Originally Posted by Supersonic

I've spent as long as I can remember trying to cut down/quit drinking. Pretty much ever hour when I'm not at work I'm thinking about how much I want/don't want alcohol, and it's the former in the vast majority of cases. Apart from the damage I must be doing to myself, I get in some really bad situations as a result of my drinking. I've had a serious go at quitting a few times, and on both occasions only managed a few weeks.

I don't feel AA is right for me, I really don't, but I know it is a great help to a lot of people and I respect that.

So I need a plan. From my previous attempts at quitting, I think I know how I am most likely to slip up. After a few weeks I start to feel stronger, better in mind and body, but at the same time I also start to feel more and more that I can be like 'everyone else', and drink in moderation. The stronger and better I feel in myself, the more I feel I can overcome my weakness where booze is concerned. I tell myself that it never really was that much of a problem, and that I'm making a mountain out of a molehill. And so I embrace it again, like an old friend, and very quickly I'm back in the grip. I'm very good at forgetting the bad episodes, and convincing myself that I'll cut down from next week.

I've tried the local counselling service, as recommended by my GP, but they recommended cutting down and focusing on why I drank too much and just dealing with this. I initially thought it was great, I had the green light to drink again, but I now know 100% that if I continue to drink then I will always end up back in this same place.

I've been sober for two days.