MeAndOnlyMe

So I was cleaning-up and washing dishes after dinner tonight, feeling pretty good, all things considered. I'm putting dishes into the dish washing machine when BANG! I tipped my wife's wine glass back and had the last two sips. No thinking about it, just a bad habit rearing its head. I'm sort of amused right now as it took 3-5 seconds of standing there to fully comprehend what I had done as a creature of habit.

At any rate, it's done, I don't feel bad, I'm going to spend some time thinking about WHY that just occurred and be more mindful going forward.

Odd though...just like that.

Dee74

I've had that happen.
I found it scary.

No point in determining why in my opinion - alcoholism is as good a reason as any MeAndOnlyMe - alcoholics do exactly what you just did.

I think you're far better off putting a support network in place to make sure it doesn't happen again.

D

Mark75

Your wife is not alcoholic... I mean, she left a couple of sips behind??

Mark

Nevertheless

What, are you walking in your sleep? I know me, even now I know if there is ANY alcohol in the room. Aren't you on day 4?
I just don't understand how on day 4 of not drinking, there is a glass of wine in the room and you don't know about it. To me that would be like a big red fire engine in the kitchen with all the bells and whistles going off.
I'm not trying to say yur telling a whopper. Strange things happen the first few days of sobriety<G> You MUST be sleepwalking.
Fred

MeAndOnlyMe

Ha! Good point. When I met her she was in med school and the first time I went to her apartment I found a jar of spaghetti sauce, some milk and a bottle of something I wouldn't even drink in her fridge.

MeAndOnlyMe

Well, there's cases and cases of really good wine stacked in the cellar downstairs. I'm not going down there for any though. Strangely, I cooked dinner and poured her wine for her and while sure, I thought about a glass, I didn't bother. That's why tossing back her last sips was sort of amusing to me. And that was it.

Do I have a desire to toss back a bottle of something right now? No. Will I tomorrow? I don't know, I guess it depends on what I make for dinner. Chances are though that I will NOT as I recognize I exhibit certain behaviors with alcohol that could become problematic and I'm interested in the collected experiences of the SR site members and if nothing else can offer some sincere congratulations to others when merited.

I was morose when I started cruising this site, reading the forums and such. I understand that various programs have helped tons of people the world over but I've been a bit on edge with the way some people push these programs onto newcomers with no context. Plenty of people fail miserably with no support network and no way in which to let go and be helped to help themselves. Plenty of people also fail in that very same environment. I'm just trying to figure out me, determine causes and behaviors and plan next steps.

Do I drink too much at times? Sure. Am I an alcoholic? Who knows? Am I "just a drunk?" No clue. The labeling is really dragging me down though. I need to figure out me instead of the successful (and unsuccessful for that matter) people of this site saying "you look like a me so I'm gonna tell you how to fix you like me."

LovesToTravel

Why would your wife leave 2 sips if she knows you are trying to not drink? I think a discussion is in order. Of course my husband keeps leaving a bottle of booze on the counter also...in the back of my mind I think he wants me to fail...I was easier to live with!...

MeAndOnlyMe

Maybe I just drank/drink too much, have a liver that can process ETOH like a Aruban desalination plant and will continue my days doing the best I can for myself and those I love.

debs

Couldn't agree more.

I've given up on labels.... And ya know what?

Something's really changed in me.

For the better.

P.S. You're never in the wrong place if you're benefiting from your time spent there.

Stereosteveo

I would call the "finishing her glass" a complete mishap. Old habit maybe. I can easily understand how it could happen in the midst of doing dishes.

As far as determining what kind of alcoholic you are, well that's vitally important.

This helped me more than anything:
Joe And Charlie Big Book Adventure

intention

I can understand doing that. Things that you do habitually can be very powerful so eventually we can do things in auto pilot......a bit like how they train atheletes and armies.

A good way to break habits is to create new habits which will replace them. Its great you are not beating yourself up over it.....be grateful for the lesson. You can now think of a strategy or a new habit now you know that you go on auto when engaged in the habitual task of doing the dishes.

I also agree a chat with the wife might help.......perhaps she would tip away any leftover wine so you don't have to face it in these early days.

CarolD

Me....I sincerely hope you are not an alcoholic.
That is something only you can decide.

If you choose to leave SR....I hope you found
something useful while you were here.

Members come...Members go
Bless them all on their journey...

flutter

What did you do? To be a bit facetious, the answer would be.. you chose to drink.

It took me a lot of drinking to decide to quit. Hopefully you've found a bit of good stuff here. You know what they say, take what you want.. leave the rest.

A lot of people here have quit without traditional program approaches, myself included. I only knew I would be better off not drinking, and found a way to quit and stay quit. I don't care for labels either, but I know I was drinking way too much, way too often and that not drinking would be better for me in the long run. So far it has.

Best of luck to you!