EddieBuckle - Your approach makes perfect sense, and CONGRATULATIONS on remaining sober!!! Thanks for your thoughts and for sharing your account.
TimD - CONGRATULATIONS on your one-year anniversary, and then some! That's awesome! I also appreciate your approach. I am attached to the last day I drank for the same reason as you, so we shall see. Thanks for your thoughts, and congrats on remaining sober. Thanks for being an example to the rest of us!
Johno - Congratulations on remaining sober longer this time than last time. One day at a time is a great approach because we never know if or when we will relapse. The reason a date are so important to me at this point is because days are all I have. I haven't been sober months or years, and this is my first attempt at being sober, so counting the days, and feeling good about each sober day, is my way of hopefully advancing to the next sober day
Regarding the U.S. Marines, I am no longer an active-duty Marine. I served 8 years and left the Marines 11 years ago. That said, I didn't learn to drink in the Marines, but the Marines SURELY encouraged it. They encouraged it because they discourage drug use so much. During my first four years it seems it was officially sanctioned, with company and battalion parties every Friday with keg upon keg of beer. During my 2nd four years it was no longer officially sanctioned, but we were still Marines and didn't need a sanction, haha. I remember a six-month period early on in my service where I was S**T-FACED EVERY SINGLE NIGHT and MORNING, would sober up in the afternoon, eat dinner, take a nap, rinse and repeat FOR SIX MONTHS. How my liver didn't jump out of my body and run for help is beyond me! So, to answer your questions, I drank a LOT whilst in the Marines, never sought help with it, don't know what help exists, but do understand that, especially due to budget cuts (sequestration), they are limiting enlistments and lowering numbers of re-enlistments, so are using ANY reason to prevent people from joining and ANY reason to kick people out, alcohol abuse being one of those reasons.
Thanks for your encouragement, Johno, and congratulations, once again, for being sober!!!