Lose Your Bottle and Gain Your Courage

Just like the mouse and the scientist I now realise that I only had to look at other drunken people to know that alcohol doesn’t actually do anything. But I was a mouse and under the influence. I believed in the alcohol world; a Truman-like world within a world. A world that had created a set of false fears to con me into thinking that I couldn’t escape; a world that deluded me into thinking I could not enjoy life or manage without it. I had the bottle but had lost my true confidence. When I finally lost my bottle (and the can!), I regained it.

One of the greatest joys of being totally free is actually to be in a position where any moments of stress have once again become exciting challenges. As you are now aware, alcohol causes stress: physical, mental, emotional and financial. Because I am now physically, mentally, emotionally and financially much better off than before, I can easily deal with stress as it happens, instead of doing an impression of an ostrich every time a challenge comes along. More importantly, I do not have as much stress to deal with anyway. Once you are free you gain true courage and have true confidence again which means that you are a lot more capable of dealing with anything that happens. Stress only becomes stress if you are not strong enough to cope and, if you are slave to a drug like alcohol, you will always be more

mentally and physically depressed than you ever would as a person that doesn’t need to drink.

It is so wonderful to be able genuinely to relax with a totally calm and unstressed mind and body. No more effects of the drug itself, or stress of trying to get over the symptoms of the drug, or stress of feeling guilty because I needed the drug or stress of thinking about when I could next get it. Am I saying that you will never get stressed again once you stop drinking? No, of course not. There are good and bad days whether you are a drinker or a person who doesn’t drink but, physically and mentally, you will be so much stronger that the highs will be that much higher and the lows nowhere near as low as they used to be. If somebody smashes into my car I don’t say, ‘That’s OK, I’m a non-drinker ,’ I still get upset. The difference is that now I am much better equipped to deal with it and I do not feel the need to turn to a drug to solve that problem. I now turn to a mechanic. It’s so nice to be the scientist and not the mouse.

The truth is that when you put your mind outside the cage you soon start to see the obvious. The only reason why the mouse was hitting the button was to try to end a low. The only reason why people drink alcohol is also to try to end a low. Perhaps the low is lack of self-confidence, courage or self-respect. They may drink to help with inhibition, shyness, insecurity, lack of concentration, stress, boredom, deprivation or just plainly and simply to end the low of not being able to enjoy themselves without the drug. The problem is

that alcohol causes all of these lows. It never genuinely relieves them or solves them. It is so clear when you look at it with an open mind. The relaxing drinks are the ones taken at relaxing times. The drinks that make you happy are taken at happy times. The drink never changes, only the situations. It is always the situation that is special, never the drink.

Alcohol had destroyed my courage and confidence so subtly over so many years that I wasn’t aware of it but all the time I thought it was doing the opposite. I had been conditioned to believe that alcohol helps people to enjoy their lives; that it helps give them courage, helps them relax and gives them confidence. I now see very clearly that they are not particularly happy, relaxed or more confident with alcohol but very miserable, insecure and certainly not relaxed without it. The alcohol itself simply creates all the illusions and, backed up by the massive brainwashing that’s gone on, we believe these illusions to be true. It is such a clever confidence trick but that is all it is, a trick, a con.

Look at people who have never drunk alcohol. There aren’t many in this country and some of the only examples are children or those with religious constraints. There are some adults who have never had an alcoholic drink who go to parties and enjoy themselves or love a relaxing bath. They have confidence and they have courage. When you drink and are in exactly the same social situation as them, you are never happier or more relaxed than them. Nor do you have more courage or

confidence than a non-drinker. The sad reality is that you have a great deal less.

Alcohol suppresses your central nervous system, your courage, confidence and self-respect. So the person who doesn’t need to drink wins hands down every time. When they are happy it is true happiness, when they are relaxed it is true relaxation, when they are confident it is true confidence. When you drink it’s all false. Why do you feel as though you need alcohol and they don’t? It’s because of the drug itself and the indoctrination. Alcohol creates fear and insecurity and it is these feelings that keep people hooked on something that they wish they didn’t need. It is fear of many things but the worst fear that we have been conditioned to believe is that you can never be truly free from alcohol addiction. But as I will repeat once more, all these fears and insecurities are created by the drug itself and the brainwashing since birth. Once you get rid of all that brainwashing and you purge the poison from your body, all the fears are immediately removed. You never had these fears before you started taking the drug and you won’t have them again after you stop; it’s only drinkers who have them. I now no longer have these fears. I was having that drink was because of the harmful effects of the last drink. I was the mouse yet I thought I was a ‘tru’ man!

The advantages of not drinking could fill another book. As I have said, the difference is like living in another world; more money, fitness, health, energy, courage, self-confidence, ability to relax, self-respect, mental and physical vibrancy, happiness, freedom from having

to exercise control over my addiction and yes, a better love life. I’m truly free.

This is something organisations like AA believe is not only hard but impossible to achieve. According to them you can stop drinking but, instead of true freedom, the best you can expect is a life in …