The Alcoholics Survival Bible

By Joe Bloggs

The Alcoholics Survival Bible is the latest venture into the dark and maligned world of addiction and alcoholism by Joe Bloggs. In his first book “From the Horses Mouth” Joe told his story of how he had to endure almost twenty-five years under the lash of alcoholism. When enough was enough,and he was sick of being sick he was left with no other option other than to seek out a solution to the disease which was slowly killing him. It was only then that he could accept his powerlessness over the booze and face his demons.
The Alcoholics Survival Bible delves deeper in to this dark world of addiction and looks in greater detail at the methods he uses to keep him well a day at a time even though he is well into his second decade of sobriety.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Joe Bloggs
• Release date: Mar 22, 2015
• ISBN: 9781310134531

Joe Bloggs

I was born in the dying years of the 1950,s, to a working class family in the North east of England. My childhood was a happy one and my early life was good.It was only when I discovered alcohol that I began to realise, that I was not as normal as I had first thought.Then,without rhyme or reason, over the following three decades, I turned into a full blown alcoholic. Once I took the first drink I simply could not stop, no matter what the consequences. Although I had the willpower to run several miles a day in all weathers,when it came to the booze I was totally powerless.This insane addiction subsequently drove me to near death and insanity .Then one day, enough was enough, I was sick of being sick. I was finished, I had hit rock bottom.The only way was up. It was only when given the gift of desperation that I had no other option but to seek out a solution for this insane addiction.That was the best part of twenty years ago and I have not found it necessary to take a drink since then. Having never written before, i felt compelled to share my story and the steps i take on a daily basis to remain clean and sober.my first e-book entitled “From The Horses Mouth” will hopefully be published in mid January 2015 .It will deal with the obsessive ,compulsive,thinking patterns that drive the addict to behave as he does ...

Book preview

The Alcoholics Survival Bible.

By Joe Bloggs

Recovering Alcoholic & Addiction Author

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2015

JOE BLOGGS RECOVERY PUBLISHING UK

THE ALCOHOLICS SURVIVAL BIBLE

By Joe Bloggs

Smashwords Edition

Thank you for downloading this e-book. This book remains the copyrighted property of the author, and may not be redistributed to others for commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoyed this book, please encourage your friends to download their own copy from their favourite authorised retailer   Thank you for your support. Contact me at  joebloggsalcoholic.com

Kind Thanks To

Alcohol desgracia by Ray Nata - Own work. Licensed under GFDL via Wikimedia Commons -

For The Use Of The Cover Photograph

Table of Contents

About the author

Introduction

Chapter One Why the addict needs a survival bible

Chapter Two Lest we forget

Chapter Three Picking up the kit of spiritual tools

Chapter Four You are what you think

Chapter Five One day at a time

Chapter Six Why can I not do this alone?

Chapter Seven Altered attitudes

Chapter Eight The courage to change

Chapter Nine Helping others

A final word

About The Author

"Every form of addiction is bad, no matter whether the narcotic be alcohol or morphine or idealism."-Carl Jung

Greetings to you all; you have probably guessed by now that my real name is not Joe Bloggs. The name Joe Bloggs is a type of name that writers and authors tend to refer to as a pen name or a pseudonym, some prefer to call it a nom de plume. I like the title nom de plume because it sounds quite bohemian and mysterious, so I think we will stick with nom de plume eh. Please, humour me.

It really does not seem that long ago that I was drunk and in the gutter, down but not completely out. Now today, I am adopting a nom de plume. Oh dear, an alcoholic with delusions of grandeur. Ah well, even when lying in the gutter we can still look up at the stars. I’m quoting Oscar Wilde now! I do have my tongue in my cheek whilst writing that particular sentence. I really must take a long hard look at myself. Again!

And that my friend is the simple secret to recovery. Taking a long hard look in the mirror on a daily basis, with the firm intention of bringing about a positive change of mind and behaviour. Easy don't you think? Remember I said simple, not easy. If it were that easy everybody would be doing it, and all would be cured of their malady tomorrow.

I digress; let’s get back to who I am. To put it bluntly, I have no medical qualifications whatsoever, other than a basic first aid certificate. All I can bring to your table is my first hand experience of living a life of hell on the planet of self destructive addiction. I have attained my education and knowledge of alcoholism and addiction at the University of Life, The School of Hard Knocks.

To be honest about it, that is exactly what I have been doing for the last eighteen years, taking a good long hard look at myself. Looking at Joe Bloggs, the alcoholic and addict. Addict you say? Well yes, I dislike the word addict almost as much as I abhorred the title alcoholic (no one despises the word alcoholic more than an alcoholic).

My story indicates that over the past eighteen years or so, I have been prescribed opiate based pain killers for an injured lower back. The trouble was, that long after the cause of the back pain had subsided, I continued to abuse the drug and subsequently became addicted to it. So yes, I suppose that would make me a drug addict as well as an alcoholic. Talk about bad luck eh? Guess I must have broken two mirrors at some point in my life.

Now let me tell you, those are two very hard and unpalatable facts to digest, but if the cap fits, then wear it, as the saying goes. I do know for a stonewall fact, that if I had ever tried heroin or cocaine, or even gambling, I would have become addicted immediately. I have an addictive personality, and I don't mean that in a positive or beneficial way either. The bottom line is, if I find a chemical or substance that has the ability to make me feel good, I instantly become hooked on it! It doesn't even have to make me feel good; just to make me feel normal would suffice.

I have come to believe that alcoholics and addicts just do not feel normal unless the drug of choice is running through their veins. They feel agitated and uneasy, anxious and fearful. The problem being is that you just cannot stay drunk, or high, all day long. Well, you could try, but you would either die or go Insane eventually! I can say that from personal experience, as I have tried it many times and come far too close to both death and Insanity for comfort.

Back in early 1996 I had hit rock bottom. I had evolved over a period of many years into a full blown chronic alcoholic. It only seems like yesterday that I was drinking myself into an early grave at the age of thirty-six, but in reality that was the best part of two decades ago. Throughout this eighteen year period I have undoubtedly made many mistakes. But most importantly I have tried to learn from those mistakes, and nothing is a mistake if we can learn a lesson from it. We all have our own paths to tread, some being easier to walk than others.

If you are an alcoholic or addict, or maybe a family member, or loved one of either of those two unfortunate species, then you're probably at the end of your tether. Sick and tired of trying to compete with this dreadful illness of addiction. Always coming out from the fight second-best and weary of banging your head against the same unyielding brick wall.

It is the purpose of this book, to present the reader, whether they are alcoholic, drug abuser or any other lost soul affected by some form of grave self destructive addiction, a message of endless hope for future recovery. You may have gravitated to the