[nandm]

Ok, I'll bite although I don't know that I can be considered a sobriety veteran. I have 7 years sober.

Originally Posted by steamvessel

Do you ever get to the point of not wanting to drink anymore? Or, is it still on the back of your mind?

I rarely even have it cross my mind anymore. I probably have thought about drinking once at the most twice in the past year. Even then it was a fleeting thought not the nagging obsesssion. I lost that nagging obsession early in sobriety, after working through the steps of AA I found that my mind didn't spin about drinking anymore.

Would you classify wanting alcohol as a need because you know you can't drink it, or would you prefer not to drink anymore anyways because you enjoy sobriety better?

Good question and you are right there is no black and white answer for me. I know that for me to drink is to commit slow suicide that hurts every person who cares about me while I am going down. As far as prefering not to drink, yes, I prefer not to drink. I have friends who drink, they drink normally have one or two and have no problem leaving a glass half empty. Being around them when they have a glass doesn't bother me. I have even bought them a gift of a nice bottle of wine before. I enjoy my life more sober. I am able to live my life rather than be a bystander wishing I could participate. When I drank, I dreamed of all the things I wanted to do but either never got around to doing them or was too drunk while doing them to truly enjoy them. Sober I not only have found the time (and money now that I am not wasting it on alcohol) but also can truly enjoy the experience for what it is and remember it. Here are some of the things I only dreamed of doing while I drank but have been able to do since I got sober.

• Learn to drive a motorcycle
• Take a motorcycle trip through Canada and several states
• Go to Mauii
• SCUBA dive
• Return to school to pursue my dreams
• Take an Alaskan cruise
• Have a healthy and strong relationship without the constant nagging insecurities I had while drinking
• Find true friends; the kind that are there through thick and thin
• Learn to love and accept myself for who I am
• and the list could go on and on.....and will continue as long as I stay sober

.... but do you really want to drink anymore?

Definately the answer here is easy, NO. I have no desire to drink anymore.


Not sure if any of that makes sense but those are my thoughts on your questions.