Pat Ritter. Books

[patritter]

'Confessions of an alcoholic' - Page 149:

Anyway, after many years of not drinking alcohol he didn’t want to drink alcohol again. His anniversary was the thirteenth of January 1977 when he made his promise to Ada that reminded him of how ‘lucky’ he was to have made that promise on that day.
He didn’t want to return to the days when he drank alcohol until it run out of his ear lobes and he had to put corks in his ears to stop it from coming out of his nose. He was completely satisfied with his life after he stopped drinking alcohol. His life now was much more enriched with love and affection for Ada and the children. He would never ever have had this type of relationship with his wife and children had he continued along the destructive highway of alcoholism.
After many years working as an alcohol and drug counsellor and sharing his story with his clients, he felt life had dealt him a good set of cards to play his game of life.
His thoughts returned to when he worked in the ‘Detoxication Unit’ at the beginning of his career, trying to understand some reasoning why people intoxicated themselves to the degree of almost death, when he tried to ‘RESCUE’ his client whom was an engineer, feeling angry he couldn’t help the person. He remembered being told by his fellow workers his client only wanted help ‘when the penny dropped’. It was frustrating at the time but since then he now realised how important those words – ‘when the penny dropped’ – were so important.
Bundy’s journey of life as an alcoholic had not been a good one for everyone to enjoy, especially himself, but he admits knowing, what he now knows, he wouldn’t want to travel a similar pathway again. It was quite an experience for him but if he hadn’t travelled that pathway, he wouldn’t have been able to discover his personal experiences of alcoholism.

[patritter]

'Confessions of an alcoholic' - Page 150:

These personal experiences were the catalyst in supporting and empowering similar people to him to succeed, giving them a similar opportunity of walking a similar pathway to himself than that of an alcoholic. Bundy also realised whilst walking this pathway he always would be an alcoholic. He never understood whether it was in his genes or what ever the case was to make him drink alcohol, but he knew if he took one drink of alcohol then one alcoholic drink would be too many and a thousand not enough! He didn’t want to take the risk of not knowing where it was going to lead.
How could he ever forgive himself if he again tasted the bitter taste of the drink, which changed his life forever? That taste of white froth, covering his upper lip as he swallowed the contents of the alcohol.
His mind rushed back to when he first tasted alcohol at the age of twelve years and the first taste of alcohol when everyone was happy and enjoying himself or herself at Christmas, again reliving the rush in his mind. What would his life have been like had he not had that first drink of alcohol at that age?
Would he have drunk alcohol later in his life? He would never know because what happened – happened at the time. He often thought of why he was constantly drawn to people who drank alcohol – like the times during his youth growing up. Why didn’t he heed the notice, his friend Malcolm gave to him during those adolescence days? Why did he join in with others who drank alcohol? Was it to make he feel comfortable and belonging with his drinking friends? Did he feel that he belonged to that type of group and felt comfortable in their presence?

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'Confessions of an alcoholic' - Page 151:

He tried to escape and get as far away from his lifestyle with his drinking mates as he could by working on a sheep and cattle station one thousand kilometres away from his home. Did that make any difference? No - it wasn’t long before he met up with some other, so called mates, drinking alcohol all through the Christmas break not being concerned about his health or well being or his future. Even placing his employment at risk when he knew the policy of ‘no alcohol was to be consumed on the property’ was part of his employment charter.
Even when after his conversation with a Law Enforcement Officer did, he change his drinking behaviour? Not likely. After joining the police force his drinking became far more serious than it had been before. He was placed into a role of working as an undercover agent allowed frequenting hotels and drinking alcohol all day. What a pathway to follow for an alcoholic.
His transfer to another town to serve as a Law Enforcement Officer didn’t stop him from drinking alcohol. He always found a way or excuse to join in with any drinking group. Then he met Ada his future bride to be. Did that stop him from drinking alcohol? No - he wanted to impress his future father-in-law by showing him HOW MUCH he could drink alcohol. That didn’t work either. After their marriage and transferring to another town didn’t slow the process down of Bundy’s drinking habits. He again sought out another drinker and continued his merry way of alcoholism.

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'Confessions of an alcoholic' - Page 152:

Even with the birth of his first child, Nicole responsibility of becoming a parent did not slow him down at all. No - being a dad did not alter his behaviour to drinking alcohol. As Bundy remembered that period of his life, he felt within himself a deep disgust to remember how he was so drunk at a friend wedding him and Ada attended. He couldn’t even remember the name of the bride and groom. He remembered how he shit himself where they were camping on the outskirts of the town and a stranger almost walked in his shit as he was asking about the canopy on his car.
At the time he wanted to fulfil his greatest desire to work as a detective, didn’t stop him or slow his progress toward alcoholism. Time after time he’d have a break from drinking alcohol for about four months, then as soon as he was encouraged to ‘have one drink’ away he was gone again upon the same destructive highway to alcoholism.
His desire to escape to another town did not stop his progress to his drinking alcohol. Even when Ada gave birth to a son, did he stop to recognise he had more responsibility with two children? No - Bundy’s problem with drinking alcohol started to skyrocket out of his control starting to take effect with his work, social life and most importantly his family life when he stayed at the hotel drinking and not coming home.

[patritter]

'Confessions of an alcoholic' - Page 153:

Alcohol had total control over him and he couldn’t see what it was doing to him and his family. His drinking alcohol became almost a daily event not knowing how he arrived home after a night of drinking. His main concern currently was his memory. He couldn’t remember how from eight o’clock at night he’d be at the hotel and look at his watch, suddenly two hours later all he heard was the barman calling out, ‘last drinks gentlemen’. He was experiencing blackouts.
At twenty-eight years of age, his saviour was his wife Ada who, on the thirteen day of January 1977 gave him an ultimatum she was going to leave him and take their children if he didn’t do something about his drinking. If there was ever an event in Bundy’s life to shape up or to ship out, it was this event. At that moment he made a solemn promise to Ada he would NEVER drink alcohol again. He kept to his promise. At that moment, he realised alcohol had control over him and was completely dependent upon drinking alcohol and over the time he had been drinking which at that time would have been almost half of his life.
He’d built up a tolerance to drinking it because he had to drink more each time to feel the same effect. For Bundy to have control over alcohol he had to throw it away and not have anything to do with it again.
Fortune was sitting on his shoulders when he discovered an alternative drink, claytons tonic mixed with water, to substitute for drinking alcohol. This drink was his savour.
Although his drinking of alcohol was under control, Bundy’s behaviour and habits didn’t change at the same time. He was a dry-drunk for many years continuingly experiencing the same old habits always had while he was drinking alcohol without drinking alcohol. He didn’t know how to change. It wasn’t until he was medically discharged from the police force, he learned of his destiny to become an alcohol and drug counsellor.

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'Confessions of an alcoholic' - Page 154:

After twenty years as a Law Enforcement Officer he was suddenly thrown to the other end of the spectrum. He was thrust into helping his clients to recover from their alcoholism. He started at the bottom of the ladder as he’d done some twenty years before in the police force. This time he was much maturer discovering within himself a very deep-seated desire to help people like himself to recover from alcoholism.
Although he’d travelled a similar highway to his clients his knowledge of ‘what to do’ in helping them he had to learn. At first, he thought everyone could stop drinking alcohol the same as he’d done so many years before. It was not the case. Bundy had an awfully specific reason for stopping whilst many of his clients couldn’t find a reason.
At the beginning of this journey he witnessed much pain and grief during his time at the ‘Detoxification Unit’. He wanted to put out his hand and help everyone to make changes to their lives instead of trying to kill themselves with drinking alcohol. It was very tough times for Bundy.
Eventually, he studied counselling gaining the proper credentials to further his journey of helping others in overcoming their alcoholism. It was whilst studying this course he discovered his own lifetime personal unlaying issues. Bundy discovered he was a ‘RESCUER’. Once he understood this new discovery many events of his life returned to his mind, each signalling when he’d fallen into the habit of becoming a ‘RESCUER’. What a discovery to make. He had to undo and change his behaviour of being a ‘RESCUER’ before he could help anyone else. He had to first help himself.

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'Confessions of an alcoholic' - Page 155:

This journey of self-discovery changed his whole life. He had at last shaken the shackles from his shoulders giving him a complete view of his horizons, which lay ahead. He had to learn not to ‘RESCUE’ people as he had done so well during his lifetime, but instead walk beside them and empower them to rescue themselves.
He started his newfound journey by building trust and honesty with Ada. His personal goal to be completely truthful with her and everyone else he met. It was a harsh lesson to learn, for over the many years he couldn’t tally the total number of times he’d made up stories or told untruths to Ada to safeguard himself from getting into trouble.
Eventually he overcome this issue and felt better about always telling the truth even if it hurt himself or the other person. He made a commitment to always be truthful and honest with everyone and meant being honest with him. Over the many years of Bundy’s drinking alcohol, he wasn’t very responsible or dependable. This was the next lesson he had to learn so he could become a much better person within himself so he could have self-control.
His major issue was becoming accountable for his actions. As a drunk he’d tell the most whopping lies to keep himself out of trouble. Now - he had to tell the truth every time.