Originally Posted by
Ginniver 
I’ve thought often about quitting (for years and years), and have made half-hearted attempts that lasted for a couple of days, but last Saturday, I just stopped. Sunday was the same, and so on.
I knew I drank too much. I didn't get what was going on as I thought a person either was an alcoholic or wasn't. I didn't understand how this all works and that a person could enter the spectrum simply by abusing alcohol. There came a moment when it hit me. I became very afraid and stopped that day.
Today is day six and other than feeling headachy and just-weird (hot and cold, intermittent nausea), I think I could be mostly ok with this. I feel like I can keep going, but I’m worried that I don’t have any sort of plan in place. I’d always figured when I stopped, it would be gradual and plotted. I’m pretty sure if I told friends I didn’t feel like drinking, most would just shrug and accept it (a lot of my friends don’t drink, or rarely).
I didn't start with a formal plan. I still don't have a particular method I follow. My plan looked/looks more like this "whatever it takes to get free/stay free of that nightmare." I pull insights from other people who are in AA, Smart, therapy via this website. There were (and probably still are) people who actually work in the mental health field here and their input has been invaluable.
I’ve never told anyone about my nightly (or more) bottle of wine. I’ve been functioning at this level for a long time and it’s rarely interfered with getting to work. It has, however, wreaked havoc on personal decisions. And I hate the feeling of furtiveness and deception around it.
Yeah, I was like that too. I drank a pint of whisky every night and took great care not to let it interfere with my responsibilities so I wouldn't have to admit I had a problem. People with an alcohol problem should stop drinking and that couldn't happen. I had to keep drinking (or so I thought). I tried to tell people I was an alcohol and everyone just said: "No you're not". They couldn't see inside me and the damage it has caused. I was near suicide.
I have no intention of going to AA. I can’t imagine going into a rehab program. I am marginally open to talking it out with a therapist. But mostly, I’d like to just keep on the path now that I’m on it.
Which is why I’m nervous about not having a plan. What should that look like?
It didn't even occur to me to go to rehab or anything like that right away. About 2 months in my head cleared a bit and I realized that this was the kind of thing a person needs support for. I wrote a note, signed and dated it and gave it to my husband. It said "I am an alcoholic. If I ever drink again please commit me to rehab. There is no safe amount for me to drink so if I am it's got me and I need help." I made a promise to myself that if I couldn't do it without rehab I would seek outside help but I didn't trust myself as addiction lies its ass off and makes the person addicted to it's lying.