When I was 11. I had my first drink of alcohol. When I was 14, I had my first blackout. When I was 22, I was arrested for DUII. I was jailed, then bailed out, then convicted in court. I received a hefty fine and a six months license suspension.
I didn’t’ quit drinking.
When I was 27 my life was in the gutter. I couldn’t think of any reason to continue living. I decided to kill myself. I couldn’t do it at home. I had two young daughters whom I did not want to see me dead.
I was drinking, got into my car to drive to a location where I could do it and the girls would never see me. On the way, I wrecked my car (one more car down), was arrested, and thrown into another jail. I passed out and “slept” until morning.
When I awoke, I heard a voice in my head that said: “You are better than this.”
I attribute this voice to my higher power. I believed it and have not had a drink since that night … over 50 years ago.
Pre-contemplation was in the years between the first and second arrest. Contemplation was in the second night in jail. Preparation and action began on the day I got out of jail and continued for approximately one year, give or take (terms are explained here).
I went into treatment, confirmed I was an alcoholic, became heavily involved in the 12 steps, and during that next year worked through the steps until I reached the last. That one told me to take the message of inner peace I had found and share it with others. I have done so ever since, and I continue to cherish my life in the “maintenance” stage of change.
I have left much out of this narrative, especially between the steps of precontemplation and contemplation. However, the information cited is correct.
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