Stevie1

Pretty much it, in a nutshell. Non-alcoholics don't have to "try" or make a big deal about it. They just do it.

At one point earlier in my drinking life I was able to "moderate" my drinking for about four or five years. This was after an extended period of extremely heavy daily drinking during which I wrecked a marriage, wrecked two vehicles, blew a graduate degree and generally made a complete ass of myself.

Then I "moderated" for several years, although it wasn't normal drinking - mostly sneaking it or drinking alone. Was not the happiest time of my life, really.

But I couldn't keep it up, some bad stuff happened in my life and off I went to daily drinking-to-blackout again. After a while I realised how out of control I was getting and didn't even bother moderating or making promises to myself; I knew it wouldn't work.

If you're an alcoholic, you cannot moderate your drinking forever.