Hi Pop
I'm an alcoholic taking my recovery one day at a time.
For me trying to wean myself off alcohol was like a newborn infant trying to wean itself off mother's milk. I tried all the "weaning" strategies: the "glass of water in-between drinks" strategy, the "only three drinks today" strategy; the "only on weekends and occasionally on monday too" strategy: the "beer only" strategy (beer can't be as bad as spirits, can it?); the "first drink after six pm" strategy; the "non-alcoholic beer mixed with the occasional beer" strategy; the "waterered down whiskey" strategy;and even the "non-alcoholic beer during the week and the let-rip with the real thing on saturdays and sundays" strategy. All my strategies eventually ended with the same result: drunk as a skunk. It was a real revelation to me when my addicition doctor told me that non-alcoholic beer is a no-no in any alcoholic's house because it's a surrogate addicition.
Good luck and welcome to this board. You'll find it very helpful. (: