Originally Posted by
vulcan30 
I think that the right question to ask is, how to make those alcohol-free days less painful. Grinding through on sheer willpower is clearly not a sustainable solution.
Well said Vulcan, and if it's any help I think you're getting there.
I had made attempts to stop drinking using will power, only to cave after a few days. Many people associate drinking with stress, but drinking as a reward is very common as well. Our minds will rationalise any way they can to justify the drinking. It's a reliable sign we're addicted.
What made a difference to my attitude was that I educated myself about the harm drinking can cause the body and mind. If you want an example google the stages of alcoholism. There was also an ad on telly, in Australia, about how alcohol can increase your risk of cancer. This resonated with me because a couple of heavy drinkers I knew had just died from cancer of the throat.
Another convincing factor was talking to my doctor frankly about how much I drank. He wasn't much help as such, but sharing it was good for me. He prescribed me some pills, Campral, but they had unpleasant side-effects and didn't help, so I stopped them and quit on my own.
With all the prep work something just clicked in my head, and after that it was easy, seriously. Will power didn't come into it because I had made up my mind.
I still had lots of cravings, but learned to cope with those. PM me if you'd like to know how, or browse through SR which has lots of hints and tips.