Stoic

I did my serious drinking many years ago, then gradually realized I had a problem and brought it under control. For a long time, however, I wavered between "moderation" and abstinence. So occasionally I'd have a glass of wine with my wife or friends, or a drink before dinner. Inevitably, however, I found that doing this day after day put me on a slippery slope, drinking more week after week, and eventually experiencing the sense that I was losing control of my life, obsessing about my next drink, etc. More recently, I've been going weeks at a time without a drink; and when I did succumb to a glass of wine, I noticed that it was unpleasant, and two glasses led to a poor night's sleep and even a slight hangover the next day. Three weeks ago, I had the last such experience -- on our anniversary, I had two glasses of wine with my wife, enjoying it for the first 30 minutes and then feeling gradually worse, waking at 2 am feeling anxious, and definitely hungover most of the next day.

I hope I've learned my lesson. Whatever I did to my brain in my twenties and early thirties, it reacts to alcohol like an allergy. The only solution is to be a teetotaler, say so openly, and laugh about it. Some of us just can't drink.

Thanks for listening... :-)