Buddy, You're the Problem

FOR YEARS, I engaged in the typical alcoholic denial process of searching for the causes of my drinking problems in people, places, and things. It seemed impossible to relate my sorry condition to my own attitudes and character defects. My ability to rationalize had become such a strong habit that I was entirely unable to handle reality, to cope daily living in any effective way. The result, of course, was confusion, a low sense of self-worth, fear in the form of free-floating anxiety, a lack of self-respect and self-confidence--in short, colossal hurt that could be relieved by another drink, I thought. But the drinking helped for maybe thirty minutes. Then, the despair returned and the problems multiplied--physical, emotional, spiritual.