Avoid Intoxicants
Impacts: Health, Mind, Community, Money, Time
“An American monkey, after getting drunk on brandy, would never touch it again, and thus is much wiser than most men.” – Charles Darwin
Most people use some sort of mind altering drug from alcohol to caffeine to cocaine. Some are legal and some are not but they all help get us through the day. They also treat the symptoms and not the causes of our discomfort.
For example coffee in the morning helps us get going. A beer after work helps us wind down. Both are simple chemical methods for changing the way we feel and they make it easier for us to avoid the real issues. Coffee helps us make up for the late night, unbalanced diet, or bad sleep. Alcohol helps us take the edge off stress and helps us forget our troubles temporarily. Both are legal. Both can create long term health problems. Both are addicting.
When we choose to avoid intoxicants two things happen immediately. The first is that we’re faced with dealing with the stuff they helped us avoid. The second is that we’re faced with the physical and mental reality of an addiction. But once these initial hurdles have been overcome and replaced with something better you’ll find that you’re saving money, time, and feel much better.
The bigger the problem the bigger the payback in personal freedom. By the same token every step in a positive direction is a good thing. Don’t get discouraged if cold turkey isn’t your thing either, simply try cutting back. Most addictions are part physical and part in our heads. The stuff in our heads is often harder to overcome so try replacing it with a positive replacement.
Take Action
- Every time you take a sip, drag, snort, puff, poke, chew, whatever, ask yourself one simple question… “do I need this?”
- Get professional help if you’ve got a real problem.
- Try adding a quick walk first thing in the morning instead of coffee and TV.
