August 3

Don’t take that first drink. Man! Why didn’t I think of that? It may seem ridiculous to think about years into your recovery, but at some point, it never occurred to you to just not take that first drink. Denial is so fucking strange. It’s like living with a friend that has convinced you of a truth that is obviously a known lie to everyone else. The self-deception it takes to overlook the very thing that is destroying our existence is a powerful force in our minds. Strangers and relatives will look at us as though we are absolutely insane and require padded cells for our own protection. But we truly need protection from our minds; no amount of a white padded cell (or treatment center) can provide that. So, what do we do about that?

Reflections

Are you still having trouble putting down that first drink? Have you thought about why that might be? Is drinking the problem, or do you still see it as the solution?

Daily Challenge

Listen to us discuss the book “Living Sober” on SoberPod.com Search the podcast feed for “New Beginnings.”