Harry
 
 

My name is Harry, I am an alcoholic and an addict.
Grateful to be in recovery today.
 
     I actually had my first drink, beer, when I was 2
or 3 years old. My father sat me on his knee and
gave me a sip from his glass. He thought it was
funny because of the face I made. And I must
mention now, my father was an alcoholic also.
     About the age of 10, my father stopped letting
me take sips from his glass. I guess he thought I
was making a pig of myself, since I would drink
about half the glass of beer. So up to the age of 14,
I would sneak sips from his glass and would steal
bottles of his beer from time to time.

I was 16 the first time I got drunk. Got sick and
had a bad hangover the next morning. Was kind
of turned off from drinking from that point on till
I joined the Army at the age of 17. Started drinking
pretty heavy at that time. It was the thing to do,
everyone else was doing it.

I was in the Army for 8 years, and it was somewhere
during that time that I had started drinking alcoholically.
 

After I got out of the Army in February of 1970, I did
control my drinking somewhat until my mothers death
in April of that year. And then I proceeded to drink the
way I was use to, alcoholically. In May I moved from
Massachusetts to Chicago. Ill. Figured the move would
do me good. After losing my mother and also a
relationship with my girlfriend. I did slow down on my
drinking because I started smoking pot and sipping
Mateuse Rose Wine.And after a while I started getting
into other drugs. In June of 1971 I returned home to
Massachusetts and returned to drinking and another
favorite pastime, gambling.

In 1980 I picked up snorting cocaine and became a
daily user, along with drinking and smoking pot.  In
1986 I got my first DUI, and proceeded to get a second
one about 2 months later. My second one, I had hit a
tree in a black out. Spent 10 days in the hospital, and
during those ten days I made a decision. I either had
to give up drinking or driving. Being a good alcoholic,
I gave up driving. Since my license was revoked in two
states now. It was an easy choice.

In October of 1988 I became homeless so I went to a
drug and alcohol treatment center at a Veterans
Administration Hospital. I just wanted to get off the
cocaine because I had started smoking crack cocaine.
I could still handle drinking and smoking pot. Well I
stayed there 3 months. We had to go to A.A. meetings,
which I didn't get anything out of them because I wasn't
like any of them people. I just needed help to get back
on my feet, get a job and an apartment and I'd be alright.
So I went to a half-way-house for 6 months. Went to
meetings on a daily basis, joined a group and even went
on commitments. But once I got a job, about 4 months
later, I was okay now. A month later I started smoking
pot. And I graduated from that half-way-house under
false pretenses. And after I graduated I started drinking
alcohol again.Of course I wasn't going to meetings or
working the program in anyway. Didn't need to. 9 months
later got back into treatment. Stayed sober for 20 months.
But that is all I really did, was not drink. Didn't work the
program again. Did make some meetings for a while, but
after I got 1 year I didn't need meetings anymore. 8 months
later I picked up again, and this time not only alcohol, crack
cocaine too. I actually stopped drinking, because I couldn't
afford both. alcohol and crack, so one had to go. For a little
over 10 years I was a daily user of crack cocaine. Eventually
letting people come to my place to smoke to help support
my addiction.

Finally, after a couple of years of asking a Higher Power for
help to stop. Even asking that I wouldn't wake up the next
morning, not to have another day of doing the same thing.
On 27 December 00, but for the Grace of God, I became
homeless once again. Had to go to a shelter for homeless
people. On that same night I went to an A.A. Meeting and
when I picked up my 24 hour chip, I felt like two tons were
lifted off of my shoulders. I knew I was where I belonged,
finally. I actually felt wanted and like I fit in. And but for the
Grace of God, I have been clean and sober, One Day At A
Time, since. And this time I took suggestions and decided to
get involved with the Program of Alcoholics Anonymous. I
found a Higher Power, who I choose to call God. And I am
presently involved in doing the Steps.
 
And I have to say, I am grateful to my Higher Power, the Program
of Alcoholics Anonymous and all of you people for showing me
this beautiful road towards a journey that I would never have
believed was possible.
 
     My name is Harry, and I am a grateful recovering alcoholic
and addict, Just For Today. Thanks for letting me share.