mpr

Sure many of you have seen my other thread, I update it monthly. I am just over 7 years sober.

I started drinking when I was 21~ or so and quit when I was 26. Maybe 1-2 of those years I would drink nightly, few drinks maybe 5 i'd say. I just felt it was posing a problem, or would down the line so I quit cold turkey and have not drank since! Amazing I know... I think I almost sabotaged myself because I have amassed so many years sober it has a life of it's own.

I almost think taking 1-2 months off back then and just giving moderate drinks a go would have been ideal but I didn't do that. I believe I am a "problem drinker" as opposed to a true "alcoholic".

Since i've quit drinking all those years ago I started exercising regularly, eat clean, ditched the party scene all together. I am older more mature now and really like the idea of kicking back, sipping a nice scotch or bourbon and listening to some music, or enjoying a drink while I watch a movie, just the odd thing like that.

Having said all that I just wanted some input on this. I know nobody can tell me 100% yes go for it or no don't do it but I just wanted to bounce it off people who can relate. Again, I really think taking a normal amount of time off 7 years back would have been the way to go as I never actually attempted moderate drinking.

Anyhow love to hear some input on this.

pulltight

I know I couldn't do it, I've always drank with the goal of getting drunk! If beer and whiskey didn't get folks drunk they couldn't give it away.

Im sure someone with more experience will be along shortly.

mpr

I understand what you are saying. In my younger days(like many when young) I drank to get drunk, party atmosphere etc... I am a lot more mature now and not into any type of party scene nor do I want to.

I just miss being able to have a nice drink every so often.

Raider

I wouldn't be able to moderate very long. Probably a pretty thin line between problem drinker and alcoholic.

pulltight

That's the thing I suppose, I know only what I would do. Unfortunately I never outgrew heavy drinking.

LBrain

good luck, wish you the best. IF you decide to give this a shot, will you be able to recognize the old behavior right away? you know, that feeling you get from the first one?

I hadn't had a drink in over 8 months, I was given some pain meds for a brief time a week or so back, it scared me because I found that I liked it. I mean, I liked the feeling it gave me. Spooked me really and made me realize that if I decided to try drinking again, it would be the same thing all over again. No thanks.

mpr

Yes it all varies person to person. I can say I quit cold turkey for 7 years and never had a slip up even once. I just find myself a much more mature person now and wouldn't even want to over indulge personally but one can never know for sure.

Problem drinkers apparently are not physically addicted to alcohol, probably more mental than anything. A true alcoholic is physically addicted. These are all labels though, and both are a problem.

Yes for many 100% abstaining is the only option. I only wish I tried moderating initially!

I can either continue abstaining or give moderation a try. Honestly I am just bored out of my tree with 7 years sober and miss having some alcohol.

Johno1967

I love doing all those things more now without alcohol.
I don't see the point of drinking though I drool at the sight of a bourbon on ice. That's my addiction howling at the moon.
Alas, even if I wanted to I wouldn't try it.
Would be moderate for a while and would start slow and then escalate exponentially, a bit like a virus.
Give the inner addict the keys to the kingdom and expect it to play nice? Don't think so.

mpr

I would be able to identify the behavior for sure. I honestly don't think one drink would make me drink a whole bottle, and I never actually ever did that. At my worst I'd maybe have 5 drinks a night.

I did during my 7 years sober smoke weed a handful of times, never really cared for it. I'd finish what I had but never rushed out to get more. My problem was only with alcohol and it was only towards the end I was consuming more than i'd like.

Now I exercise 3x a week and eat clean so realistically I could only drink up to 3 drinks on certain days so it would not interfere with exercise as well as meals, I don't want extra calories.

mpr

I guess after 7 years I am just a bit bored with everything.

I wanted to get into high end scotch and bourbons as when I used to drink before i'd drink boring vodka/sprite type deal, junk and just wanted to get drink. Now I actually want to smell, taste, experience the drink.

It is a slippery slope either way. It can be a total success, I am a moderate drinker or I can slip back to my old ways. If I did slip back I think i'd notice and quickly bounce back though. I'm not sold on giving it a shot just yet, just been bouncing the idea around for a bit and wanted some input.

Ghostly

I don't know if it would be that easy though. What would it take to quit, and how much would you lose?

Here is the thing, your experiment has been done many times. On SR alone read how many people had sober time and now thought they could moderate, and then they ended up right back where they were. I'm sure there are people that ended up moderating, but they seem to be the rare exception.

Who knows, maybe you could moderate though.

1newcreation

Ok then if in those seven yrs nthg has truly changed your mind that controlled drinking is an impossibility, then by all means have @ it. Then in few days or mths(if lucky), post on here what we all are "missing out on"

Raider

No one here will support your desire to go drinking. You quit drinking because it was a problem, but you are not an alcoholic. Why do you say twice in your response that you wished you would have moderated 7 years ago? The only reason I can think of is you believe you missed out on 7 years of moderate drinking???? Is there another reason?

BackToSquareOne

I could moderate my drinking for short periods of time but I always ended up going off the deep end with it. I wish you luck if you decide to try it.

Dee74

hi mpr

I've read your regular updates over the years and cos I feel I know you a little I'm gonna lay it out straight.

I'd take the time to read some other threads mpr.

You'll see guys who stayed sober for 5, 7, 10 15, 20 years or even longer who started drinking again and found things were exactly the same as they used to be - or worse.

If you're bored then it makes sense to me to figure out why you're bored, not to go back to something that will mask that boredom because - lets be honest - that's all that drinking would do, unless you made other changes too.

why not make those other changes, whatever they might be, and leave the drinking out of it?

Go back and read your first posts.

You may or may not be an alcoholic - but whenever someone comes in here looking for alcohol to solve a problem my blood runs cold.

Honestly, I think yours should too.
D

mpr

I know with true alcoholics it can never work. It can maybe work with problem drinkers who were probably never alcoholics(true ones) to begin with and like I said even then it is a slippery slope.

I identified my problem originally enough so to quit to begin with. I think if I noticed it happening again I would quickly put it to bed. I have much more to lose today than I did 7 years ago when I quit.

Nobody will know unless they try themselves I guess. I should have attempted moderation before but never did. I am still on the fence here... If I am in doubt I wont try it. I will need to be on one side of the fence 100%

Nobody is missing out on anything. I am not trying to imply this is feasible for everybody or anyone. I am only speaking in regard to myself and even if it worked it does not mean anything. For some people(including myself thus far) abstaining has been the way to go. This is not a pissing contest... 1 day or 7 years sober, one is not better than the other. A overly cocky "moderate" drinker can also quickly lose control once again as well. I can never forget my past regardless if I consume alcohol again or remain sober.

LBrain

oh yeah, thanks for reminding me, the 12 & 18 yr olds and pricey single barrels I had for special occasions. When I was out they became drinking it quick instead of sipping and enjoying. To think that I embraced the idea of not "wasting money" on expensive booze because all that mattered was what a bottle of kesslers could do.

legna

I find it interesting that my first thoughts are co-dependent. You know, how open do I want to be with what I really think? I ignored that thought of course...

The idea exists out there that one can be an alcoholic and be in denial. If the definition of alcoholic has grown so wide as to accommodate folks who have successfully quit for seven years and STILL aren't sure...well, then I have no idea what I'm talking about and you should ignore anything I'm about to say.

For me, I sobered up through a spiritual transformation. That required fostering a relationship with a higher power and getting really honest with myself - amongst other things. After spending seven years cozying up to my higher power and practicing honesty and doing some serious self-examination...I don't think that I'd be able to lie to myself about whether or not I'm an alcoholic.

So, I don't think you're lying to yourself. I think you really don't know. Cool. Ignorance is the beginning of wisdom.

Here's the deal though: If you are an alcoholic, this very well might be suicide. If not, it's pain - over and over again, until you die unless you can get sober again. It's not a guarantee; many don't make it back. If you're not an alcoholic, then it's a spirited cocktail every so often with no significant consequences (unless you are a potential alcoholic and this sets the wheels back in motion toward that end).

Seems like an off-balanced risk/reward scenario. That said, I'd have to find out for myself. That's the truth. In fact, I did:

I got court ordered to AA at thirteen years old. Seven years sober I picked up a drink. Seven more years passed. My 240 pound frame was down to 120 pounds. I was homeless, penniless, and facing seventy years in prison. My heart quit in the DT's and I still struggle with the brain damage as a result of that stoppage.

I've got twenty-two years sober today. Truth be told, I don't think I was an alcoholic at thirteen years old. I was on the way though - and a seven year hiatus wasn't sufficient to derail me. Can't say what's right for you - and I'm not putting this out there to scare you or to encourage you - I just want to be respectful, put some stuff out there from my experience in the hope that it helps you to make a more informed decision whatever you choose.

Best of luck.

mpr

It definitely is a problem and I am an alcoholic. What I meant was I feel I skipped steps. I jumped straight into cold turkey no booze whereas I feel I should have taken 1-2 months off, attempted moderation. If moderation worked great, if I failed than I would pursue total sobriety, that is all I meant.

I don't feel I missed out these 7 years. I think the time did me good actually. Ive matured, grown up and have nothing in common with the former me.

Hi,

Appreciate the honesty. I've been thinking about this for quite some time and was a bit apprehensive to start a thread for obvious reasons.

Part of me even says well drinking wont make or break anything, I can easily go without it, I have. It's just nice to have a drink every once in awhile. I almost feel like I deserve it, if it goes bad I have nobody to blame but myself. I'm not sold on anything yet just thinking... Might even just be a phase and it'll totally pass. I wont make any rash decisions that is for sure! I worked hard and earned those 7 years, I wont give them up so quick!

Kaneda8888

Hey mpr

I'm curious to know what exactly is the attraction of alcohol now that you've abstained for so long ? From my viewpoint, I would investigate that a little deeper. How does alcohol benefit you now ?