It?s unfortunate that when many recovering alcoholics go through the grieving process over the loss of their old accomplice, the bottle, many never make it past the anger stage.

It is a very real loss for many. The bottle has been their friend for many years and possibly the only one they could count on. While the world turned against them, their drink never abandoned them. It was always there ready for the good times, the celebrations, the parties, as well as the sad, mad, and lonely times, too.

However now their old friend has let them down… there has been trouble with the law, a lost job or career, the loss of family and friends, or perhaps the doctors told them they had to stop drinking… whatever the cause, the circumstances of their life has brought them to a point where they had to make a decision to say “goodbye” to the bottle.

Whether they understood it or not, they began going through the process of grieving — denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance ? these are the same stages most people experience when they have a great loss in their lives or have been told they have a terminal illness.