Jax1984

Hey everyone - newcomer here!

This might not be the right forum to post in, so please move/delete if it isn't.

I have a question that I can't quite up with the answer for. I am 27 and for the past 3 - 4 years I have been drinking almost daily. Sometimes it is 2 or 3 glasses of wine and sometimes (esp weekends it would be more like 8 to 10 drinks). It hasn't been constant as there have been stretches of a few days where I drink nothing at all - but pretty much every day I would have a drink of some sorts.

I'm a 27 male and am around people that also drink nightly. They drink casually during the week along with the weekend upswing in intake as well. There are times where I will blackout and other times where I will be fine by the end of the night and I rarely get hungover (never nauseous). I have a feeling I rarely get hungover is bc my body is used to the rinse and repeat rhythm each day.

Anyway, I haven't had a drink in 4 days now. Tuesday I woke up feeling great and didn't even think to drink but today I woke up feeling horrible. I have an Rx for Xanax (not for the alcohol) that helps curb the feeling but it doesn't eliminate it.

I really want to give up drinking daily and want to go as long as I can without touching alcohol, but i don't want to miss out on some of the wines and beers I love to drink.

Has anyone ever gone cold turkey for a while, and then come back and been able to have a casual drink or 2 without feeling the urge to get drunk?

Is the situation described a problem and I should just try and quit altogether?

Sorry if i am vague and can provide more details, but I found this forum and wanted to share.

Thanks!

mwstylee

I've tried that literally hundreds of times but failed every single time. It always turned into multi-day/week/month long benders that resulted in me calling into work, blacking out, etc. but you may be different.

look4billw

From my experience anything's possible, but not highly likely my situation.
I've found I get the gratification from drinking something I like, such as one milk shake.
When I substitute a drink with alcohol in it, the craving begins and doesn't end until it's too late.

Tigger41

I tried moderation for a few years on and off. Never could moderate - always went back to getting at least tipsy every night. Sorry - wish I had better news

WantToHeal

Yeah, doesn't work for me either. As I stated in another thread, one turns into two, two into four, and then...

DayTrader

Jax, I feel ya. I was worried too that I'd miss a nice Cab with my steak. For a while, I did. If you'll commit to recovery though, I promise that desire/urge will go away and you won't miss it. Even my old favorite wines don't smell good anymore.

I didn't change that.....I was changed. Recovery's a great thing.

Elisabeth888

Count me in this camp.

If you are not able to drink without getting drunk there is probably a problem.

Sapling

Try it for 30 days...Have 2 beers or 2 glasses of wine you like every day for a month. If you can do that honestly without having a problem...You probably don't have one. If you end up getting drunk or having more than 2...You might want to look into it.

HenryKrinkle

Like many others, I have tried the moderation approach and it just doesn't work for me. After much trying, hoping, wishing, etc., I've come to accept that I am unable to drink in moderation, which means I am not able to drink at all. Period. I'm convinced there is something in my body chemistry that makes drinking different for me when compared to, say, my wife, who can have only one glass of wine, and then be perfectly content with nothing else for the rest of the night.

jocata

Try sapling's experiment. Give it up altogether or try moderation for awhile. If you aren't an alcoholic, this shouldn't be a problem. If you find that you are craving it, or drink more than you wanted to, you may what to dig deeper.

Hope you find your answers.

God bless.