Marcher13

This week in my morning journal I've been reviewing the lies I told myself pre-sobriety. Did you tell yourself any of these?

• I’ll stop next week.
• I’ll stop in the New Year.
• After the holidays I’ll be more in the mood to stop.
• I’m going on holidays so I can’t stop now.
• I’ve got a dinner out/party coming up/it’s the weekend/it’s a hard week at work, I’ll stop after that.
• I don’t really drink that much. Is a bottle a day too much? What about two bottles?
• I’m functioning, I get up and go to work every day.
• I don’t get hangovers, I just get a headache and acid reflux/ headache and a sick stomach.
• I only throw up when I drink more than I usually drink.
• I only drink wine/beer/vodka so I can’t be that bad.
• I’ve never woken up in the gutter so I haven’t hit bottom.
• I won’t have a good time unless I drink.
• When I drink I feel better about myself.
• When I drink I feel worse about myself.
• Everybody drinks so there's nothing wrong with me drinking.
• What’s her problem? I’ve only had three drinks.
• Of course I wasn’t drunk.
• Of course I’m not hungover, I don’t get hangovers.
• I can drink more than the rest of them because it has no effect on me.
• I can’t be alcoholic because I don’t drink cheap wine/beer/vodka.
• Everybody drinks, if I don’t drink I’ll be left out.
• Why don’t they have a drink? Don’t they ever have a good time?
• I work, I run a house, I exercise every day, how can I be alcoholic?
• I’ll go to bottle shop 1/2/3 today.
• I won’t have dessert, I’ll have another glass of ...
• If I drink I don’t put on weight as easily.
• If I don’t drink I can’t lose weight.
• I appreciate fine wine, you can’t do that if you’re alcoholic.
• Alcoholics only drink flagons of cheap wine.
• If I really wanted to I could have just one or two.
• I could have alcohol-free days if I wanted to.
• It's better to drink every day than to binge drink.
• If I was really alcoholic my nose would be scarlet.
• My hands aren't shaking ------ well not much.
• That mouthwash made me really thirsty this morning.
• I get really sleepy about 2pm, I must be gluten intolerant no matter what those tests say.
• I sleep really well, I sleep quite heavily, but no no I don't snore.
• The recycling bin is really full this week, who's been putting extra stuff in here?
• Where have they put that bottle, there was at least a glass left!
• I'm not a morning person, that's why I can't get up early.
• I know what the statistics say but it’s different for me.

JLC82

Oh wow. You hit a lot on the head. A few made me giggle. This disease is truly cunning.

least

I told myself a lot of those same lies... believed them too.

iloveducks86

I told myself EVERY single one of those. You can even add in:
*I compete in triathlons/BJJ tournaments so I can't be an alcoholic
*Look, I'm only going to have these last few drinks that are in the house. Then I'll stop drinking. I mean, it's dumb to quit drinking AND a waste of money if I stop while there's booze in the house.
*I can't be an alcoholic because I'm not old enough.

GracieLou

It just goes to show as we decline we tend to move the bar. What we feel okay with at the beginning goes lower and lower so we tell ourselves lies and promises to explain away our actions.

I know I used sayings like "I am not that bad" or "at least I don't do that" but when I did get that bad and I did start to do that, I moved the bar.

Bruce292

Yeah, most of those have played in my brain at one point or another. Scary isn't it?

IOAA2

Darn, I wish that I didn't identify with so many. Even with my memory loss I remember too many. BE WELL

LadyBlue0527

Wow, I love the list!

I think everyone should write one of these and when they're done label it

"Reasons that CAN'T be used to Drink".

The list should be posted and consulted when cravings occur

I bet some new ones get invented!

Brian316

I used so many of these also! I think some of the biggest ones I told myself were, "people who are the most grateful for soberiety are lame" and "I'm only hurting myself". I was/am pretty sick.

alphaomega

What a GREAT post Marcher ! Thank you for the reminder.

I used every one of those. Multiple times.

So greatful to be free.

Mizzuno

I identify with a lot of those. I also knew that I was an alcoholic while telling myself all of it. Its such a crazy place to be, ya?

Marktg34

Marcher
That is very good !
Have you heard of DENIAL / AVOIDANCE
It's very true it's like when a depressed person says I don't return your calls because my phone is broken!
Ha

Hevyn

That is SO my list Marcher! Thanks for the memories, and the reminder of what used to be. Ugh, no thanks. Never again.

jdooner

How did you get my journal? Great list, made me chuckle....wow I am greatful not to be deluding myself everyday still.