DriGuy

Black and white thinking is normally a bad thing, because there is no compromise, no gray areas to play in. It's very rigid. Unfortunately, if you are an alcoholic, and you want to quit, this is a situation that is black and white, and there can be no compromise. Not many situations are, but this one is.

If you are willing to compromise and have a good time in a bar by accepting the hangover, the guilt, and all that goes with your drinking that you don't like, you have a choice to make, and as you pointed out, it's all right there for a buck and a half (or whatever it costs these days).

Everyone of us here has had to make that choice. That's kind of what recovery is about. For me, the consequences of drinking were bad enough that I never questioned that it was the right choice, even though the thought of never drinking again terrified me at times or depressed me at others.

If you hang in there and stick with sobriety, your perception about the whole thing changes. When I don't drink now, I never ever feel a sense of sacrifice or longing. Instead I feel a flash of gratitude for not having to drink again and another flash for being in control of my life, rather than being out of control.

Yes, at first it doesn't seem easy, and it's not, but for me, the idea that alcohol was necessary in my life, was clearly wrong, not just a bad perception, it was flat out incorrect... for me.

You might decide that it's better to reach for the easy fix, and what could be easier than putting a drink to your lips and just letting the drinking lead you to a state of foggy brained unconsciousness. When it came right down to it, that was not what I wanted.

I wish you the best whatever you decide.