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Abstinence vs. Moderation

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 557

Thank you Jason and accept my warmest welcome. I have'nt had a chance to do it yet.

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 223

Thank you hors controle, for sharing,

This forum presents a great opportunity to to find success in similar situation to our own.

Marie, please keep us updated as to your progression and remember we are always here to help and listen.

Jason, Bilingual Health Educator

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 1562

question is: Is there anyone out there who has learned to go from quite a few years of serious heavy drinking to occasionally controlled, non life altering drinking?

If you are an Alcoholic, the chances are nil. People get offended when hearing these. I am not here to say that you are an alcoholic. It is for you to decide. But just wanted to clarify the word Alcoholism. Its just a person who lost ability to control his/her drinking. There is this mental obsession. Constantly thinking about drink or after a prolonged period of absence, they con themselves into the idea that they can now drink a one or two bottles of beer. Then there is the physical craving that forces one to go out of control once you put that first drink in the body. Finally the RID. Restless, irritable and discontented when not drinking........

Its not about living under the bridge, not about getting several DUIs, not about being in Jail/prison........Its just those symptoms. If you honestly look into your drinking escapades, you will be clearly be able to see the powerlessness.

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 557

Welcome Marie,

I would be that kind of person. I have been drinking for the last 25-30 years. There was a progression in the amount of wine I would take everyday, often 2 bottles. When the kids were younger, and I was younger, I could drink it without too much consequence, I coul go through with my days.

For the last 10 years, I am now 51, I started experiencing blackout, memory losses, etc.

For years, like you, I've always told myself I could become a moderate drinker. I think this time, it is working but I have to be extra careful, especially when I am alone because I uses to be a solitary drinker.

I have try to control myself, one day at the time, quit completely for a week, 3 weeks. It did not work because it was not long enough to break teh habit of opening the bottle at 4 o'clock.

This time, I've quit 6 weeks completely. I have started having half a bottle of wine only if I have company to share dinner with. I want it to be festive. I started April 11 this year and eventough I had a few laps recently because I have trouble dealing with my relationship with my boyfriend, it is working.

Always have to be extra careful tough, always have water and non alcoolic beverage handy.

So my experience for now is that it is working. I will be more convinced if it works for at least a year. My goal was to become "in control" instead of "hors controle". I have also made up my mind that if I cannot succeed doing this, I will have to quit completely before I become sick.

I hope my reflexion can be helpful to you. And YES, it REALLY helped me to come and post and fill in my diary almost everyday. Good luck Marie.

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 1

Ive been aware for many years now (15-ish) that my drinking is problematic. My biggest obstacle has always been the idea of quitting entirely. I worry that I would then feel different from most people and feel as though I'm depriving myself of something. Let's face it, for those people that can drink in moderation, what a treat! Because of this, I have really never put much effort into educating myself on the facts of alcoholism and have not researched treatment options.

However, for the last few years I have witnessed my drinking change. I have vowed time and time again to make some sort of change, but always decide that next week will be when I do something about it. I have watched a few years pass from this stance and have realized that both frequency and consumption have dramatically increased. Over the last year I have "given up and given in" and am just now starting to truly realize just how much my life is affected. Yet still, I do not want to let go.

So, as of late I have started to research my options. Today, I was directed to this site and felt that I had finally encountered a program that fits my needs, in that nowhere here am I told that I need to stop drinking entirely. I have spent the last four hours going through the toolbox exercises. I felt a real sense of hope that I could learn to work with myself and progress to where I would eventually like to be (an occasional social drinker, that on those -monthly?- occasions exercises control). Then, I moved on from the literature to the actual members' posts. (((Please don't get me wrong here...I think it's amazing that so many people have been able to get together and offer such helpful support to each other. Particularly, it is refreshing to see a negative post that over a period of days and responses leads to a positive outcome, it's like watching a journey that seemed doomed, turn into a path of self-discovery that results in happy adventure))). However, I only read about members who seemed to be abstaining completely. Perhaps I didn't read enough posts, but I found no experiences of anyone with similar goals. Truthfully, I do not want to quit entirely. I want to mostly abstain. I don't want to drink a bottle of wine + daily and have drinking control me and my life. I want to learn to be able to occasionally enjoy a glass or to of wine with dinner and not lose control both that evening and for the next few months. So, my question is: Is there anyone out there who has learned to go from quite a few years of serious heavy drinking to occasionally controlled, non life altering drinking?

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