I Drank Because I Lost My Hire Power

Can you single out one key catalyst that led you to drink? I can. There were a bunch of things going wrong in my life all at the same time. But it was the layoff from the best job I ever had that darkened my world the most. Not finding another full-time job while smack-dab in middle age left me feeling helpless and hopeless. I had no value.

"Unresolved hurt is at the root of all addictive and compulsive behaviors. And when compounded by our fear of confronting the incidents that have wounded us in the first place, it sets us up to rewound ourselves by doing hurtful things to ourselves and others.... If our hopelessness remains unaddressed, we will continue to be at risk of selling our souls, our integrity, and our dignity." (Why Good People Do Bad Things, by Debbie Ford, https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=4417177&page=1)

With every drink, I sold my soul, integrity, and dignity. We all did. The path to sobriety is clear of brambles only when we deal with our feelings of hopelessness. By improving my relationship with God, I found hope by seeking to do his will. I realized that losing my job was probably God's will because it set me up to do good things I didn't have the time or energy to do when I was working full-time. My struggles with alcoholism and unemployment gave me subject matter and time to achieve my lifelong ambition to write a book (http://covenantbooks.com/books/?book=corking-the-bottle). And with the publication of that book. God has enabled me to help others deal with their alcoholism, even though I will never know or meet many of these people.

Look for hope. You will find it when you find your higher power.