| How many times have we said to ourselves, "I want | | | | - Admit to yourself that alcohol is a huge problem for |
| to stop drinking!" For me it was practically every day | | | | you and that you want to quit drinking. If you are |
| in the latter stages of my drinking career. I finally | | | | truly alcoholic, you will never be able to drink like |
| reached rock bottom and just couldn't continue like | | | | other people and you must come to the realization |
| that anymore. Lots of people will tell you to go to | | | | that you simply cannot drink. Period! |
| AA or rehab to stop drinking. I can tell you how to | | | | - You can't quit for anyone else but yourself. No |
| quit drinking alcohol and get your life back starting | | | | amount of pressure from family, friends, or law |
| now! | | | | enforcement will have any lasting effect if you don't |
| Let me first start by saying that I have nothing | | | | stay sober for yourself and nobody else. |
| against AA. As a matter of fact I have been a | | | | - You must change your playmates and playgrounds. |
| member for years and consider myself one of the | | | | Hang out with people who aren't going to influence |
| success stories. The cold hard reality though is that | | | | your old destructive behaviors. |
| most people who try AA do not have success. | | | | - A belief in a higher power is essential for most true |
| Alcoholics Anonymous only has a success rate of | | | | alcoholics. It doesn't matter if you are atheist or |
| around 10% and some say that the real number is | | | | agnostic. You can choose your own conception of |
| probably even lower. They are proud to have helped | | | | this higher power. You just need to believe in |
| millions recover from alcoholism and I am certainly | | | | SOMETHING! |
| one of them, but still the vast majority of those who | | | | Now, that being said, this is really all you need to |
| walk through the doors of AA drink again. And again! | | | | stop drinking alcohol. Is it easy? Heck no, it can be |
| Despite the fact that AA has worked for many, I do | | | | extremely difficult although the concepts are pretty |
| not believe that it is for everyone. If it was, the | | | | simple. The key is your willingness to take immediate |
| success rate would be a heck of a lot higher. Here is | | | | action because you are sick and tired of being sick |
| what I believe is essential for anyone who wants to | | | | and tired. Do you want to continue to live like this? |
| stop drinking: | | | | |