Thoughts on Moderation
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Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 936
Originally Posted by Ariesagain 
Moderation to me is like having only a little arsenic, but this particular poison is much slower to kill you.
It's not worth the risk. Any amount of alcohol is poison to the alcoholic whether we think we could moderate or not. End of story.
Member
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 39
I can't do moderate drinking. The only times I have ever had less than say four beers is if I have been ridiculously hungover/ill that I couldn't make myself do it. I agree with you guys that moderation is not an option and never will be, I mean, I love pizza but I usually stop when I'm full, this never ever happens with alcohol.
Now what?
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Oregon Coast
Posts: 100
Originally Posted by Frickaflip233
That is a very important first step. Powerless over alcohol.
OR - I am all mighty and powerful over alcohol - as long as I don't drink any.
(That was fun)
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Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: The Great Outdoors
Posts: 1,992
WhoDa...You make me laugh. When I turned??? Sounds like that steak you picked up at the grocery store and got home...took the wrapper off and the stench knocks you over!
No moderation here. Moderation is a teaser. It is one of those things you say to yourself knowing full well you WILL TURN! I surely wish I could drink like Joe Normal. Just will never happen.
No moderation here. Moderation is a teaser. It is one of those things you say to yourself knowing full well you WILL TURN! I surely wish I could drink like Joe Normal. Just will never happen.
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Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Europe
Posts: 516
For me it wasn't too hard to only have 2-3 glasses in one go. I rarely got really drunk and if it was always planned. Then I just downed half a bottle of vodka to knock myself out. For me the hard part was moderating the "whens" not the "how muchs". I was constantly arguing with myself and trying to find excuses for drinking a glass of wine before breakfast and one in the afternoon and maybe have some vodka in your hot chocolate and then two more glasses in the evening.
I think my whole personality is rather obsessive. As a kid I only ever wanted to eat one type of food and nothing else for weeks and then it would abruptly change to a different food for the next couple of weeks. Same was with friendships or hobbies. I hate nothing more than being in the middle of an activity and then having to stop and do something different. Even if that's just eating or sleeping. I think it might be autistic tendencies, dunno.
I won't try moderating my drinking cause I think it's impossible once you developed a physical addiction. But I do my best to moderate the other parts of my life cause I think that would lead to a healthier more balanced life which will help me to stay sober.
Sorry in case that was slightly OT.
I think my whole personality is rather obsessive. As a kid I only ever wanted to eat one type of food and nothing else for weeks and then it would abruptly change to a different food for the next couple of weeks. Same was with friendships or hobbies. I hate nothing more than being in the middle of an activity and then having to stop and do something different. Even if that's just eating or sleeping. I think it might be autistic tendencies, dunno.
I won't try moderating my drinking cause I think it's impossible once you developed a physical addiction. But I do my best to moderate the other parts of my life cause I think that would lead to a healthier more balanced life which will help me to stay sober.
Sorry in case that was slightly OT.
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Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 15
Part of the reason it took me a while to stop drinking was I figured it would be so hard I would fail constantly. Now I see trying to drink "moderately" was the insane hard part for me. And I failed constantly at it. Not drinking is easier.
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Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 936
Originally Posted by MicroMacro
I think more is required here. I am powerless over alcohol when I drink it.
OR - I am all mighty and powerful over alcohol - as long as I don't drink any. (That was fun)
OR - I am all mighty and powerful over alcohol - as long as I don't drink any.
(That was fun)I am powerless over that "strange mental blank spot" that happens right before.
Now what?
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Oregon Coast
Posts: 100
Originally Posted by Centered3
I am powerless over alcohol before I drink it.
I am powerless over that "strange mental blank spot" that happens right before.
I am powerless over that "strange mental blank spot" that happens right before.
What is it?
Member
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: surrey United Kingdom
Posts: 10
Hi everyone, really helpful threads, I am not sober yet and have tried to moderate my drinking, but like you all point out it is not going to work 
really in the long run. Trying to cope with a lot of emotional and personal problems makes it so hard not to drink as it has become my coping mechanism and the world seems a little kinder with a few drinks!!!!!! I'm sure you have all felt the same way to a certain extent. However I am so desperate for the demon to go away it makes me feel guilty, worthless etc.... every day. I keep going to this site because its not feeling so alone which helps. Have joined AA recently and such a lovely group of people is also helping a little.
really in the long run. Trying to cope with a lot of emotional and personal problems makes it so hard not to drink as it has become my coping mechanism and the world seems a little kinder with a few drinks!!!!!! I'm sure you have all felt the same way to a certain extent. However I am so desperate for the demon to go away it makes me feel guilty, worthless etc.... every day. I keep going to this site because its not feeling so alone which helps. Have joined AA recently and such a lovely group of people is also helping a little.
Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 3,109
I've never really tried moderation. I drank to get drunk. I've tried drinking on less days but when I drank I was all in. I've come to the conclusion that even drinking one or two days a week is too much because of how the alcohol affects my personality and how my behaviour affects the people who I love in my life. I am better than this and I should be expecting more out of myself.
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Chicago
Posts: 599
Originally Posted by LilynLucy
Hi everyone, really helpful threads, I am not sober yet and have tried to moderate my drinking, but like you all point out it is not going to work really in the long run. Trying to cope with a lot of emotional and personal problems makes it so hard not to drink as it has become my coping mechanism and the world seems a little kinder with a few drinks!!!!!! I'm sure you have all felt the same way to a certain extent. However I am so desperate for the demon to go away it makes me feel guilty, worthless etc.... every day. I keep going to this site because its not feeling so alone which helps. Have joined AA recently and such a lovely group of people is also helping a little.
really in the long run. Trying to cope with a lot of emotional and personal problems makes it so hard not to drink as it has become my coping mechanism and the world seems a little kinder with a few drinks!!!!!! I'm sure you have all felt the same way to a certain extent. However I am so desperate for the demon to go away it makes me feel guilty, worthless etc.... every day. I keep going to this site because its not feeling so alone which helps. Have joined AA recently and such a lovely group of people is also helping a little.The demons will go away if you quit. I promise you they will. It takes time however so you need to trust that they will.
stay at SR it will help you.
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 847
Originally Posted by MicroMacro
Strange mental blank spot? I've never heard of that.
What is it?
What is it?
Originally Posted by Alcoholics Anonymous, 1st Ed., Ch. 3
They had said that though I did raise a defense, it would one day give way before some trivial reason for having a drink. Well, just that did happen and more, for what I had learned of alcoholism did not occur to me at all. I knew from that moment that I had an alcoholic mind. I saw that will power and self-knowledge would not help in those strange mental blank spots...
Once more: The alcoholic at certain times has no effective mental defense against the first drink. Except in a few rare cases, neither he nor any other human being can provide such a defense. His defense must come from a Higher Power.
Once more: The alcoholic at certain times has no effective mental defense against the first drink. Except in a few rare cases, neither he nor any other human being can provide such a defense. His defense must come from a Higher Power.
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Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 928
Originally Posted by Algorithm
It comes from the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous - Chapter 3 - More About Alcoholism (Page 42-43).
You may draw your own conclusions, but when AA says powerless over alcohol, as in Step 1, it means powerless over the desire for alcohol.
You may draw your own conclusions, but when AA says powerless over alcohol, as in Step 1, it means powerless over the desire for alcohol.
Member
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: SoCal
Posts: 222
Im on a binge now.
Im the type who always wants to believe I can still possibly have the ability to drink in moderation/"like a gentleman"/whatever. Ive been on this road well over a decade, while drying out for several days at a time. Im more of a heavy binge drinker, so have a little beet of a leeway with not going into DTs and that.
Maybe some people can still moderate. I use to hate how they always made it out to be so black and white in places like AA and that, but...I do think for some of us that it has to be that way.
Im the type who always wants to believe I can still possibly have the ability to drink in moderation/"like a gentleman"/whatever. Ive been on this road well over a decade, while drying out for several days at a time. Im more of a heavy binge drinker, so have a little beet of a leeway with not going into DTs and that.
Maybe some people can still moderate. I use to hate how they always made it out to be so black and white in places like AA and that, but...I do think for some of us that it has to be that way.
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