Jeff1962

Here's the quick overview...

I was a pretty heavy drinker for a number of years. I suspect I consumed a 175 ml of booze and some wine or beer per week. Some nights it's just a drink or two. Weekends were usually heavier.

On January 1, I stopped drinking and announced to the wife I would give up all alcohol for a month. Mainly, I wanted to see if I could do it. Though it wasn't easy, I did it. In the process, my sleeping became much more balanced and I lost about 10 pounds (without doing anything different but not drink). I suspect I saved about $100-$120 as well.

Last Sunday was the Super Bowl and I had a few glasses of wine at a party. The wife and I pretty much opened and finished off a large bottle. Since then, nothing.

I'm happy I made it a month. I'm thinking clearer, sleeping better and losing a few pounds. I miss it but know now I can live without it.

I am debating now whether or not I can handle drinking in moderation. Though I made it a month, when I was at the party, we didn't stop drinking until the bottle was gone. I'm concerned I don't have the willpower to just have a glass or two.

Have any of you who felt they needed to quit 100% ever allow yourself some in moderation afterwards?

least

I tried moderating my alcohol intake many times and failed each time. I believe that if you're an alcoholic you will not be able to moderate, not for long anyway. Why not give up completely? You say you're seeing benefits to staying sober. Why not just stay sober and see how much better you will feel.

Jeff1962

Good points.

I guess I'm wanting the best of both worlds but not convinced I could moderate either.

Dee74

I did - hundreds of times - never worked out tho, Jeff.

If we could stop drinking for 30 days, and somehow reset ourselves and be normal drinkers, everyone would do it.

I kept control for a time...sometimes sooner sometimes later things reverted to their old patterns.

You said this in your first post:

What you do is up to you - but if you return to drinking, you risk a return to that ^ and worse.

D

Thepatman

For me moderation was a constant struggle. I constantly felt deprived untill I would think I deserved a "good" binge. Then my level went up again.

Controlling this became a constant battle. Normal drinkers don't have to constantly control their intake.

My 2 cents ;-)
Grats on one month by the way!

KateL

I could never moderate, it would always creep back to drinking myself silly. xxx

keithurbanfan

I can't do it. It's all or nothing for me. I tried and failed, many times. I always slip back into my same old binge drinking habits.

Jeff1962

Oh snap. Using my own words against me.

I really believed that when I wrote it. However, I found going cold turkey for January easier than I thought it would be. I had my struggles but nothing to the level I've read many here have and I feel lucky because of that.

Maybe that's a sign I can live without it forever.

mstrdvr

Moderation was too much of a struggle, I kept wanting more and could never stop at one anyway. You were dry for 30 days and liked it, saw benefits. Why not just stay sober, if you dont like it you can always go back. I think you will come to enjoy being sober more than drinking

Thepatman

Stopping with the behind thought of picking up again is different than quitting for good. Harder I think.

Sacamedeaqui

Oh yeah. I've been on that meery go round for a few years now. I had some "problems", there was an "intervention" of sorts let's say and I quit for a period of time. Life got better and I thought, "ah you see I can live without it if I want....but do I want to anymore is the question".

I missed the wine. I missed the ******** about wine. I was obsessed about wine. Reading about it, watching documentaries about it, talking about it....but especially drinking it. I even did a professional wine course. I was the only non-industry person there. This was all part of my elaborate plan to forge my new identity as a moderate wine drinker. A connoisseur if you will. I even started a drinks diary. It worked quite well....around 80% of the time. The other 20% I lost control.....oh the other 20%...

The summer before last I swore off alcohol for good. A friend of mine said to me "I'll believe you when you are off it two years, as I heard it before". But I decided to give the moderation thing another go. Again, success at the beginning and then periods of loss of control and nasty circumstances....and then those figures started to slowly change places. The periods of success becoming less and less, the tradegy becoming more and more real...

Recently my friend kindly reminded me that I would have had a year and a half under my belt by now...if I had of stuck to my promise that summer. I could have saved myself a lot of bother too....

I feel I'm off that merrry go round now, I'm tired of it. The penny has dropped. Alcohol does not mix with my blood and it is no big deal. It's no loss at the end of the day actually. I've changed the way I look at it. I see my future gladly free from it.

I would say to anyone that has had any bad experiences with alcohol that maybe it is not for you. Maybe it is a sign that there are more bad experiences around the corner. You could avoid them easily. It's no loss and no big deal. I think the word "alcoholic" or the thoughts of been one can prevent a lot of people quitting alcohol, and becoming teetotal. Nobody wants to be labeled that so let's keep trying to control it. I'm almost sure that was part of my thinking. I could have saved myself a lot of **** because of a word. Semantics, eh?

I do vaguely remembering somebody years ago saying or implying to me that I maybe alcoholic, when I was quite young. I'll show him, I thought. Oh I showed him alright.

Jeff1962

Thanks everyone.

I think part of it is me maybe being a bit overconfident I've beaten this. By my starting this thread, it's probably a sign I haven't.

Oh, and re-reading my first post, I said 1.75 ml. My metrics are a bit off. That was 1.75 L.