Using Alcohol to Cope With PTSD – Del’s Naked Life
Del spent years as a Glasgow detective using alcohol to cope with PTSD. Limiting failed, and so did quitting, until he educated himself about alcohol....
Did you always consider yourself a normal drinker? Everyone does it and it’s typical to indulge, right? That’s what Joe T thought too – until he got Naked. Here is his Naked Life story.
I’ve always considered myself a “normal” drinker. I love beer. The smell of it, the taste, the sound of it pouring into a glass. I love everything about it. How its cold, golden goodness felt in my throat on a hot, dusty day. I drank it every day. It was the answer. Truly, I believed we are here on this earth to drink.
I thought non drinkers and recovering alcoholics were weird.
I wanted them to be “normal” like me. In fact, I tried to “fix” the ones that I knew.
My brother is a self-described alcoholic. He is convinced he has a disease and that his genetic makeup is predisposed to alcoholism. He believes his brain is broken and that you can’t fix a broken mind with a broken mind. My project became changing him. I was going to turn him into a normal drinker. No more DUIs, disorderly conduct, or assault charges, and no more losing jobs or going to jail. He was going to be my drinking buddy. Golfing, fishing, hunting, going to the ball game, we’d be “normal.” We’d have a few beers and then home to our families. Our man caves would be our shrines to beer and our favorite sports teams. We’d wear graphic tees with beer logos and clever quotes. It was going to be great.
A great life dedicated to drinking beer, hootin’ and hollerin’ and being brothers.
So I decided to educate myself. I began reading a lot of books related to alcoholism. I wanted to arm myself with knowledge so I could work it into conversations with my brother, planting seeds here and there that would one day lead to his epiphany or “ah ha” moment, and presto!
He’d be a “normal” drinker like me, and the beer could flow with no uncomfortable awkwardness between us.
Soon my browser was full of many book recommendations. One book that caught my eye was This Naked Mind. I had a hard time believing all the positive reviews, though. One said something like “Read this book and you will cut back or completely stop drinking, forever.” I thought this was what my brother needed but I knew he’d never read it.
My brother is an AA man, even though AA hasn’t seemed to work for him. I thought I’d read This Naked Mind and if it seemed legit I’d tell my brother to read it. It took me just four days to finish the book.
My drinking stopped the first day that I began reading. I haven’t had a drink since.
That was 91 days ago. I didn’t even set out to quit drinking – and everyone I know is shocked. My brother hasn’t read it yet and I think he’s still skeptical about it. I was drinking about a case of beer per week, and now I have no desire to drink whatsoever. I’d be very surprised if I ever drink again. I never would have been able to stop without reading that book.
Are you a normal drinker curious about This Naked Mind? Start reading now!
I’m so glad I read This Naked Mind. I was so brainwashed and misled before. I’m not “normal” after all. Don’t be normal. The way I feel now is how I always hoped alcohol would make me feel, but it never did.
The greatest stories are those that sparked a change when someone wasn’t looking for one.
Did our books, the app, the podcasts, or another program turn you off from being a normal drinker? We want you to share your story here and inspire others on their journey!
