GETTING THROUGH A BAD DAY

Living with an active alcohol abuser means that THEY control what happens to YOU. They are drinking and creating all sorts of problems for YOU.  Some days are really hard to cope with.  What can YOU DO??

The big 'secret' for us who live with a drinker is:

TAKE  OUR MINDS OFF WHAT IS HAPPENING  AROUND US.

What this means is -

• First - let the drinker do what they want - do NOT try to stop them drinking - you cannot!
• Second - focus on YOURSELF.  How?
• Probably at first you have to STOP THINKING ABOUT THE DRINKER
• To begin this, maybe you have to concentrate on your breathing for a while - focus your attention on the inflow and outflow of your breathing.
• Repeat the Serenity Prayer over and over if you have to (see below)
• Start some useful or likeable task that has to be done.
• Concentrate on doing that task, feel it, think about it,
• Go outside or look out of the window - see what is going on out there
• Go for a walk, or do some exercise
• Go to a coffee shop and read the paper or a book
• Do something for YOU (you alone can do nothing to help your drinker)
• Read up on LIVING IN THE PRESENT MOMENT - there's a lot of literature on this.
  
• Your aim is to learn to detach yourself from what the drinker is doing, by focussing your attention on doing something that takes your mind off everything else.

  
  

  
  

  The Serenity Prayer.
  "God,

  Grant  me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change,

  Courage, to change the things I can,

  And Wisdom to know the difference."