The Rooms



Excerpt from Chapter 6 

My introduction to “the rooms,” as those in the Fellowship call them, happened well before my bottom, the day I refer to as Implosion Day. About a year prior to my stint in rehab, when it became clear to me I was a serious alcoholic, I decided to quit drinking—again—and give Alcoholics Anonymous a try. On some level, I realized that stopping on my own was impossible, completely beyond my capacity. I attempted all the usual maneuvers—tapering my consumption, switching from vodka to wine, substituting Valium for vodka, and even going for longer and increasingly intense runs to achieve a more prolonged runner’s high.
Inevitably—which usually meant by lunchtime—the palpitations, shakes, and racing thoughts intensified, eventually overwhelming my ability to resist...

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