A Nauseating Truth About Using The Alcoholic Identity As a Coping Mechanism
Do you feel trapped by your addiction, or by your idea of what constitutes an addiction?
Which is it: a substance abuse issue or a feeling?
I’m Kohdi, and I’m an ex-alcoholic who almost died from liver failure and the creator of Beyond Sober.
Is calling yourself an addict just a coping mechanism?
Because of your inability to simply say “no”?
Do you have a formal addiction diagnosis?
Because whatever comes after “I am” in a sentence is what you will become.
Reason being: it’s an absolute assertion, and your mind can’t tell the difference between a notion and the truth.
When you affirm, “I am,” your mind immediately begins searching for evidence that supports your claim.
Even though it has no bearing on your life, you may come to accept it as truth.
I want you to honestly assess whether or not you have a substance abuse problem.
Just because other people think you’re an alcoholic doesn’t make you one.
Just because people label you as such does not make you an alcoholic.
Just because you can handle a lot of alcohol or like to have a good time frequently does not make you an alcoholic.
You’ve been drinking your whole life, but that doesn’t make you an alcoholic.
The ignorant will always find a way to categorize you.
Identifying as an alcoholic means you identify with all of the social bias that comes along with it.
And when we’re in that kind of mental rut, we tend to believe whatever nonsense other people tell us and defend that belief no matter what the evidence suggests.
It doesn’t matter if it’s not true.
It doesn’t matter if you please everyone and conform to their expectations, they will always see you as an alcoholic no matter what.
Living well is the ultimate act of defiance.
Therefore, if you already drink alcohol and find that it detracts from rather than adds to your quality of life, you should begin developing the habit of drinking less immediately.
Don’t just quit but practice drinking less.
In general, contented people don’t drink to the point of death.
Peaceful people couldn’t care less what the majority thinks of them.
Yours is the only valid point of view.
It’s time you started making your path through truth.
