Alcoholism is known for causing curious thinking in the mind. Most infamously, among men who have developed alcoholism, is the dangerous thought: I can have just one. Learning about alcoholism during treatment enlightens men to the many twisted ways of thinking which quickly lead to relapse. Alcoholism has a simple goal: attain as much alcohol as possible. Once chemical dependency of mind and body are involved, alcoholism in the brain has a distinct network of possibilities to work with. What men realize about alcoholism is that there is no specific occasion for wanting to drink. The inspiration, more precisely, the craving for alcohol can and will come from anywhere. A sunny day? A grand time to get drunk. A rainy day? A grand time to get drunk? Winter time? Pass the time inebriated. Dinner time? Drinking should definitely be involved.
For Oregonians who are used to spending a majority of the year in relatively gloomy weather, the prospect of summer is a promising one. Whether it is a scorching hot year with an “Indian” summer that lasts to October or a mild year of consistent sunshine, the few months of daily Vitamin D get Oregonians excited. Men who find treatment and recovery in Oregon might find themselves falling into dangerous thinking as the idea of summer excites the very same system of pleasure in their brains as alcohol does. I’ll get sober again after summer, a man might try to convince himself. How can I be sober this summer.
The truth is- there’s no such thing as summer vacation from sobriety. Another truth is this: spending a summer sober and spending a summer drunk has only one difference and that is the drinking. One of the greatest fear factors for men seeking sobriety is the idea that not drinking anymore means not having fun anymore. By the end of their active alcoholism, men weren’t having fun anymore, even if they thought they were. Being chemically dependent on alcohol can include physical sickness, weakness, uncontrollable behaviors, and much more. Drinking might have been fun once. Alcoholism is not fun. Most men who develop alcoholic drinking patterns cannot return to any other kind. Abstinence leads to a life free from alcohol-driven sickness.
In our upcoming blogs, we’ll discuss the many ways to make your sober summers in Oregon some of the best. The best is yet to come in life when you get sober. Life is waiting to be lived. Learn how to live it.
Tree House Recovery in Portland, Oregon, offers men’s addiction treatment programs. Through our innovative and science based curriculums, men learn how to create sustainable changes in their lives by transforming themselves inside and out. Find freedom from addiction today by calling (503) 850-2474
