gmc38609

I have always had a desperate way to need to stop drinking and it has not worked.
I ve tried to get help from my doctors but they did not want to know and have bought Antabuse off the net and had some success but have been advised not to use it.
So I have decided to reduce my drinking to weekends only and then socially or not at all over 3 months and the first week has been OK
I will go to the gym and AA in my spare time along with anything else that make crop up and hopefully will get used to not drinking.
I ve read a book that taught me do not fear thinking about alcohol which is what I was doing and then giving in now I just accept the thoughts
Has anyone else tried this and if so how did it go?

Gottalife

I tried to reduce many times, but as an alcoholic I suffered from the phenomenon of craving. That means when I take that first drink I can't guarantee how much I will drink or when I will stop. Normal drinkers don't have this problem.

My last effort was to have two beers and be home by 6.00 pm. I got home at 6 alright, just four days later?

Most real alcoholics would find the plan you propose difficult if not impossible to achieve.

Dee74

Hi gmc

My whole problem was I had no control over my alcohol intake, so trying to reduce or limit my drinking was doomed from the start.

I'd go ok for a week or two, but sooner or later I'd find myself in the the same old same old...

I don't know which book you read., Not fearing thoughts about alcohol is a good approach, but not treating them with enough seriousness could be a problem too....

Don't you think drinking at weekends and socially will make you think about alcohol more?

anyhow, I wish you well with it - hope you have better success than I did

D

gmc38609

I know what your saying but just stopping did not work for me either as it left such a large hole in my life.

Dee74

That's what recovery is tho, isn't it?

I spent decades trying to fill that void - it was bottomless.

I had much better results when I stopped trying to fill my void and worked on healing it instead.

D

Mags1

Hi gmc, I had to stop fully, myself. I'd tried cutting down and it would work for so long then I'd binge to make up for abstaining for a few days.

Interesting about not fearing alcohol as when I first stopped drinking I lived breathed thoughts of booze, pretty much the same when I was drinking, but without the booze.

I can now go in a pub, or for a meal with no qualms of whoever is drinking around me, no desire to drink, it's almost like my brain has interpreted it to me not liking it. Thoughts come in my head and go away again.

Don't misunderstand me, I drank a lot and functioned on the outside normally, or so I thought. But it does get worse, if you feel you have a problem there is some great help here on sr, just by visiting and reading, you might not always agree with everything, there are a lot of personalities on board!

All the best with whatever way you deal with your need to stop drinking.

IOAA2

While I was "trying" to stop drinking my weaknesses showed up too many times. I don't suffer well, I was undisciplined and dishonest to myself about my drinking. Alcoholism is a progressive disease and advanced rapidly in me to the point where I saw where I was headed, early grave, mental institution, prison or continued misery.
I had to stop the games you stated above and surrender to and accept the fact I cannot drink alcohol in safety.
After stopping, work started and continues to this day on staying sober which got easier once started.

BE WELL

doggonecarl

Barganing with our addiction. We all do it.

gmc, you came here initially because your hangovers were getting worse and making you miserable. As long as you continue to drink, the hangovers, and the withdrawals between weekend episodes will get worse. If you are drinking, you are recovering, and that hole you speak of never gets filled.

I found that I could fill the hole that alcohol caused. It's called recovery.

doggonecarl

CORRECTION

Meant to say,

"If you are drinking, you aren't recovering, and that hole you speak of never gets filled."

I don't mean to dismiss your attempt at recovery, gmc. I am sure that cutting down for you is significant and you do have the goal to be done drinking in three months. My suggestion to abstain completely comes from my own experience in failing at those very attempts at cutting down.

Good luck.

least

I tried many times to control my drinking. Never could. It was easier to stop altogether than to try to moderate.

heath480

If you are an Alcoholic,your plan is going to fail.

For me controlled drinking was a living hell.

If you stay sober for a period of time,the large hole you say you had will be filled.

Unfortunately we have to go through pain in the early days of not drinking ,to get the peace and contentment that sobriety brings.

If you are attending AA you will know for an Alcoholic complete abstinence is the only way.

Anna

Of course, stopping drinking leaves a large hole in your life.

Recovery is about filling that void with people you love and things you love to do. That's how you get long-term recovery.

And, with moderating, I ended up drinking much more in the end than I did when I started.