In 1999, my doctor told me, “You have to stop drinking or you’ll die.” Tests revealed my liver was failing. During many years of heavy, daily drinking and in spite of many disastrous consequences, including being arrested at age 34 with a blood alcohol level of 0.33, I had steadfastly denied my alcoholism.

I started drinking alcohol in childhood. In my family, it was used for sore throats, toothaches and to put me to sleep when I was keyed up. As a teenager, I got drunk with friends whenever I could, and I started smoking regularly when I was 12. By the time I was in my mid-50s, these habits were so well embedded that I “needed” them just to get through each day.

I was able to hide my drinking from those outside my immediate family and to handle the responsibilities of a demanding career. I never realized how seriously addicted I was and I never tried to stop drinking completely until the stakes were literally life or death.

When I did try to quit, I found I couldn’t stop. That only added to the distress I already felt at being unable to control my drinking. I finally realized, through my haze and depression, that I was indeed an alcoholic and unable to drink like most other people.

In October 2001, I took my last drink of alcohol and smoked my last cigarette. I now have no physical or emotional cravings for either substance, and the past 51/2 years have been the best of my life, so far.

What happened to make quitting booze and cigarettes possible for me after a lifetime of slavery to these addictions? There were many contributing factors, but most important were the radical changes I made to my eating and exercise habits. These lifestyle changes worked for me, and they sustain my ability to remain sober, smoke-free and healthy today.

It happened almost by accident. During one of my attempts to stay sober, I read an article about a woman who started lifting weights in her 60s. I was inspired to try it. I signed up at my local gym – just a one-month membership, because I didn’t know if I would be able to follow through with the commitment.

A personal trainer helped me learn to use the weight machines and free weights, and she introduced me to the nutrition and fitness counselor at the gym. I decided to sign up for his 12-week program, which included eating nutritious foods every two to three hours, all day long. He gave me a printed daily eating plan that we developed together, using foods I liked. It included three meals and three healthy snacks and the amount of calories, proteins, fats and carbohydrates I needed to be healthy. No junk food or sugary snacks were allowed. I had to keep track of everything I ate, writing it in a journal that he reviewed once a week. I also had to drink two quarts of plain water every day.

My exercise regimen included working out with weights for 30 minutes three times a week and doing 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise (I chose walking) four times a week. In the beginning, I found all of this was a lot of work. I had to push myself to go out walking with no destination in mind, no goal but to walk for 30 minutes. It all felt very strange, but I was determined to try. To my surprise, I found that I felt better right away.

I began to realize all sorts of unexpected benefits from following this program, but the miraculous freedom from addictions didn’t happen overnight. I had weeks of healthful living interspersed with horrible binge drinking episodes that left me more dysfunctional and sicker than ever. But the memory of how good I felt while following the exercise and eating plan kept me returning to it again and again.

Finally, in October 2001, I tried once more to drink like a “normal” person and experienced one of my worst binges ever. I knew then that I could never drink again and I decided to follow the healthful lifestyle program 100 percent. For the entire first year of my sobriety, I was “religious” about it, never going more than three hours without eating a healthy snack (which always included protein as well as carbohydrates), because if I skipped eating, the cravings would immediately start again.

I also realized that my exercise routine was helping me stay emotionally balanced and cope with life’s ups and downs in a more productive way than I ever could when I was drinking and smoking.

Every human being is different, and addictions are serious, complicated illnesses that exert a terrible grip on the spirit and free will of each of us. I hope you will seek all the support you need to overcome your unhealthy addictions. I have found a powerful weapon to keep my cravings at bay, one that is available to everyone: healthy eating and exercise.

We can control only a few things in our lives. How well we take care of ourselves is one of them.

Pat Walsh is a freelance writer who lives and works in Portland.

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