Fr Jim Cogley
It goes without saying that no one sets out to be an addict. Having journeyed well down the road to addiction, few will even believe that it could happen to them. Even when it has become obvious to everyone else that there is a serious problem the addict will be the last to recognize it. The statistics might indicate that one in ten are addicts but there is no way I could be one of the ones. Many would say that the jaws of the dragon had to close before they even recognized they had been in its mouth for so long. The four stages of addiction are usually classed as experimentation, social use, risk taking or over use, and finally dependency. So many are fond of the odd glass of wine and in a time like lockdown might notice that the odd has become the norm and the glass poured is fuller. Then the one glass needs company and next there’s no point in leaving a near empty bottle! Soon the visits to the Off-License become more frequent and every type of occasion becomes an excuse to have a drink. Once the secret drinking begins, the lies that, I believe myself begin. Then a day can’t pass or even begin, without having a drink and the alarm bells begin ringing loudly. To my utter surprise I have become one of the ones I never thought I could become.