Sirsean

I just celebrated 26 years sober, but I often wonder if i can ever drink safely again. So much of my drinking was done when I was young, directionless, and living at home. When I'm out on a date or at certain social events I'd like to take a drink along with everyone else. I've gone to enough meetings & witnessed the results of folks who have tried & failed, but nevertheless I still think i can. I don't make meetings like I used to so I know this plays a part in my thinking. The only thing that keeps me from trying is the fear that I might be wrong! I wonder if anyone with significant sober time has ever tried & succeeded?

doggonecarl

Welcome to SR.

I'm only aware of the tried & failed.

least

I had twenty years sober and started drinking again. Within six months I was back to my drunken ways and had one hell of a time stopping again. I couldn't drink "successfully". I have almost four years sober now and will never forget the lesson I learned: that if I go back to drinking I'll end up just as bad as when I left off. Why chance it?

MIRecovery

I quit for six years and I was successful. I couldnt have drank any better. I won a first place as a low bottom drunk


It sounds like you've already relapsed just have not drank yet. I would get my b*** to an AA meeting asap

spinape

The success rate is incredibly low. Let's keep in mind for the ones who claimed they have returned.... Well, alcoholics are pretty good at stretching the truth. In my experience, the answer is no

Threshold

Is drinking booze important enough to hazard the hugely significant risk of trying this?

If so...why?

There are activities, foods, and beverages that for a variety of reasons I can no longer safely enjoy, though once upon a long ago I could. It's part of life. Not taking another drink won't harm you, beginning to drink again might kill you.

If I were you I start hitting up meetings again for a reality check.

best to you

Leadfoot

You do know? The slip happens long before you take the drink. Snap the hell out of it and snap out of it now. Get beck to your meetings and get back into the program.

DoubleBarrel

What this post says to me is that the addictive voice is a patient sonofabitch.

Ptcapote

Hi SirSean, I really have nothing more to add to the wisdom of the others here but I would also be good and concerned.

I am in AA and the most painful relapses I see are the folks with 20+ years who go back out in the hopes of "maybe it was just a youth thing..." or "maybe my body is now older and can metabolize alcohol differently..." or some version thereof. I have only been around the rooms for under a year, mind you, but have seen three cases of people with long-term sobriety going back out. One is dead. One is in jail and probably wishes she were dead since she caused some severe harm to a child in a blackout. The other came back after about a month away looking like absolute sh!t and back on a downward spiral that started almost immediately. So that is three in nine months for me and each one managed to talk themselves into it using the same kind of "what if?" line of rationale you are.

Those are some pretty crappy statistics, at least to my mind.

I hope you get to a meeting. Alcoholism is nothing to play with and why would you even take that risk knowing how it could turn out? Yeah, maybe you're the special one who bucks the rule.

But, damn, what if you're not?

I wish you the very best.

Joe Nerv

When I was 23 years sober, a good friend of mine that i got sober with (also 23 yrs sober) went through the same kind of thing as you. He ultimately decided that he didn't want to feel "diseased" or different anymore. He believed he could drink and control it. He drank. He controlled it. For I'd say a little over a year. Then it started to have a grip on him again. Slowly. It's now 6 years later, he's jobless, living with his sisters family, admitting he's got a pretty bad problem... Yet unwilling/able to do anything about it. He wants to stop drinking, but can't.

veryready

yep

pinkdog

Hi Sirsean, 26 years is tremendous. I hope you stay sober. You are a rockstar.

freshstart57

Sir, if you think about this, this is the wrong place to find a 'yes' answer to your question. Those that have ended their addiction to alcohol and then some time later, drank responsibly for an extended period of time, are simply not here. Why would they waste the limited time they have on this earth by hanging around an addictions treatment website?

If you have not accepted yet that you no longer drink under any circumstance, I suggest you get to work on that part. Now is good.

WhoDey

Here's an interesting article, especially the section on mistaken beliefs.
Relapse After Long-Term Sobriety

wiscsober

Sirsean You will find an enormous amount of support here. SR is an integral part of my recovery along with AA, Alanon, and nicotine cessation.

When you get a chance. Introduce yourself...looks like you have a lot to offer.

First if they did you probably wouldn't find them on this site...

If they didn't drink successfully they might be here.

I think after 26 years you know what the answer is.

And, you would not be the first...not unique in that type of thinking.

Sounds like you are out of touch with what was working for you.

Hope you don't test the waters it would be a great loss for you (i'm guessing you are going to AA meetings) and to those newcomers that could use your help.

Mental relapse starts long before physical relapse.

LDT

It did not work for me, and I now have no illusions that it ever would.

soberclover

I have to agree with the previous posts. I was clean and sober for 13 years. My decision to be a "normal" person again lasted for 8 long years.....I was far far far from normal in my drinking behavior. Lost my marriage, my self-respect, my job, my family's trust, my friends, wrapped my car around a tree so lost car too, and lost a lot of my health. My last visit to the intensive care unit in the hospital with a TBI (traumatic brain injury) was my wake-up call. I didn't want my son's idiot father to be raising him. Alcoholics cannot drink "normally" (whatever that is).

gaudi

Sounds like Mr Denial is in town.

Are you an alcoholic? If you accept you are then you cannot drink without descending into being a "drunk".

It's a simple equation.

Relax and give up on the idea.

Good luck and I hope you make the right choice.

Carlotta

I relapsed after 5 years and I am back into recovery. Sober time did not "cure" me and I now know I will always have a screwed up relationship with alcohol and can never drink safely again.

foolsgold66

Good for you for posting. No documented cases of a 'cure' exist. Is that good enough odds for you to try? Please stay and talk, or go to more meetings and talk about it there.