cejay

Any feeling from your brain that leads towards you, drinking or is about doubts that you have a problem (I'm assuming you, at least 27 days ago, decided that alcohol is some sort of a problem in your life) is your AV/Lizard Brain/etc. talking to you, trying to convince you to drink.

Regarding the AV stuff, I really enjoyed Rational Recovery's book as well as Alcohol Lied to me.

I've no idea if you're a "true" alcoholic but I bet that alcohol has caused you problems and concern in your life. How would I know that without knowing you?

People who don't have problems, with drinking don't search for help to "not drink," on the internet.

Most don't post or spend time here. (Some actually do, but they come here concerned about spouses or family members)

They don't "fail" at not drinking or count the number of days sober.

I'm guessing here, but, they don't wake up with a hangover for the N-th time, swear not to drink ever again and end up drinking that evening, and then possibly repeating it.


I had some of my strongest AV cravings at around 1 and 3 months. I had 3 years sober and gave in to "well I can have just one... " and it took around 2 years to get my quit back under control.

This is a sensative one for me, my AV was on me with this very thing tonight. (I didn't give in)

It is the knowledge, learned from my mistakes and those of others, that the only drink that I can control is the first one, and that isn't going to change in 1, 30, 300 or 3000 days sober. It took a lot of failing to realize that, but that's me.

Best of luck to you.

CJ.

MelindaFlowers

Boris,

I have asked myself the same thing: Am I a true alcoholic? I am a classic "functioning" alcoholic who embodied every cliche, stereotype, and aspect of one. I giggle when I think that I was "functioning." I went to work everyday, no DUI or arrests, and maintained most of my friendships. The reason I maintained some sort of normalcy was so I could continue drinking. I knew that if there was ONE day that I missed work, forgot to set the alarm, crashed my car, then I would have to stop drinking. I protected my right to drink by trying to function as well as I possibly could.

Even if you wonder if you're an alcoholic, think of all the negativity, sickness, hangovers, and lost time that drinking brings with it.

I prefer to think of myself as a non-drinker. I have proven hundreds of times that I can't and won't drink safely.

desypete

this is why 10 years on i still go to regular aa meetings as my head can never forget or try to trick me as i am surrounded by people in the meetings, from all different stages of recovery, from new comer to old timer

they help me remember where i have come from and show me where i really want to be

AlexThedude

that's what my psychological addiction does every time... it makes the substance seem normal or less harmful than it really is. i can and have quit anything and everything, but it's the twisted justifications that are extremely hard to see through, especially when in the haze created by said substance.

boris

Ok so i managed to beat that feeling. This morning it came back. Im doing good by not drinking but i still think about it everyday.

Soberwolf

Exactly this

AlexThedude

that's one of the most used tricks my brain has been playing on me this whole time... the nature of psychological addiction is to come up with reasons why the substance isn't bad. often my brain would come up with outside reasons my life was going downhill... that's what psychological addiction is.

matt4x4

If you are an alcoholic, then yes your brain wants your body drunk. Once you take that first drink, you are doomed and are just along for the ride.