maltipoobear

I am having a hard time abstaining entirely but have had relative success with moderation over the past 15 months. If I can avoid drinking alone I don't have any problems. I have drank to excess perhaps 6 or 7 times over the past 15 months. All other occasions which are quite infrequent, maybe once a week or every two weeks I can hold it to 1 or 2 without even thinking about it. There was a time in my life a few years back that I wanted to drink daily and held it to maybe 4 days/week. I just can't imagine never being able to have a glass of wine with a fine meal.

Has anybody out there been able to moderate for any substantial period of time? Thanks!

Ananda

No I havent.

glad you are posting here!

ANGELINA243

I have never been able to drink in moderation. I always wanted/needed more..... I know once I crossed that "invisible line" I never was able to go back. If you can drink in moderation--and stay within boundaries--great! I tried to do that numerous times--but almost always failed.

CarolD

Glad to see you here again....

I did drink socially for a long time
never tried to quit or limit myself
before I became an alcoholic.

After that...moderation never worked.

LosingmyMisery

I never was able to manage moderation no matter how many times I tried.

gravity

From November 2006 to December 2007, I did manage to moderate. Drinking maybe once or twice a month, 2 to 6 drinks. In retrospect, it was not the least bit enjoyable. At some level, I knew what I was doing was wrong (I had caused so much suffering in the past) and really, I wanted to get hammered. I guess the only "benefit" I got out of it was that I felt like I fit in with others. It finally got me on December 14, 2007 - drunk for 2 1/2 days non-stop - just like in the past.

Maybe ask yourself why it is so important that alcohol be a part of your life? Why is a "glass of wine with a fine meal" so important to living a good life especially when you consider what is at stake? I used to believe that I couldn't live without being able to have a few beers with the boys but today I find that belief to be incredibly bizarre.

Pinkcuda

My attempt at moderating and controling my drinking lasted almost a whole day.

FightingIrish

I could always moderate when the consequences of over-doing it (e.g., company Christmas party) were severe enough.

However, I was unable to go for more then four days (on two occasions) without drinking.

M

Ago

Moderation has never interested me....that's just me though.

one glass of wine? you crazy?

haha

seriously, the answer is no, from a very early age, no, moderation didn't work, later on in my drinking career I tried, and for me, If I drank 10 times, 8 of those times I would "drink like a gentleman" the other two times I would "go out for one or two and end up at the bar until one or two"

I could never tell you which times that would be, I had a hundred stories why, but the truth of the matter is, for me, once I drink I lose the power of choice, now the "cunning, baffling, and powerful" part of the equation, I couldn't tell you which nights were those two times, and which were the "drink like a gentleman" part, I would blow off dates, work, whatever, and that's the the part that kept me drinking for years after it got out of control, was those eight times it went well.

lizw

I don't think I have ever had a'social drink' in my life, despite trying a few times. And in my heart of hearts, I always thought the purpose of drinking alcohol was to get drunk.

least

I've rarely been able to control my drinking very well. The few times I controlled it I didn't like it, and when I liked it I wasn't controlling it. I've tried weaning myself off wine and it never worked, I'd want more and would drink more.

I"m sure there are people who can moderate their alcohol intake, but I'm not one of those people. Many years ago I could drink a little or a lot, and stop drinking without any problems... but not anymore. I have to stay away from it completely cause if I start drinking again I'll end up right back where I started - in a deep hole I dug myself.

PaulN

I wasn't one of those people who I hear, blacked out the first time they drank. Not every time I drank in the early years, did I get drunk.

Where I am today, me knowing where or when I crossed the line, adds no value to my sobriety. My heart tells me that there were warning signs prior to crossing the line, but I chose to ignore them.

In the end, I lived months trying to prove to myself that I could control the amount I took. I failed each test. Not until I lost everything was I convinced that I couldn't drink normally. Once I ran out of things to blame it on, there was only one last place left to look ... at me.

flutter

I agree with Carol.. I was very able to drink 'in moderation', or socially, until I became an alcoholic.

Boleo

I relapsed 12,413 times. Every single time I was able to moderate for about 3 days.

Stubborn1

I was a really good binge drinker and realized that alcoholism could take that form with me personally. I could never drink just one or two or even three so I quit all together. I knew if I stayed away from the clubs or going out at all that I wouldn't drink. When I drank, I smoked when I smoked I wanted to do stupid things. I knew one lead to another and it could get worse. My ah is an alcoholic and I saw it. My two best friends who were very intelligent died from it.
So I quit just like that. The time eventually rolled around where I wanted to go out just to be social and I honestly would have a panick attack before I would go out because I was scared I would not stop at one or two.........and I didn't at first.
Just last night I went out with my bestfriend and had two drinks and stopped and made it the entired night. I didn't smoke and I didn't do anything stupid. I did watch stupid acting people who were drinking. I had a headache this morning from being mixed in with cigerette smoke and my hair smelled aweful but it was nice to wake up to my children and know how I got home, remember everything that was around me, washed the yuck from my body and hair and spent the day at the beach. That would have never of happend if I stayed on the same path.
I don't teter with the idea of constantly trying this because I can't always trust myself even knowing how bad I don't want those bad nights to happen. I am an adult now and I have to be responsible for my children and that includes driving on the streets knowing that there are others who are not responsible.
I am the most controlled person I know and over protective and if I am scared of going overboard then there is most definitly a risk of not being able to moderate.
Like I said, I have done it but I would not teter with it on a regular basis. It's way too easy to enjoy it again. The hangovers, the self hatred, the anxiety and all the mess that comes with it the next day just isn't worth it.
Hope this helps. Stay strong.

bstt03

I thought I could, but then I would just keep thinking and thinking about the next time I could drink. In other words, I would think "I have not drank in so long I deserve to treat myself". What kind of treat is that???? And personally I don't see how one drink is enjoyable - Who am I kidding- I drank to get buzzed end of story. None of this glass of wine with dinner for me! So for me moderation was just more painful then not drinking.

navysteve

Sorry, I have never wanted to drink in moderation. Alcohol served one purpose to me

Latte

Exactly.

I have friends who talk about enjoying "a" beer. I never enjoyed beer. I hate the taste of alcohol. I just liked the feeling once I drank it.

bob_sapp

Drink in moderation? I'd sooner quit.

gantz

i use to think i was good at moderation. I would not drink for 4 months, then drink a little each weekend with friends. then only have 3 beers a night, then up to six beers a night and a ton with friends, and then eventually i would just end up drinking all through the weekend. It took about 4 times of doing this before this last time I finally realized..hey! Your are an alcoholic. A bit frightening, but in the end I am glad I came to my senses.

From what I can tell people measure alcoholism with their own esoteric scale.