Thanks Levi for the topic,
For me, I realized I needed to stop drinking, not just cut back or moderate it, because I was going round and round in a viscious circle every day about it. It got to a point that I knew (capitol "K") I HAD to stop totally.
I had, for 3 years, successfully (or so I believed!!lol) tried controlling and moderating my drinking, but towards the end of that period, I found that ALL of my potential energy and thoughts, from the moment I awakened until I passed out at the end of the day, were either thoughts of self loathing because I failed once again to go a day or two without a glass of wine, to impatience because it wasn't yet "time" for my glass of wine, to numbness because I had had my 2-5 glasses of wine, to nauseausness the next morning....and on and on like that.
I still functioned at my business, but I knew that soon I would lose my precious business, as I was draining all of my life energy by drinking and obsessing over how to control my drinking, and on concealing my drinking from my clients, and from my family and boyfriend. I even ended the relationship because it interfered with my drinking, it became an irritant to me.
Thanks for the question. It led to a needed reflection for me.