I feel like I struggle with this sometimes. Let’s just put some cards on the table.
My mom is a great person. She’s also an alcoholic. Recovered, but I believe the way of the world in that space is to use the present tense. My dad drinks socially. My grandfather (mom’s side) was definitely an alcoholic. I’ve got a few other examples too.
So let’s start there: genetics loads the gun, and environment pulls the trigger. That’s a common saying and I think it’s largely true.
OK, so this isn’t designed to be a post about my flaws. I have a good deal of those, and I’m usually pretty transparent with them overall. I won’t link you out on that stuff because if you dig around for 172 seconds or look at my LinkedIn, it’s all there.
Conventional narrative is that my (first?) marriage ended because of all this, and that has some validity. It’s not the entire story though. For me to tell you the entire story, we’d need to be closer than someone just reading this post. Reach out and I’d be glad to, if you care.
One of my flaws is that I drink more than I want to, but I don’t always know how to manage it properly. I’ve tried a few different things over time, up to and including hitting some AA meetings, and I have good periods and bad periods with going out/drinking, but I’ve never really mastered it.
Now I’m less than 24 months to 40, and I’m halfway-semi-kinda in shape but not really, and I feel like it’s a good time to try and hit this KPI/number for good.
So: what you got? Have you struggled here, and if so, how have you found a healthier relationship with alcohol?
