Ken33xx

Basically, I'm for anything that gets you through the night - be it prayer, tranquilizers or a bottle of Jack Daniels.

-Frank Sinatra-

Ken33xx

double post. message deleted.

Thumpalumpacus

Moderation is not for me. One becomes two becomes six becomes a crappy night and worse morning.

Andante

Behavioral modification has a place as a facet of addiction recovery, as can a "psychic change" as result of a religious conversion.

However, neither the most extreme behavioral change nor the most profound religious conversion can erase the physiological effects of tolerance and dependence to alcohol in alcoholics.

Tolerance and dependence are an integral part of the definition of addiction. Once established, they never reverse themselves, at least not entirely, and the very fact of their existence precludes any return to "normal" drinking.

Part of "alcoholism" means never again being able to extract the same feeling of relaxation and euphoria from one or two drinks once you've become physically accustomed to eight or ten (or more). This has nothing to do with behavior or religion or anything else but brain physiology.

There are those who go through periods of heavy drinking but never develop much in the way of tolerance or dependence. They're don't become addicted, and thus fail to meet one of the crucial criteria for being considered "alcoholic."

ScottFromWI

A reminder that SR is a forum dedicated to sobriety. The promotion of moderation or drinking of any amount is not allowed in our forums.

Several posts and quoted content have been removed as well.

Dee74

not from me I'm afraid.

To be honest, I think those stories you hear about alcoholics being able to drink again are either to promote a certain method, or the results are over a limited time frame.

D

Soberwolf

It's only alcoholics interested in moderation I wonder why that is

& that isn't aimed at anyone I've just noticed time & again i see the same thinking I had before I found sobriety I called mine 'experiments' im able to laugh at how ill my thinking was

Each to their own but I cant moderate I can't even drink responsibly or safely believe me I tried we all tried lol

Notimetoloose

I have heard that as well, however, I think it is more for the recreational drinker that for years only had a couple but for whatever reason crossed over to a habitual drinker and once they address the drinking they can then go back to be an occasional recreational drinker...
This is not the case for me...I have tried moderating every possible which way and I am under no delusions that it is possible.
Once I open that door and awaken the beast the drinking thoughts become all consuming...

Thumpalumpacus

Leading up to my full embrace of recovery at the New Year, I spent three months trying to be sober, lapsing, and telling myself my lapses were moderate. But I always ended up drinking whatever was at hand ... and making sure there was plenty of it.

I don't speak for anyone else, but looking back, for me it seems that my attempts at "moderation" were in reality my addiction making sure the hooks were still set. For me, the only answer, painful as it is, is to rip the SoBs straight out.

Zebra1275

Here's an analogy.

I have high blood pressure. I tried to lower my BP through cognitive methods (in effect, trying to retrain my mind). Relaxation techniques, meditation, etc. didn't do squat for my BP. I finally gave up and went on medication. Today my blood pressure is perfect.

For me, and all of the alcoholics I know, trying to drink in moderation is futile in the end. We always go back to our drunken ways.

Warpaint

I agree with this.

BBQBOY

You can take a cucumber and make it into a pickle....but once it's a pickle it can never return to a cucumber!!! I was that cucumber many years ago!!

Zufrieden

Exactly this for me! It is simply not worth considering drinking again regardless of my clinical diagnosis. My life is so much easier and simple by just saying "no"... Permanently and without any further thought.
Jonathan

SoberCAH

That's exactly what he is doing.

Chances are, his decision to seek help has required more courage than most or all of anything they have been through.

And he is correct that he can't drink again without severe (i.e. eventually fatal) consequences.

I wish you and him the best.

Glad you are here on this board.

Fly N Buy

Common for others to be ignorant of our disease and equate it to a moral failure.

From the forward of Under the Influence by Milam and Ketcham

"....the accumulated evidence from all the life sciences positively indicates that physiology, not psychology, determines whether a drinker will become addicted to alcohol or not. The alcoholics genes, enzymes, hormones, brain and other body chemistries work together to create his abnormal and unfortunate reaction to alcohol. "

This is a highly recommended resource and is a sticky in the Alcoholism forum from 2007. http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...influence.html

For a person to go to rehab and think they may drink again in normal fashion/moderate is insane but not atypical alcoholic thinking, imo.

NYCDoglvr

Not true, ever. An alcoholic is someone who, once they pick up a drink, can't stop. Hopefully your husband will get sober. In sobriety we don't drink one day at a time. I haven't had a drink in over 8400 days.

SixStringZen

I can control and enjoy my drinking....just not at the same time...

Soberwolf

This book should be read by anyone in recovery I read it recently & it's a seriously informative book on alcoholism

FBL

Once I accepted the fact that I cannot drink again, I found that I don't want to drink again. Acceptance is the key and we each have to find that within ourselves.

greenteababe

i think hardcore alcoholics probably can never drink again but it's all a personal thing.

rn i'm telling myself i can't drink anymore but if i'm being honest i think i might in the future. i walked past a bar the other day and my heart started racing which is pretty weird