Originally Posted by Pete55

The topic heading says, "Ideas on controlled drinking".

I doubt if anyone has ever achieved "controlled drinking" if and when there is a track record of "out of control drinking" after one starts to drink alcohol.
If one can control their drinking and have no consequences, I don't think one would be here. Why would they be here if they can drink and control the amount they drink, pay their bills, live in a white picket fence home, never smash their car due to drinking, never been to prison because of drinking, never had a divorce because of drinking etc etc. Why would such a moderate drinker even care to look for a rehab ?

We, or I know for me, am here to try and help another who is suffering and wants to find a solution. One of the solutions I can share about is from actual experience of working a well known solution, IF one works it.
The solution I found that works for me, illustrated what happens to one who drinks and cannot stop after the first drink.
So ask yourself, do you want more alcohol after the first drink of alcohol and find you cannot stop and go into all these changes in your personality, and deny it ?
Then the next day or so, after another blackout, do you swear on heavan and earth, "it will never happen again", and it does, and again and again ?
Perhaps then, it will always be that way once alcohol is consumed, there is no moderation because there is no "off switch" for some of us.
And that is why I know I am alcoholic, I never knew the exact meaning of the word before I made such a remarkable discovery, after all the suffering, I have no "off switch" and never had. I was born alcoholic, in other words, how my body reacts to alcohol inside my body, is different to the moderate drinker, or those fortunate enough to have a "off switch". We all got "go" switches, but no "off switches", and that is because once alcohol is consumed, a physical craving for more of the same starts. I cannot crave alcohol unless I put alcohol in my body first.
Craving is physical, what goes, ( or went ) inside my head is mental obsession, in other words, my biggest obsession was, "it will be different this time, just wait and see, I'll show those people, who never invited me to their cosy little get togethers"

See, those who have their little cosy get-together sipping red wine AND able to put the cork back into the bottle to save it for next week or next month, why would they be here ?
I don't know it able to sip a wine and put the cork back on, moderately, and the moderates don't know what it's like to want more either, cos they never experience "more", alcohol.

So what's the solution, or part of ?

Ask yourself if you crave more alcohol, honestly and can't stop no matter how many times you have tried.
And if you are honest within yourself, you probably admit that it's true !!
BUT, will you accept this new found revelation about YOUR drinking?
That's a key, acceptance, from the inner most part of your soul, heart and mind.
Then really, it's not about quitting, it's about accepting and getting on with life without alcohol no matter what.

That's a sweet surrender to the drinking game, cos I know now, it will never change, I will always crave more alcohol and always have as far back as I remember, just one drink and it was, ...., I could write a book.