Remember When Alcohol Made You Sick

Most of us have been through it: huddled about the toilet, either feeling sick or actually vomiting because we had too much alcohol to drink. You may have even felt so nauseous that you wanted to vomit - or you made yourself vomit - just so you could get it over with and start feeling better. Chances are that you also told yourself at that time that you were either not going to drink like that again, or that you would quit drinking, once and for all. Unfortunately, that resolution didn't take hold, and you found yourself drinking as much as ever - perhaps even the next day.

What happened? Simply put, when we ARE drinking, everything seems fine. It's afterward that all the repercussions finally hit home. We never realize how badly alcohol is destroying our lives until we are huddled over that toilet getting sick, or appearing before a judge because of a DUI or alcohol-related legal matter. Generally speaking, there are 3 main reasons that most people get carried away when they drink. If you find yourself abusing alcohol then it's most likely because of one of the following:

First, binge drinking. This includes doing shots or slamming beers for the express purpose of getting drunk. Unless you're under tremendous peer pressure in college there is NO reason to participate in this type of behavior. It is time to grow up and start acting like a responsible adult who is in control of their life. If you DO feel peer-pressure to engage in this type of activity, like many college students do, it is imperative you find yourself some new friends before your old ones help you destroy yourself. Of course, if you ARE in college then you obviously have a great deal of pressure on you to engage in this type of activity. Please seek help before your life spirals out of control.

The second reason that people get carried away with drinking is when they allow alcohol to become their meal. As has often been stated, nearly all alcoholics and problem drinkers tend to "drink" one of their meals a day. They avoid food, or take just a minute portion, because alcohol is deemed as more desirable in that moment. Obviously, your body WANTS and NEEDS food more than alcohol to look and feel its best, but we all too easily lose our sense of judgment after a couple of drinks, and it seems easy to just to keep on drinking ... and drinking, and drinking.

The third reason that many get carried away with alcohol is that they've made it EASY to drink by storing alcohol at their home or office. You may have fallen into this trap in order to "save" a few extra bucks. or perhaps because you don't want to bother running out to the store when you have company over. Or, maybe you just like having some around the house "in case" you feel like drinking later on. Of course, what usually happened when you did this is that you ended up drinking alcohol simply because it was there.

The Power of Negativity

If you're trying to quit or cut back on your alcohol intake, then one of the more important steps is to constantly remind yourself of all the negative experiences related to your alcohol abuse. And, since you're reading this article, chances are that throughout your life you have had a lot of negative experiences involving alcohol.

It is this power of negativity that will help you remember all the reasons why, at some point in your life, you decided that you had a problem, and you decided to do something about it. Looking back on these "bad times" will help you continually reminding yourself WHY it is that you wanted to change in the first place.

When you focus on these negative experiences, and remember how you FELT at the time, you'll quickly find yourself building up a resolve to "not go down that road again." But, this resolve won't just come magically to you if you attempt to "block out" all these bad experiences. On the contrary, you have to remember how bad you felt at the time in order to continually reinforce your commitment to be healthier today.

What negative experiences got you to the point of saying "enough is enough"? How many times did you get sick? How many times did you hate yourself for getting drunk? How many arguments did you get into with your loved ones? How much money have you wasted? How often did you get in an accident, or forget what you did? How much of LIFE did you miss out on because drinking alcohol was the most important thing?

Use the Power of Negativity to Remove Alcohol from Your Life

Just to clarify, a positive attitude (coupled with positive actions) is absolutely essential if one is to become a healthier, happier person. You need to view both your present circumstances, and your future life, with an optimism that is grounded in healthy habits.

However, do not underestimate the power of negativity in your desire to remove bad habits from your life. In my article 10 Steps to Quit Drinking Alcohol I noted that you should remember (and feel) the negative experiences you had while drinking alcohol, so that by "re-living" it from time to time you will constantly refresh your memory as to exactly WHY you wanted to stop drinking alcohol in the first place.

Remind yourself on a daily basis about how bad things WERE for you when you drank too much, and how bad you felt at that time. Be thankful that now you are over that addiction, and that alcohol no longer controls you. Whether you wish to stop drinking completely, or drink in moderation, remember to use the power of negativity to remember the bad times when you abused alcohol, and before you know it you'll develop the resolve to NEVER go down that road again.