Aellyce

I never took Antabuse but I do believe that negative reinforcement and fear can be helpful in the beginning. At least it worked for me, I was a bit like what fini describes: intensely scared of relapsing for a few months. For me, reading relapse stories on here (especially from people I subjectively related to) served a bit like Antabuse might... scared the *** out of me and helped sit through my (frequent and intense) cravings quite effectively. I had these thoughts that if I failed, I would get a rxn for Antabuse or even more, get myself checked into an inpatient rehab. My thinking is whatever works, but taking the effects of Antabuse lightly is really nothing but self sabotage.

Redemption86

I use antabuse to control my alcoholism. It has been the only thing that has worked for me in that regard so far. Ive got it down to be able to drink after six days of not taking it. Then I can drink and have no bad effects.

fini

I was a bit like what fini describes: intensely scared of relapsing for a few months.

sob sob cry weep: i've been misunderstood entirely.

Gottalife

I used antabuse for the first couple of months in AA until I realised that God had removed the mental obsession and I was on track for full recovery.

Fear of drinking has no place in AA recovery beyond the early days when we have no defence against the first drink.

In that early time I was using everything I could to avoid that first drink, because I was terrified of drinking and the consequences. I went to meetings, spent lots of time with other alkies, used the phone numbers I had, got a sponsor, started working the steps and took anatabuse. I was also on the wait list for rehab, but in the end I didn't need it. From personal experience I knew fear alone of drinking (on antabuse) would not keep me sober for any length of time, but it might help me stay dry long enough to get something more permanent underway.

walkbeformakrun

Fini - so what is the difference between your "reality" of knowing that if you drink it will end very badly and so you don't, and being "afraid" to drink bc you know it will end badly?

It sounds like splitting hairs.

ScottFromWI

For me it's not splitting hairs at all. For many years my "sobriety" method was based on the consequences of my drinking. Bad things happened when I drank so I'd quit for a little while but eventually the pain and repercussions of those episodes wore off enough that I would start drinking again.

Once I finally accepted that i could never take that first drink at all, that I'd never be able to "control" my drinking, it was a different story completely. Because things didn't always end badly when I first returned to drinking. I COULD quit after a few, maybe the first night or the second. But I always returned to every day binge drinking eventually.

So that's the difference to me...accepting that one drink is never, and will never, be an option - because I have no control over the consequences once I start.

walkbeformakrun

It still sounds like fear of consequences. From a more mature place than before but still.....