The two-two-two rule... Crappy advice.
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Join Date: Jan 2017
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^^^ This! Two in two minutes, then two per half hour, repeat for two days. Whoever offered that advice is clueless.
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Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Vashon WA
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The idea of limiting myself to two drinks (or two cigs or two tokes for that matter) just sounds like horrible torture. It reminds me of what I read in some Men's Health type magazine many years ago that said to try taking 90 days off. Well I did, and it was so awful that I decided to never drink again! I'm with ZJW on this one, just feeling the need to set up ground rules for drinking is a red flag.
I too needed two drinks just to get out if bed. I don't get the value of having two drinks at all. Might as well make it two drops spread two months apart.
Gotta say though... Feels great feeling that way. I remember early in my sobriety that two drinks might be exactly what I was looking for.
The old "just one won't hurt" thoughts were fairly regular. Thank God there comes a point where "just one" sounds horrible or makes no sense whatsoever. Makes being sober a bunch easier
The only thing I wish for periodically, is getting blasted. Just one night of partying. A night to let it all out.
Even those thoughts are easy to snuff out. I know the anxiety I experience during hangover would blow chunks. A few hours of fun wouldn't be worth the 2 days of anxiety that follows. No thanks.
If you just stick to be sober, it becomes more and more pleasing. The idea of drinking becomes more of a turn off.
That's pretty cool when you think about it. Because not drinking is something that you can do long term without any repercussions. It's something you can do well for years and years. And the more you follow that path, the better it becomes.
Gotta say though... Feels great feeling that way. I remember early in my sobriety that two drinks might be exactly what I was looking for.
The old "just one won't hurt" thoughts were fairly regular. Thank God there comes a point where "just one" sounds horrible or makes no sense whatsoever. Makes being sober a bunch easier

The only thing I wish for periodically, is getting blasted. Just one night of partying. A night to let it all out.
Even those thoughts are easy to snuff out. I know the anxiety I experience during hangover would blow chunks. A few hours of fun wouldn't be worth the 2 days of anxiety that follows. No thanks.
If you just stick to be sober, it becomes more and more pleasing. The idea of drinking becomes more of a turn off.
That's pretty cool when you think about it. Because not drinking is something that you can do long term without any repercussions. It's something you can do well for years and years. And the more you follow that path, the better it becomes.
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Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 5,225
yeah gaffo i read a book by allan carr the easy way to quit smoking. He talked about those smokers that only smoked like a couple cigarettes a day and how that must have been torture all day long thinking about those prescious couple they will get later.
these rules even when followed is just downright torture for the addict. all day long i'd sit there just waiting for 5pm to roll around and like TomSteve said 2? thats just a primer. I'd pound the first 2 just moaning the whole time as i could feel that warm fuzzy feeling as the booze hit my blood stream and started to take that edge off. Even now the thought of it gives me the chills even. 2? pff thats just the beginning of the obsession.
these rules even when followed is just downright torture for the addict. all day long i'd sit there just waiting for 5pm to roll around and like TomSteve said 2? thats just a primer. I'd pound the first 2 just moaning the whole time as i could feel that warm fuzzy feeling as the booze hit my blood stream and started to take that edge off. Even now the thought of it gives me the chills even. 2? pff thats just the beginning of the obsession.
So I read through this thread yesterday and concluded that, 'yeah, this 2-2-2 rule is really dumb.'
Then, this morning at breakfast, my son, who is a 5th Grader, said, "Dad, do you know about the 2-2-2 rule?" And I was stunned and immediately wondered how in the hell he had been reading this stuff. So I said, "no, what is that?" And he said that the average person can survive about 2 weeks without food, 2 days without water, and 2 minutes without air. Apparently, he learned this at school yesterday.
I just stared at him, dumbfounded at the coincidence.
Then, this morning at breakfast, my son, who is a 5th Grader, said, "Dad, do you know about the 2-2-2 rule?" And I was stunned and immediately wondered how in the hell he had been reading this stuff. So I said, "no, what is that?" And he said that the average person can survive about 2 weeks without food, 2 days without water, and 2 minutes without air. Apparently, he learned this at school yesterday.
I just stared at him, dumbfounded at the coincidence.
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 32
I too needed two drinks just to get out if bed. I don't get the value of having two drinks at all. Might as well make it two drops spread two months apart.
Gotta say though... Feels great feeling that way. I remember early in my sobriety that two drinks might be exactly what I was looking for.
The old "just one won't hurt" thoughts were fairly regular. Thank God there comes a point where "just one" sounds horrible or makes no sense whatsoever. Makes being sober a bunch easier
The only thing I wish for periodically, is getting blasted. Just one night of partying. A night to let it all out.
Even those thoughts are easy to snuff out. I know the anxiety I experience during hangover would blow chunks. A few hours of fun wouldn't be worth the 2 days of anxiety that follows. No thanks.
If you just stick to be sober, it becomes more and more pleasing. The idea of drinking becomes more of a turn off.
That's pretty cool when you think about it. Because not drinking is something that you can do long term without any repercussions. It's something you can do well for years and years. And the more you follow that path, the better it becomes.
Gotta say though... Feels great feeling that way. I remember early in my sobriety that two drinks might be exactly what I was looking for.
The old "just one won't hurt" thoughts were fairly regular. Thank God there comes a point where "just one" sounds horrible or makes no sense whatsoever. Makes being sober a bunch easier

The only thing I wish for periodically, is getting blasted. Just one night of partying. A night to let it all out.
Even those thoughts are easy to snuff out. I know the anxiety I experience during hangover would blow chunks. A few hours of fun wouldn't be worth the 2 days of anxiety that follows. No thanks.
If you just stick to be sober, it becomes more and more pleasing. The idea of drinking becomes more of a turn off.
That's pretty cool when you think about it. Because not drinking is something that you can do long term without any repercussions. It's something you can do well for years and years. And the more you follow that path, the better it becomes.
Well said, thank you! At hard time, I'll remember what you said above

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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 32

So I read through this thread yesterday and concluded that, 'yeah, this 2-2-2 rule is really dumb.'
Then, this morning at breakfast, my son, who is a 5th Grader, said, "Dad, do you know about the 2-2-2 rule?" And I was stunned and immediately wondered how in the hell he had been reading this stuff. So I said, "no, what is that?" And he said that the average person can survive about 2 weeks without food, 2 days without water, and 2 minutes without air. Apparently, he learned this at school yesterday.
I just stared at him, dumbfounded at the coincidence.
Then, this morning at breakfast, my son, who is a 5th Grader, said, "Dad, do you know about the 2-2-2 rule?" And I was stunned and immediately wondered how in the hell he had been reading this stuff. So I said, "no, what is that?" And he said that the average person can survive about 2 weeks without food, 2 days without water, and 2 minutes without air. Apparently, he learned this at school yesterday.
I just stared at him, dumbfounded at the coincidence.
That's amazing! The coincidence... Maybe the woman who suggested it, has a school age child who brought home the same info recently
Once the first drink hits us all our resolve flies away. No amount of willpower or good intentions can save us. One drink always led to 10 - no exceptions. Took me many years to finally acknowledge that.
Helpful thread - plenty of wisdom.
Helpful thread - plenty of wisdom.

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Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Chicago
Posts: 599
I think that's the point. If you can actually, drink like that, go ahead. More power to ya. The reality is we can't. Reminds me of a similar instruction of how to catch a bird. Put some salt on its tail. Then the rest is easy.
Having two drinks is like eating two potato chips. It's the whole bag or nothing. I tried setting limits of all types to no avail. I can't imagine the non stop chatter of my AV if it knew drinking anything was back on the table.
Lol. I definitely can't eat two chips. It's easier for me to have none if I can't have the bag.
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