Without them, you can become trapped in an endless loop — What are the absolute core essentials that are necessary for successfully quitting alcohol? In my view, there are four things that need to be in place in order for a problem drinker to throw off their chains: 1. Something to Live For Having a sense of purpose, as well as people and pursuits in your…

The universe is deterministic — According to the classical view of physics, the universe is like a giant clock that was wound up and then set going at the beginning of time. From the Big Bang onwards, events proceeded in a way that was predetermined. If true, the implications of this idea are profound. It…

Nobody gets to feel good all the time — Extricating yourself from a drink problem is not only about stopping the physical action of putting alcohol into your body. It also usually involves a radical shift in mindset. You have to break away from chasing the kind of narrow, short-term solutions and escapism that alcohol offers, and instead learn…

I said it almost every day when I boozed — Towards the latter part of my drinking career, it was crystal clear to me that the alcohol was doing me far more harm than good. Consequently, pretty much every day, I would promise myself that I was going to quit or take an extended break from the booze. …

Is it worth all the trouble? Writing political opinion pieces and publishing them online can be a worthwhile and enjoyable pursuit. It can also potentially generate financial rewards, depending on where the articles are published. There can also be definite downsides to writing politics, though. This is especially true in…

I say this from experience — My drinking career lasted for decades, but I think my boozing was always at its worst during the periods when I lived alone. I was in my early thirties when I switched from only drinking socially to doing it solo. …

The politics of using the f-word — At a political rally in Maryland at the end of August, buoyed by a series of legislative wins and clearly in an exuberant mood, President Joe Biden used the word “semi-fascist” to describe Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans. Biden explained that: “The MAGA Republicans don’t just threaten our personal rights…

This is my experience. — One thing that I’ve noticed is that there is a lot said and written about the initial stage of stopping drinking, the withdrawal phase that lasts ten days or so when the alcohol is leaving your system, but not so much about what comes after. For me, there was a…

We should take reasonable steps to avoid a conflict, but be prepared for the worst — In a disturbing, but not necessarily unsurprising development, a recent poll by the Economist and UK-based firm YouGov found that 43% of Americans now believe that there will be a civil war within a decade. I am one of those who sees some sort of civil breakdown or conflict as…