[John Rogers]

Well I hate like hell to give advice but I'll try. I was in the old Navy and had been drinking since I was 16 and spending time on the beach at Ocean City MD and finally after loosing 3 days somewhere I had a disc slip in my lower back and didn't realize it at the time but since I was put in bed, in traction I didn't drink for 3 weeks! During that time I looked at myself and did not like what I saw at all! That was in 1978 and haven't drunk anything since. At that time the Navy had little to no help for drinking problems so I was pretty much on my own. I found that I had to get into a hobby or something with NO drinking so I started bicycle riding and shortly afterward started racing. I never got a DUI or DWI or whatever they might be called but several of my shipmates did and the judge really leaned on them and made them go to meetings, get signed off and report back as what the hell they were doing. A couple relapsed and it was much rougher second time around as they did not take it serious.

So my advice is to have the judge lay down the law, get a hobby, part time job (I teach evening classes) or something to stay sober and busy. Don't keep any liqueur in the house and don't hang out at any bars or clubs, even if old friends do. Watching a buddy drink down a cold draft will make the eyes water and the brain get a crazy!!!! Find a AA meeting to go to if possible at least they usually have free donuts and coffee and someone to talk to about their issues whatever they might be.
Good luck!