Last week we looked at the benefits and costs of continuing alcohol abuse. We also wrote about motivation and that it’s tough to give up short term benefits for long term ones.

This week we’d like to take a look at how you’ve been talking to yourself. This is another area where the reality – and the research – are clear. We become what we expect and what we reinforce – the classic self-fulfilling prophecy.

There is no better example than the ones found at every AA meeting: “Hi, I’m Ed, and I’m an alcoholic.”

Combine that with the “First Step” – I’m powerless – and guess what you will become?

That’s right – a “powerless alcoholic” with a permanent excuse to keep on drinking.

That’s exactly what over 98% of those who try AA do. Except now they drink even more, blackmailing their families with the nonsense that they have a “disease”, and believing it themselves.

Of course, sadly, there is some appeal in all of that Voo Doo cult thinking. If it’s a disease that lets everyone off the hook for developing an alcohol abuse problem, and it excuses us from ever fixing it.

But we really don’t need that excuse. Most of us slipped into alcohol abuse simply because it “worked” – as we noted last week. No reason to feel guilty or ashamed about that.

By the same token, we can also leave it behind now that it isn’t working. We do that by actively creating a better life, not by being passive victims

Who are you? A powerless alcoholic? Or a successful competent, creative, active adult who’s ready to leave alcohol – in all its guises – behind?

You really do get to choose..

We All Want to Have Quit Last Year!

As a drinker or a smoker or someone who’s gotten out of shape, we all wish we’d done something about it last year, or last month, or last week.

When I decided to join a gym 4 years ago to shed the fat I’d collected after stopping smoking, I stopped wishing I’d done it sooner. I quit yelling at myself about the cigarettes or the fat.

I could quit fretting about my past because I was doing all I could in the present.

I cemented that decision by hiring a trainer for 6 months and paying in advance. That guaranteed I’d show up, pay attention, learn, work at it, and get to the point where I could manage it on my own.

Now I feel better about my weight and physical condition, and I’ve improved my outlook on life.

My experience with the gym parallels what we provide you with – a starting point, skills, tools, motivation, and the coaching that turns the changes you want into the reality you live.

Tools We Use

Some of you have reported that your doctor had prescribed Compral as an aid to stopping drinking.

Apparently drug company reps have been pushing it for that purpose even though the only possible value comes after 90 days of abstinence.

Even then Compral’s only use, and that’s debatable, is in re-balancing brain waves that might have been disrupted through alcohol abuse.

We looked around for something that might do the same thing sooner, cheaper, and better. That’s when Mary Ellen tracked down ECO Institute and their series of meditation CD ‘s.

We tried the “Balance” CD and liked it and now give it to all of our clients. We’ve tried the “Awakenings” and “Into the Deep” ones as well. We like them all as an alternative to alcohol for fast and easy temporary relief of stress and anxiety.

We don’t endorse all of ECO’s claims, but we do like the CD ‘s calming effects. You can find a link to their site at:

Alcohol Treatment: Organizations and Resources.

Please remember, you can always call us!! One of us usually answers the phone personally 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m., Pacific Daylight Time, Monday – Thursday, unless we are with clients.

Even on the weekends, Friday – Sunday, we’re normally available from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

If we can’t answer because we’re with a client or away from our desks, please leave a message. One of us will usually be able to get back to you within an hour.