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Moderate Drinking vs. Abstinence

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Moderate Drinking vs. Abstinence

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 221

Hi Members,

You have started a great discussion.

Quitting is trial and error. All of you like the idea of moderation, and have some have tried it out, but feel that quitting altogether will work best for you. There are many roads to recovery. It is all about finding which one works best for you, since you are the person that knows yourself best!

LittlT, congrats on 10 days of being alcohol free! You're working really hard and you should be really proud! Theres so much optimism and positivity in your voice! I know you are determined to do this and will succeed! Check out the program, they have info on how to deal with the first few weeks after quitting.

Keep posting!

Helena, Health Educator

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 1562

Preamble of AA states that we ought to share our own experience, strength and hope. So, if i try to follow that principle everywhere. For a drunk like me all i can understand is the Obsessive thoughts that goes through an alcoholic prior to picking the 1st drink and then once an alcoholic succumbs to that urge, no can stop him. And i can also understand the irritability, restlessness, discontented and anxious feeling when at a place where i can't drink....

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 1022

Thanks Foxman... I knew I could count on your response to my ridiculous statement. Not a bad thing really.... trusting your response. I appreciate your adding your own personal experience to the mix. That means a lot. Truly more powerful than the big book in it's entirety. For reals.

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 1562

i am an alcoholic. so moderating the amount is out of equation. Because, i have a physical phenomenon called Craving, which is the moment i put 1 drink i am off to the races.

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Here is some of excerpts from the book called Alcoholics Anonymous:

We alcoholics are men and women who have lost the ability to control our drinking. We know that no real alcoholic ever recovers control. All of us felt at times that we were regaining control, but such intervals usually brief were inevitably followed by still less control, which led in time to pitiful and incomprehensible demoralization. We are convinced to a man that alcoholics of our type are in the grip of a progressive illness. Over any considerable period we get worse, never better.

==================================================================================

After quitting hard liquor in early 90s, i started on Beer on Fridays strategy late 1998 but it just gained momentum and by 2002 i was drinking every day.......

Only working the steps of AA, i could stay stopped last 4 years.

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 79

I sooo wanted moderation to work for me too. My boyfriend of 4 years is a drinker and much of our weekend activities have revolved around bars and have involved drinking in some capacity. I have tried many times to control my drinking, but I am one who just keeps going once I've started and more often than not, can't remember the night before when I had to be carried home. It has all but destroyed our relationship and has landed me in a ton of debt, which I have been steadily paying off with one year to go. My more recent attempts to control my drinking have been attempts to abstain which eventually turned into further failed attempts to have just a few. I have come to the conclusion that I can't be around drinkers until I get a handle on my problem and get to a point where I think I can be around others who are drinking without feeling that I need to be drinking too. A number of my friends are also problem drinkers, but they are not at a place in their life where they feel the need or desire to slow down or quit so it makes it more difficult to stick to Coke. 10 days ago, I had to break down and tell my boyfriend that I could not even allow myself to be around him if he is drinking. Until Sunday, it was looking like I was going to be on my own with that ultimatum, but we have since had good discussion and I think for the first time in my battle, I am equipped with a support system that cares about me and truly believes in me and wants to see me succeed. I have never felt more excited and empowered in my sobriety! My workouts have been amazing and I have slept like a baby every night. Sadly, this is the longest time I have gone without alcohol in probably 15 years...with the majority of the last 5-6 years drinking almost daily with very short (3-5 days) stents of sobriety.

I really hope that moderation works for you, but if you find it's not working, it can't hurt to give abstinence a try. Maybe you'll find that you like it even. Maybe it's not as hard as we think. I'm only 10 days in, but I really think I can get used to feeling this good every day! I do wonder how it will be to be around people who are drinking and I do hope I can still enjoy time with my friends and that they aren't put off with me not drinking, but I'm not going to continue to destroy my self-respect and health (mental & physical) just to make someone else more comfortable. They aren't really my friends if they aren't bothered seeing me disgrace and humiliate myself.

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 1022

I think moderate drinking is the ideal... IF you can drink moderately... the way "normal" people drink. If you can't drink moderately, then clearly it is best to stay away from all alcohol. ALL of it. Total abstinence.

BUT I SO WANT MODERATION TO WORK FOR ME.

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 3

I feel that drinking in moderation is more realistic. However, abstinence is touted as being the best way to go in communities where I work. I think I am going to start drinking moderately and then if feel I need to, may stop altogether when I feel I can.

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 223

Members,

Is it better to moderately drink or to abstain from alcohol altogether? This has been a long debated topic and we’d like to hear how you feel about it.

We all know that thousands of dollars are spent each year on health care costs, treatment and criminal prosecution as a result of alcohol abuse. Alcohol abuse is also responsible for the break up of many relationships, loss of employment, school failure, etc.

However, many adults are able to drink alcohol and not face any of these negatives. Some studies have shown that drinking alcoholic beverages in moderation may actually be good for your health. Polyphenols found in wine are heart healthy; folate and B-vitamins found in beer are also heart healthy.

So how much is too much? There is no right answer so don’t hesitate to share your thoughts.

Jason - Health Educator

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Moderate Drinking vs. Abstinence