KDeSantis

My husband likes wine, I like wine but he is sleeping and after drinking 4 glasses and a beer, I finished off a bottle of Prosecco and opened a bottle of Pinot Noir. Why can't I be normal? Why can't I go to sleep? I have been to rebab and AA but I like to drink and I just want to drink normally....

Terminally Unique

Contrary to what many may say, normal people simply don't drink. So, to answer your question, yes, you can indeed be perfectly normal.

artsoul

Welcome KDeSantis -

I was quite determined to become a normal drinker and just kept thinking if I tried a little harder I could control it the "next time." All that time and energy, and I only ended up getting worse.

I've had times when I only had a drink or two, but that was because I was pressured by the circumstances. I don't think I've ever just had one or two when it was up to me.

I think most of us here could have written your post..... I'm glad you decided to join us. Are you considering getting sober?

ReadyAndAble

Hi, welcome to SR.

Seems like that's not possible for you. I know it's not possible for me. I tried and failed for years. The good news is that after I quit for good, I not only adjusted to life without alcohol, but came to appreciate it more than ever. Now I wouldn't want to drink normally even if I could.

Glad you found us.

Dee74

Hi KDS
Welcome

like many others here, I tried to drink normally, over and over again, for 20 years
Finally accepting I couldn't and never would was actually pretty freeing for me.

I have a life now I could only dream of as a drinker.

I hope you'll stick around.
Coming here was actually a big part of me turning my thinking and my life around

D

least

i tried and failed over and over to drink 'normally' but only found happiness and peace of mind when i gave up drinking completely.

Zebra1275

Welcome!

Sounds like you can be normal, you just can't drink. Of the 1000 life activities you can engage in, here's one you can't do. That still leaves 999.

gofigerr

I'm new here and feel the same, and I'm probably what someone would consider a "normal drinker" I normally drink everyday and when I do it's 1/2 a bottle of wine or 3-4 beers, I always stop that's not my problem, I can go to dinner and have 2 galsses of wine and no more, but my problem is the way it affects my health and the fact that I know it affects my life and I can't totally stop. When I do stop I get bad anxiety, dreams, sadness I feel like I've lost a friend, I want to drink and I don't want to drink.

jocata

The great obsession of every alcoholic, to drink normally. I've tried so many times. Always failed . There may have been a few occasions when I would only have a couple, but that just made me mad. I would soon be off and running to a drunken spree.

I find it so much easier not to drink at all.

God bless.

TempeBrenn

You may have lost a friend, but it's a friend that doesn't seem to have your best interest at heart. As the song said, "Breaking up is hard to do." I thought exactly the same, only I would drink the entire bottle. The wonderful book by Caroline Knapp, "Drinking: A Love Story" addresses this "loss of a friend" and "normal" drinker very succinctly. I found it to be very helpful. Good luck and hang in there and stay here for wonderful support.

choublak

Normal is a cycle on a washing machine.

katrinka

In October I decided to cut way down on the wine. I managed to do it but I thought about wine all the time and I looked forward to the day I could drink. Then, when I drank my allotment for that evening, all I could think about was going out for more. Then as the holidays got closer, I started drinking more and then I was back where I started. So obviously, I can't cut down. But I can quit!

dorito281211

I'm less than 30 days sober and I KNOW I can never drink like normal people. Alcoholism is a progressive disease, for me, I quit while I still could.

midgetcop

I always used to tell myself "I love booze way too much to become an alcoholic". Meaning, don't completely lose control or I'll be forced to quit.

Well, that was a warning sign if I ever had one.

I spent YEARS clinging onto the belief that I could control my drinking. Some nights I was successful, but the mental obsession was always there.

langkah

Looks like you are drinking normally for you, and your husband is drinking normally for him.

Drinking low amounts would be abnormal for you, and something you apparently cannot do. Not drinking at all would establish a new normal for you. Try your very best to shoot for that.