I wish I could have put my mind to it and just “kept up my guard” to obtain freedom from the disease and the permanent sobriety I now have, (17 years) but I could not. My experience was that those intervals of trying to exercise my will power to combat the disease always failed. I could achieve a month, 2 weeks, 45 days, even 6 months once. But ultimately I drank again. Why? Because I have alcoholism and I found it’s very nature is the sufferers inability to “keep his guard up” and use his own mind to combat the disease. I found I was “powerless” in my ability to choose. I had become alcoholic and could no longer safely use alcohol and control my use of it. Yes I could use my will power and keep my guard up for awhile, but those intervals were always short lived and what I did build up in terms of health, finance and romance was almost always lost.
If you find you cannot control your drinking and drink again, there is a way out I personally know to work. Not only have a I kept sober for 17 years but I have a new life, a new way of living. I no longer have to shield myself from booze, be careful about where I go or who I see. I haven’t had to keep my guard up for quite a long while. How? The spiritual program of AA.
