I learned as an intern in a private outpatient facility how easy it is to fool ourselves about our addictions.  For quite a while, my role was providing counsel to individuals mandated by the court to receive counseling after getting a DUI.  A lot of those people didn’t have a problem with addiction, just a huge problem with poor judgement.  Drink alcohol and then drive a car?  Are you nuts?  I never failed to be surprised at the explanations people gave for being arrested.  “I was just unlucky that night” was among the most popular.  “The cops were stalking me” was also used often.  Hey, there’s nothing wrong with occasional social drinking, as long as it’s contained.  As long as it stops short of creating problems.  As long as it’s in perspective.  But perspective means “view”.  And so how do we know if we have the “right view”, especially of ourselves?  How do we know when we’re fooling ourselves about a pattern of behavior that just may have become destructive?  How do we know when a pattern that started with the occasional celebratory glass of wine has now become a nightly problem with a substance upon which I’ve become dependent?  Might be time to take a look.   Asking myself a few questions can point to a need for action.  The acronym CAGE is used very effectively in alcohol treatment centers worldwide as a first step during intake procedures.  The letters represent four simple questions:  1.  Have I ever felt the need to Cut back on my drinking?  2.  Have people Annoyed me by criticizing my drinking? 3.  Have I ever felt Guilty about drinking?  4.  Have I ever chosen an Eye opener (alcoholic drink first thing in the morning) to cure a hangover?  A yes to even one of these may signal a need to take a look.  It may be time to test an hypothesis:  “I’m not an alcoholic…really”.  In my practice, I advise patients to set a goal of total abstinence for a short period, usually 7 to 21 days.  Long enough to see if they can really pull it off, and enough time to examine thoughts and feelings that inevitably arise when someone changes a deeply ingrained pattern of behavior.  The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders calls it a problem when a behavior interferes with daily living.  That’s a very personal evaluation, but one that could just be the turning point for an entirely new and empowered, healthier life after alcohol.

Namaste,
John