Low Self-Esteem, Stress & Coronavirus have One Thing in Common: Alcohol is not the Cure.

The December 22nd blizzard of 2006 was a crushing blow to our small business.

We relied on the days just before Christmas to make our year. Like a tire with a slow leak, we limped along for eleven months just waiting for the holiday season to get into profitable territory. Two feet of snow and howling winds brought the wheels of commerce grinding to a halt, and kept us firmly in the red.

As I finished up at work on December 22nd, I couldn’t wait to get home so I could drink to ease the stress. I deserved to drink and drink hard. An unforeseen and uncontrollable circumstance had dashed my optimistic hopes that the year would end as a mild success. Instead, I could not avoid the tarnish of small business failure. The idea that the weather dealt the blow offered little comfort. There would be no “W.” I was taking a loss, and the reason seemed somewhat immaterial.

I drank away the feelings of failure, and in doing so, made the whole situation much worse. I caused conflict with my wife, I dug my hole of depression much deeper than it needed to be, and wallowed in self-pity rather than making plans for future success. Stress relief is what I called it. I deserved it. At the time, no one would have…