Posted on 01/29/2008 11:40:31 AM PST by misterrob
BALTIMORE, Md. (AP) - President Bush on Tuesday referred to his former struggles with alcohol as an "addiction," a blunt characterization of his less disciplined adult days before a reliance on faith help him turn his life around.
"Addiction is hard to overcome," Bush said in speaking at a faith- based center that helps former prisoners get job training and other help.
"As you might remember, I drank too much at one time in my life," Bush said. "I understand faith-based programs. I understand that sometimes you can find the inspiration from a higher power to solve an addiction problem."
Increasingly, Bush has reflected in candid terms about his days of drinking. Last month, he told some young recovering addicts to stick with their fight against drugs and cited his own experiences with alcohol years ago. He said then that "addiction competes for your affection ... you fall in love with alcohol."
Bush, 61, decided to quit drinking alcohol after a boozy night in 1986 celebrating his 40th birthday. He went on to win election and re- election as Texas governor before bidding for the White House.
The president spoke Tuesday at the Jericho Program, which helps former prisoners get their lives in order and contribute to society. The stop came as Bush sought to keep some attention on his faith-based programs, one of the themes from his final State of the Union address on Monday night.
Thanks Rob. If W helps one person to get into, or continue in recovery, he has done much good with this.
Thanks, Rob
I don’t believe he ever stopped drinking totally. I believe he still drinks once in a while. Maybe he doesn’t get drunk but I don’t hold him as a power of example in my sobriety.
Very grateful friend of Lois here.
“I don’t believe he ever stopped drinking totally. I believe he still drinks once in a while.”
Where did you hear this?
I think he drinks NA beers from time to time, and this is all he touches. I also do this on very rare occasions and I don’t hold this against him...
Non alcoholic beer is for non alcoholics.
You are making a distinction between “alcoholics” and people with serious drinking problems that may or may not be helpful depending on the person. By AA descriptions, I am not an alcoholic because I was able to make a personal decision to quit drinking and stick with it. Since I didn’t need the program, and wasn’t “helpless” by their definition, I am not an alcoholic. Fine. I still can’t drink again and don’t want to.
While I would agree that for many problem drinkers Non Alcoholic beverages (<0.5%) could be a problem, but this hasn’t been the case for me (yet- I probably have one or two of these every other month in environments where I would have previously drank ten bourbon and diet cokes, when I can’t avoid the event).
YMMV.
Humility works good in everyone who honestly trys it.
You are an big asshole
Absolutely. It does contain a small amount of alcohol. It’s not just the alcohol that needs to be refrained from, but the action of drinking something with a similar taste in the familiar bottle (or glass, in my case). I had a completely alcohol-free glass of white wine when I first quit drinking and I sipped, held the glass, etc. just like I did when drinking alcoholic wine. This may seem trivial to non alkies but the thoughts and actions of simply drinking from a wine glass or bottle can have such an impact. I never did this again. Looking at this glass of white non-alcoholic wine in front of me could have been a big trigger and, as we know, a slip can occur long before the drink. I knew someone years ago who kept buying cases of near beer and drank it like water so he could get to the alcohol but not consider it a slip because it said “non alcoholic” on the label.
Al-Anon is for people who didn’t have the guts to be alcoholics!
And whatever leads you to think this?
“Non alcoholic beer is for non alcoholics.”
That is the type of hard core AA which I learned, and fully ascribe to.
Non alcoholic beer is NOT non alcoholic. It is low in alcohol; a foolish and unnecessary risk, for any ex-problem drinker, that values their sobriety and new better way of life.
Any amount of alcohol can start the “craving” which is described in The Doctor’s Opinion, in the book.
Why risk it?
So I did. I still drink 2 or 3 NA beers in an evening. And a half-glass of wine at Thanksgiving and Christmas. So, not sure if I’m an acholoic or not, but after seeing it slowly kill my older sister I don’t want to give it the chance.
Anyway - one addiction (FR) is enough.
He has been through a lot.
He looked very tired and aged the other night.
He should resign a year early and retire to Texas.
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