Magazine

January 2013: Man Up

A young peoples’ meeting showed this “macho” guy there was another way to live

I knew I had a drinking problem: Car accidents, job warnings, loss of friends, and risky behavior were all clues. Even though I was young, I had this macho attitude and thought it “manly” to have a drinking problem. I got sloppy—at work, at home, and with my friends. But my world was shrinking. Either people liked me or not. If they didn’t, I didn’t need them, I thought, even though deep down I knew I did.

The job, the family, the friends—that’s what brought me to my first meeting. Once I was in AA, they would be satisfied and finally start treating me better. That’s... Login to read more
Not a subscriber? Click here to subscribe.