This is an important point… which makes the weight of personal responsibility that much greater. I have very little control when it comes to the consumption of alcohol. The initial impairment kicks in with maybe a drink or two, and then it seems that I can’t stop. I always end up with a hangover, or worse.
At one time I stopped drinking altogether. “I’ll fix this,” I thought. Being around other drinkers became very hard for me, and the fact that I couldn’t have ‘just one beer’ made me very irritated. But alcohol became a more powerful temptation than before… I would go out with friends and drink in even greater excess.
So I made a conscious decision to decide on how much I would drink before I even got started: “I will only have x amount of drinks throughout the night, even if my heart says otherwise.” I only have slip-ups on the nights where I forget my intentions… otherwise, this method has worked very solidly. I have a drink or two, feel good, and have no regrets.
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