| |
––––––––
I speak to many people who have found themselves on the path to sobriety because of a ‘rock bottom’ moment in their lives caused by their drinking. This is a time or event when they’ve reached the lowest possible point, and life seems as if it can’t get any worse. It usually involves some seriously regrettable behaviour, such as driving under the influence, cheating on (or losing) a partner, or another misdemeanour that the sober version of themselves would be absolutely mortified by.
This happens. I’ve witnessed people lose their spouses and children, and others who end up in jail and even hospital. These incidents can be life-changing, but we have to remember that they are not always so in a purely negative way (even though it seems like it at the time). This is because the rock bottom moment can bring with it a feeling of clarity and a clear vision that things need to change. After all, from the bottom, there is only one direction to travel and that’s upwards.
I never had a rock bottom moment, although I had plenty of reasons to regret my behaviour. I simply reached a point at which I was sick and tired of the damage alcohol was causing, both internally and externally. You don’t need to have had a rock bottom moment to discover you need to make a change; there are no rules of entry to the world of ‘alcohol-free’. No matter where you are or what has gone before, the fact that you’re reading this book is evidence that you’re serious about making a lasting change. Give yourself a big pat on the back.
And does this mean that if you haven’t had a rock bottom moment, you’ve got off lightly? Not really. As I say, I didn’t have one but I can remember numerous episodes when I came close to it. Maybe if I’d crashed into the depths 10 years earlier, I might have made a change more quickly. Without it, I continued for years in blissful unawareness that I even had a problem, followed by more years of pain when I realised I did have one, but had no idea of how to solve it.
The most important thing to realise is that however you ended up here, reading this page, you’re serious about taking back control in your life. Don’t dwell on the past, but move forward, just like you will move forward through the pages in this book.