rAAt

Sure thing, I quit without going to AA and it worked really well right up until I took my next drink.

MrTumble

I tried AA and found it wasnt something I personally felt comfortable with - due to my dislike of anything vaguely religious and also not enjoying the group dynamic.

Since the realisation that Im not able to drink normally, I have quit several times, once for 2 years, once for 6 months and several times for 3-4 months. Im now quit for 4 weeks.

So mixed success for me, but the glass is half-full and any day not drinking is a good day...

mpr

Simply put, yes you can. I quit with this board, no AA, 6+ years ago.

Does this work for everybody? No. Do I recommend it? No.

If you are a strong willed person who functions well alone you can do it but AA really is great. I am even considering checking out a meeting just for the sake of going.

IOAA2

True. Back then many were committed to mental institutions, prison or drank themselves to death as so many do today. BE WELL

LadyBlue0527

It's already been said but you can quit drinking merely by not drinking alcohol. You have to find out what works for you.

Staying away from the back and forth about AA one thing has always rung true for me. I don't know a better place (at least around here) where I could replace the drinking buddies that I lost with people who have the same common goal as me.

Within, you have to find the meetings that work for you and the same goes with the people. I have new friends that I can call and go to dinner or a movie with, or just to hang out with where I don't have to answer questions as to why I don't drink. Or, to watch them drink. I might say that doesn't bother me but if I'm being honest although there isn't an urge it certainly makes me mindful of the fact that I can't. Someday I hope that goes away.

It's a quick way to connect with people who you know have a common and healthy interest.

Bubovski

If I opted for 'normal drinking' I feel I would just be hamming it up.

karate

Many different things work ,for different people .

We all need a different program of recovery ,

Gottalife

I don't know the exact stats, but I believe only a very small percentage of problem drinkers find themselves in a position where they need AA.

Many of my heavy drinking buddies just grew out of it. Some still drink, but moderately. At one time or another these guys drank like me and appeared just as crazy, then they just decided it wasn't for them anymore.

One or two died from alcohol related illnesses, but the booze didn't give them problems in any other areas of their life.

They all exhibit some means of control, in those who moderated, or choice in those who decided enough was enough.

Even the ones that died were enjoying their lives and were happy with their
drinking.

For the small group at the bottom, that's me, the bottom of the barrel, AA may be the only thing that works. But generally, we will do everything in our power to avoid going there. More than a few of us die trying to prove we don't need AA, that we still have the power of choice in alcohol.

BlueFrancis

Yes. You can quit alcohol without AA.

You can quit alcohol with a full bottle of vodka glued to your hand if you've got the willpower to not drink.

Boleo

I once had a drinking buddy who drank more than I did, drank more often than I did and got in a whole lot more trouble than I did. I quit hanging around with him simply because he was getting violent during his black-outs.

Sometime shortly after I got sober I heard from a mutual friend that this guy was now sober. I went to visit him thinking we had something in common - recovery.

Turns out he became a diabetic and was told by his doctor he could not drink anymore.
He never went to any meetings. Never read any books. Never talked to any other alcoholics. He did not even want to talk about it with me. He simply followed the doctors orders. End of story.

Johnston

I use AA for the positive reinforcement to stay abstinent, but don't get into steps or the hp aspect much at all. I'm pretty straight forward with that at the meetings and find that most members are cool with that (the only requirement ....). A few shun me but that's ok.

Croissant

Rowd, firstly, thank you for starting this thread.

I didn't realise so many here got to that magic point of "I just have to stop this" and didn't go to AA.

I am early in my sobriety, but will agree there must be a deep desire to stop. Going to AA or any program isn't like a nicotine patch that stops you from suddenly desiring alcohol. Whatever your 'plan' is....you have to have something, a goal, something to strive for your sober life to look like...and constructive ways to spend your time if you choose to stop drinking.

Whether you choose a formal program or not, I wish you all the best!

gaffo

No matter how you do it, you have to do it for yourself.

MidnightBlue

Never been to AA or any other meeting of the kind. Sober.

freshstart57

This is true. Most people who are addicted and dependent on alcohol quit without a 'program of recovery'. About 75% of us have done it just like this.

I did.

Joe Nerv

Interesting statistic. Would love to know where it came from? Would also like to know the statistic behind those who stay stopped past 10 years, without any program of recovery.

freshstart57

Sure thing. It comes from the National Institute on Alcohol Addiction and Alcoholism and their study of over 43,000 alcoholics over a period of 10 years.

"About 75 percent of persons who recover from alcohol dependence do so without seeking any kind of help, including specialty alcohol (rehab) programs and AA".

Carlotta

My godfather was that way too with cocaine and alcohol: completely off the hook! He almost died and never touched drugs or alcohol again. He has over 3 decades of quality sobriety. (I say quality because he is not a miserable angry person white knuckling it).
Two things though, he is a very spiritual person who does a lot for the community by volunteering etc. and also he knows he can never drink or drug safely every again and is ok with it. He has a very rich life (though he is not wealthy) and is well loved, not at all the so called "dry drunk" stereotype that some in the program say people who are not in AA ought to be.
I chose to go to AA and use other tools as well but people can definitely quit, stay quit and be content without AA.
I think the common denominator for all of us who got and stayed sober regardless of method (or lack of method) is acceptance:
We know we never can drink or drug safely again and we do not fight it, we just accept that it is what it is and are ok with it.

Joe Nerv

Good to know. I do believe it's impossible to get even close to any kind of accurate data when dealing with alcoholics, but I'll keep that on file for future reference. Thanks.

awuh1

Please folks, read the article sited by freshstart very carefully! This article states that some people with alcoholism can drink! Note that the writers equate “alcohol dependence” with “alcoholism”. I can see how they came up with numbers like this.

Note that at one point the article says that “more than half of those who have fully recovered drink at low-risk levels without symptoms of alcohol dependence”.

If you have a definition of alcoholism that allows an alcoholic to drink, then we are talking about entirely different things. Apples and oranges

Alcoholism on this site is generally meant to convey the idea that a person with it can never again safely drink. Thus, it is a chronic condition.

Last I checked this website does not endorse moderate drinking .