Comedian, musician, host of Chris Crofton's Advice King Podcast and former Nashvillian Chris Crofton asked the Scene for an advice column, so we gave him one. Crowning himself the “Advice King,” Crofton will share his hard-won wisdom with whosoever seeks it. Follow Crofton on Facebook and Twitter, and to submit a question for the Advice King, email bestofbread[at]gmail[dot]com or editor[at]nashvillescene[dot]com.
Dear Advice King,
What is the recovery process of the brain during early alcohol sobriety?
—Sarah in Nashville
Hi Sarah! I'm going to assume that you are quitting drinking. You wouldn’t be quitting unless it was affecting you negatively in some way, so ... CONGRATULATIONS! I’m sending you all the love and encouragement I’ve got in me. I’m pretty sure this question is a version of the one that I asked myself over and over when I was quitting drinking: When will I start to feel better?!
As far as what exactly happens in the brain in the early stages of recovery, I’m not entirely sure. I’m no scientist — I’m an alcoholic. But I’ll tell you what I have experienced.
Alcohol was a constant in my life for 25 years. I got drunk almost every day during that time. That’s more than two decades of self-imposed disorientation. And when I say “disorientation,” I mean disorientation. My brain was soaking in a chemical marinade. I spent 25 years guzzling clinical depressants, while simultaneously wondering — often aloud, often in therapists’ offices — why I was clinically depressed.
CHRIS CROFTON’S SPICY HOMEMADE BRAIN MARINADE RECIPE
- Nine any-size cans Pabst Blue Ribbon
- Three big shots Jack Daniel's
If these ingredients aren’t available, you may substitute a similar quantity of “whatever booze you can get your hands on.”
Now for the good news: All you have to do to feel better is drain that marinade out of your head!
The hardest part of recovery from alcohol is the first few months. Your body throws a tantrum because it’s not getting the chemicals it has come to expect. I was nervous, I had trouble sleeping, and I went through a deep depression. But I did not drink. I thought to myself that if I had survived 10,000 hangovers, 5,000 panic attacks, nine hospitalizations and a stint in jail, I could make it through a period of extreme discomfort.
Allow me reiterate: In the early days of sobriety, you will not feel good. And you will be tempted to take a drink. If you do, you will be right back on the goddamn merry-go-round. If you don’t, your body will begin to heal. As time passes, you will feel stronger — and less anxious! I discovered that the “anxiety” I was drinking to alleviate was mostly caused BY THAT SAME DRINKING.
The best way to keep yourself sober is to go to a place where you can get advice from people who know what you are going through, because they have been through it themselves. That place for me was a 12-step meeting. In my first year of sobriety, I attended a 12-step meeting almost every day. It was INVALUABLE. I cannot recommend 12-step meetings enough. I asked the people there if I was doing the right thing. They said yes. I asked them if it would get better. They said it would. And it did. And it kept getting better. And it keeps getting better.
It turned out that 25 years of being drunk had taken away my self-respect. Being sober gave me that back. By the grace of God (or, in your case, whatever you decide to call your higher power), I will never have to experience its absence again. I wish the same for you, Sarah.
