By Dr. Ed Wilson

Men’s Issues Are Different

There are fundamental differences between men and women when it comes both to alcohol use and treating alcohol abuse. Even when the underlying problems are the same the cure may not be.

Basically, most men need to learn to slow down without using alcohol – while most women need to start “doing stuff” instead of talking everything to death.

We’re Action Based

As men, we’re programmed to do stuff – not contemplate and process. That means we’re far less susceptible to depression than women, but far more apt to use activity to avoid fixing whatever it is – loneliness, boredom, anxiety – that’s led us down the alcohol soaked path.

The trouble is all that activity merely stops us from ever fixing whatever’s bothering us. Seems like there ought to be a better way.

Getting A Grip

Let’s face it – most of us men still sign up for being the strong silent type (and women’s lib rhetoric to the contrary, most women still want that in a man, too) who never gets around to saying what it is that’s actually bothering us. It isn’t that we don’t know – it’s just the expectation that admitting that we’re bored, or lonely, or scared – or sick and tired of being sick and tired – will result in the women in our lives abandoning us.

Hell of a choice. Drink ourselves to death or be abandoned.

Getting a grip means taking a chance on there being other possibilities.

Getting A Life

Many women in the 40-70 age group are still sitting around waiting for Prince Charming to take care of them, and plenty of us are still signing up for that role, even when it’s killing them and us. While women drinkers need to learn to save themselves actively, as men, we need to start defining ourselves in terms beyond Sir Lancelot.

Let’s face it; you know how well the traditional roles have worked out for you. They haven’t. If they had, you wouldn’t be reading this. Time to get a new blueprint for your life, one that works for you.

Getting Older Helps

If nothing else, age tells us what doesn’t work for us. And somewhere inside we know what’s actually bothering us. Advancing years usually come with an increasing awareness that time is running out, and that misery and alcohol are shortening our life expectancy.

So what have you got to lose? That’s right. Not Much. Just isolation. And anxiety. And loneliness. And boredom. Maybe it’s time to take a chance?

Take This Chance

Leaving alcohol behind means finding something to take its place – something that actually fixes your problems rather than simply medicating them. It doesn’t mean substituting another “fix,” whether gambling, eating, pornography, hookers, or “working your program,” for drinking.

It does mean becoming your own favorite research project and becoming involved in the most interesting part of your life.

How We Can Help

We can help you sort out your priorities and create strategies for reaching your goals. More importantly, we can give you permission to live your own life and show you examples from our own experience.

All of us have more opportunities than we are aware of. Let us help you discover all of the possibilities you have for a better, happier, healthier and fuller life.

Start putting yourself first today by calling 888-541-6350!