“I don’t feel cheated, I feel smart …”

From my inbox:

Barista71:

Thank you…something seems to have clicked. Like the want to move forward.  I feel like I have stalled my life long enough and now I see the one thing that was always there then (booze), and that something has to change if I want something to change. My thinking, feelings about alcohol have finally changed. I don’t feel cheated, I feel smart for making this CHOICE for myself. I am grateful now that I was the binge/blackout drinker and not had to deal with withdraws (except the week of hell after my last binge, fear, anxiety, shame, disgust) so no physical addiction, more mental and my feelings/thoughts about it have changed. It didn’t beat me, I quit while I was still ahead! 🙂

me:

me too. I equate it with being in a bad poker game, and deciding to fold early and cut your losses. I wrote this when i was nearly 9 months sober: “I’m fucking proud of myself. There’s plenty of boozing and alcohol abuse in my extended family. I quit before I had any real problems. I got out early, like folding in the middle of a bad poker game. I just cut my losses and got out.” more here.