Alcohol

I don’t get many opportunities to give back to the world. I try where I can. Some matters are more personal to you than others. I am sure you understand what I mean by that. If you had a family member who suffered from a particular ailment, you would perhaps be more inclined to support charities and initiatives that focused on this ailment.

Wherever I can, I support people who want to stop drinking. While I respect the efforts of the AA, I am perhaps not in agreement with the statement that alcoholism is an “incurable” disease. I subscribe to a different interpretation of being dependent on alcohol.

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My own story is nothing spectacular. I wasn’t lying in the gutter, puking my guts out. I didn’t lose everything because of alcohol. I did however drink significant quantities. I started to drink earlier and earlier every day. I didn’t drink the “soft” stuff. I was drinking whiskey and the likes.

At one point I joined the AA. I stopped drinking for a while, perhaps 6 months, and I felt good for it. I then started drinking again. This time around I didn’t drink heavily, but I felt that more and more drinking occasions crept into my life. I became scared of becoming dependent on alcohol again.

I felt I had dealt with the underlying causes of my unhappiness. Heart ache, separation, divorce, all things had been dealt with and understood and forgiven. I also dealt with the matters surrounding my work. What you have to understand is that I was a successful professional in the financial district in London, with a great career, but I was made redundant during the financial crisis in 2009. My life and my identity came to a crashing stop.

I decided to not go back to work. I wanted to work for myself. I wanted to trade full time. While I am glad I did, I also look back and wish I had spent more time preparing myself mentally for the arduous journey of a self-employed trader. It is the reason I run the Telegram channel – to support others wishing to walk that path too.

The alcohol though affected my decision making and my energy levels. You come home and you have a glass of red wine or two during the evening. It is how Guns & Roses sings:

I used to do a little but a little wouldn’t do
So the little got more and more
I just keep trying to get a little better
Said a little better than before

I started researching my emotions surrounding alcohol. I read some work by Allen Carr, who had helped me stop smoking back in September 1998. He did a brilliant job at describing the nature of nicotine dependency/addiction. His attempt at alcohol dependency didn’t resonate with me though.

Then I came across a book, written by a gentleman, who is actually the poster boy for the juicing generation. Yes, Jason Vale, aka the Juice Master, has written a book about alcohol dependency called “Kick the Drink Easily”.

Kick the Drink Easily is an amazing book because it describes WHY we become dependent on alcohol. Unlike AA though it has an upbeat tone to it, and it does make you believe you can cure yourself from the disease of alcohol dependency.

The chapters deal with the major arguments for drinking.

  • It relieves stress.
  • I like the taste of it.
  • It helps me relax.
  • It gives me courage.
  • It is a social glue.

The list of reasons for drinking is long and complex. We all have reasons to drink, if we really seek a reason. The problem is that alcohol never solves a problem. It is an illusion.

The true value of the book is to make you understand the illusion. Strip away the illusion and you are free. It is like a magic show with David Copperfield. If you know the nature of the illusion the attraction of the show is gone.

Pledge

If you or a loved one needs help with alcohol dependency, I recommend this book. I would like to pledge to buy the book for you. Sometimes the postage will cost more than the book. In those cases, I will offer to send you money to buy the book in your own country.

I have not drunk alcohol for more than 6 years. I have been stressed, I have been to parties, I have danced, I have cried, and I have laughed. I have experienced every emotion under the sun, from high to low, and I have never once been tempted to “drown my sorrows” or “celebrate”. That is the power of this book.

Title: Kick the Drink Easily

Author: Jason Vale

You can email me on hello@tradertom.com or message me via Telegram. It goes without saying that our communication is 100% discreet.