Reid had been drinking hard since 1994, when sickness, his father's death and business troubles had him reaching for more alcohol than usual. Eventually he was knocking back 10 or more drinks a day. In 2009 his family leveled an ultimatum. He had to give up alcohol or get out.

“That choice sounds real simple, but it's very, very hard,” says the 58-year-old college-educated businessman, whose last name has been withheld. “I've got a wife to die for and two of the greatest kids in the world, and I'm sitting there looking in the mirror, asking myself, ‘You're going to give all this up for that drink?’” he remembers. Still, he drank, secretly downing miniature bottles of vodka while walking the dog, hiding out in the bathroom or going through the car wash.

This article was originally published with the title A Lifeline for Addicts.

4 Comments

1. 1. monkey-apes 11:58 PM 3/27/13

   You`re right enhancing the brain`s flexibility can unseat addiction.
   
   You enhance flexibility by being flexible in your attitudes.When you insist on having your own way it changes the chemistry of the mind.It all boils down to one thing- for a person who has not learnt to adept and live with others has not learnt to live for a healthy person will never have addictions- for he has learnt to live, through accepting correction for his mistakes.
   The solution then to enhance flexibility is to accept correction when a better way is pointed out or when corrected for one`s mistakes, for if such a thing is not carried out, it alters the chemical functioning of the brain leading to imbalances and disturbances, and you have a case for psychiatry.
   So the solution for enhancing flexibility is to accept- when one dogmatically maintains that he is right, he may get his way-- but having one`s way inevitably changes the chemistry of the mind and hence the brain.
   So many things could be responsible for a person to have his own way--- it could be too much freedom or unbridled authority and a life without social interaction and plain superiority - or through a wrong learning environment.
   Whatever it is , it is the result of a person who has not adjusted himself to life and living... woe to him for he can make everybody sick thrusting his sickness on others .The solution then is counselling but most of all living with others.
   
   Anyway that`s my take .
   Have a nice day and god bless.

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2. 2. @Nancy 01:23 AM 3/28/13

   Enhancing the brain flexibility can decrease the addiction.Like you said,sometimes we can not give up our addiction because of habit which we formed long time ago.I suppose that drug cure can improve brain flexibility ,especially in deep extent.Nevertheless,It will be better if we try our best to transit our attention ,change the addicted habit step by step.By the way ,the circumstances can only influce someone who are not filled with tenacity.

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3. 3. Raghuvanshi1 02:31 AM 3/28/13

   I think greatest catastrophe is turning point in man `s life.In terrible danger man understand true nature of life and death.That is why heroine of Mahabharata told lord Krishna O God bless me with horrible calamities,danger,difficulties so I can understand myself truly.Nietzsche wrote live dangerously to achieve pure joy and self satisfaction true meaning of life

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4. 4. dianafaywhite 03:53 PM 3/28/13

   There are more holistic ways to enhance neuro flexibility rather than taking drugs. Meditation, particularly open-focus, along with learning about why you think the things you do, can make a huge difference. I recommend "Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself" by Dr Joe Dispenza. And if there is too much monkey mind for introspection, I recommend quieting the mind using Brainwave Optimization from www.brainstatetech.com.
   Habits are hard to break. It takes work, but let's not head straight for a pill.

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