But it is just this putting it aside, this casting it out
of his mind, that perpetuates his weakness. He instinctively shrinks
from dwelling upon the thought of whither he is drifting. So he puts
the unpleasant subject aside altogether and when the inner desire
asserts itself again he finds himself precisely as helpless as before.
Now, his certain method of escape from this tyranny of desire is to
turn his mind resolutely to an examination of the whole question. Let
him look the facts in the face, however humiliating they may be. He
should call his imagination to his assistance. It should be used to
picture to himself his future if he does not succeed in breaking up
the unfortunate slavery of the desire nature. He should think of the
fact that as he grows older the situation grows worse. He should
picture himself as the helpless, repulsive sot, with feeble body and
weakening mind, and reflect upon the humiliation he must endure, the
poverty he must face, and the physical and mental pain he must bear in
the future if he now fails to break the desire ties that bind him.
This creates in him a feeling of repulsion toward the cause of it all;
and if he continues to think daily upon this hideous picture of what
he is slowly drifting toward--if he daily regards it all with a
feeling of slight repulsion--then even within a month or two he will
find that his desire for drink is slowly fading out.
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