Were you unable to maintain? - Did 1 become 2 etc etc......
In the end yes...I would either have 'just one'...and then rush home to knock off as booze as much as I could...
or I'd stick to that one for a couple of social occasions...with ants in my pants but I'd do it...I'd then think I was cured - and inevitably I'd drink more the next time or the time after...and always find myself back at square one.
I don't know if you're an alcoholic Karl - but if you have a long list of evidence of being the one who always gets too drunk, drinking alone, ending up in trouble or embarrassment when drinking, blacking out, having trouble sticking to one, or not drinking at all...
It could be you got some stuff to think about.
D