The Geographical Cure

[Tim]

" The general remedy of those, who are uneasy without knowing the cause, is change of place; they are willing to imagine that their pain is the consequence of some local inconvenience, and endeavour to fly from it, as children from their shadows; always hoping for more satisfactory delight from every new scene, and always returning home with disappointments and complaints.

"The fountain of content must spring up in the mind; and that he, who has so little knowledge of human nature, as to seek happiness by changing any thing, but his own dispositions, will waste his life in fruitless efforts, and multiply the griefs which he purposes to remove."

Samuel Johnson, 1750

[Dallas]

Thanks Tim!!! Great quote!

It reminds me of this passage in the ~ Big Book, page 31

"Despite all we can say, many who are real alcoholics are
not going to believe they are in that class. By every form
of self-deception and experimentation, they will try to
prove themselves exceptions to the rule, therefore nonalcoholic.
If anyone who is showing inability to control his
drinking can do the right- about-face and drink like a gentleman,
our hats are off to him. Heaven knows, we have tried
hard enough and long enough to drink like other people!
Here are some of the methods we have tried: Drinking
beer only, limiting the number of drinks, never drinking
alone, never drinking in the morning, drinking only at
home, never having it in the house, never drinking during
business hours, drinking only at parties, switching from
scotch to brandy, drinking only natural wines, agreeing to
resign if ever drunk on the job, taking a trip, not taking a
trip, swearing off forever (with and without a solemn
oath), taking more physical exercise, reading inspirational
books, going to health farms and sanitariums, accepting
voluntary commitment to asylums—we could increase
the list ad infinitum." end quote...

re: "taking a trip, not taking a trip" .... the only thing I didn't try was "not taking a trip!"

I was always on a trip! I was the get-up-and-drink-and-go type of alkie!

And, if I was trying not to drink -- I was still the get-up-and-drink-and-go type of alkie!

Nothing worked for me until I landed at the last house on the block of the dead-end street... with a sign inside that read: "We care!"

Dallas

[Camel]

When I was paying my dues for this membership, "Geographical Cure", meant "Interstate Flight to avoid Prosecution."

[jakmak52]

We alcoholics, at are very best, are the elite of the mentally ill....