I have involuntarily practicised forms of asceticism by abstaining from drinking and, more recently, smoking. Alcohol is my achilles heel, I have always enjoyed getting drunk; during my twenties and thirties, my receational time was mostly spent innebriated. What a moronic waste of my life, in addition to the financial cost and the other problems typically associated with excessive drinking, which I experienced in abundance! I've previously written about my dependence on alcohol, which is largely a form of self-medication resulting from an anxiety disorder.
This is my third period of sobriety, which now stretches to more than three years and which I hope lasts plenty more. I am now a great believer in the adage that one has as many masters as vices. However, as so often happens, I have now replaced drinking and smoking with gluttony and social media!
To be continued...
