That’s the thing about denial around alcohol: if Gail were standing there obsessing about, say, asparagus—how she’d get it, when she’d eat it, how many spears she’d have, whether anyone would smell asparagus on her breath—it might have been easier for her to realize she was losing control. But when it comes to an addictive substance like alcohol, something that alters your mind and shapes your sense of self in the world and becomes central to your ability to cope, the mind’s capacity to play with the facts can be limitless. I have my reasons, Gail would think. I know I am obsessing and I know
...more
