this particular trip but I
also know from my past history, that I can only moderate for a short while. This is precisely why I decided to go AF
again.
Nodrama,
I’m not sure if planning one day a month has any benefit. For me, I believe it would only result in
disappointment and a blow to self-confidence.
Stay Strong!
Swig
Alcohol controls us only when we allow it. If we had no control, we would not be here on
this site, sharing accomplishments, or marking our days sober. I believe it’s
simply a conscious choice (a challenging one) we make; either we drink or we
don’t drink. Alcohol do not control me
when I’m sober (although it tries with urges, temptations, cravings) but
ultimately I am the one whom decides to indulge. Its only when we choose to drink, that the
addiction takes over and alcohol takes control.
I cannot blame my reckless actions and stupid decisions while under the
influence, on the alcohol. I am very
much aware of what alcohol does to me; repeated experience has proven that many
times over. If we just see ourselves as
victims and powerless over alcohol, then thousands of criminals in this country
should not be incarcerated because of alcohol related crimes (it wasn’t me, it was alcohol). So how do we prosecute Alcohol or put it
behind bars?
I am responsible and I hold myself accountable for my
choices and subsequent actions.
Thinking Comes Before Drinking
Swig
