benitoD

Still at it at seven weeks. It's become the new normal. Still figuring everything out. I have a half a glass of wine on very special occasions, not more than once a month. Next big milestone for me will be 3 months. Still very glad to have quit. No regrets.

Anna

I'm glad to hear that you're cutting back on your drinking. But, that's not the same thing as abstinence. It's really quite a different feeling.

sobersophie

Hi Benito, so glad to hear you sounding so well.

I'm interested in the allowance you have given yourself to have a small drink on only very special occasions. Can you identify why it is important to you that you are able to do this?

I suppose if it is working for you, who am I to tell you another way is better? But something in the way you said it suggests to me that you are reluctant to let go of drinking completely, which is a worrying thing to allow to fester in you.

I will leave you with a question which you are welcome to leave rhetorical: is the half glass of wine really adding anything to your life?

NerfThis

Unfortunately it's not quitting if you're having wine once a month. You may run intro trouble in the future if you're currently unable to get through with no alcohol at all. I was able to easily have a glass every few weeks, but that didn't stop the binges from coming up eventually. I hope you find a way to completely quit.

Dee74

I'm also glad you've cut back Benito but like Anna says abstinence is entirely another feeling altogether.

I have and always had, always will have a toxic relationship with alcohol.

I have no long term control with alcohol once I start drinking.

Moderation never lasted long for me - a few months at best with sufficient motivation...new job, new gf, living with new people...

but then I'd start rationalising that if half a glass was good, a glass would be twice as good, and then a few more might be fine too....and I started sneaking drinks.

Eventually...my first big blowout binge...I thought oh well, every few months is fine - everyone does this...

and from then my addiction had me back in its full embrace.

Like Sophie I wonder why you'd nearly get completely free and then stop.

Does something scare you about not drinking at all? Whats stopping you?

All I can do is wish you well Benito, and if you continue with drinking I hope genuinely that you really are a different kind of drinker to me.

D

benitoD

I just deleted my whole diatribe about why I still have a glass of wine once in a while. Summary: I love wine. It's my life and my livelihood. I love tasting, comparing, reading and writing about it, etc. It is all to easy though to let it become a 'necessary habit'. I have never been a 'drink to get drunk' kind of person, but I've consistently drank more than is healthy, so I decided to cut way back. In order to get there, I figure I need some very extended time almost completely away from it. Zero is not an option for me, as I have to taste almost every day for work.

Anyway, I'm very happy with my new 'sober +' lifestyle and wish you all the best as well. Whatever floats your boat...

Dee74

I used to say I loved drinking too but honestly I think I was mostly scared of being a non drinker.

I can see how that fear would be greater when wine is part of your job.

Like I said, all the best, You know where we are if the half glass thing doesn't work out

D

D122y

I still say welcome, but this is an abstinence forum. You might trigger someone with that moderation temptation.

I will not advise you to quit. If I could drink 1 glass of wine a month, I would.

But for me, it would open pandoras box.

I am heavily kindled.

I would immediately revert to the old drinking me and may never pull out this time. i would rather believe this and be wrong, than test the this and find out I was right.

If I didn't have the major health scare nearly 5 years ago, I would be drunk right now.

I am glad I quit for sure.

I was in bad shape in a bunch of ways.

I was ready to punch my boss in the mouth so many times. I was pretty close to getting arrested for some outburst.

All that is gone. I am a gentleman and a patient helper today. I know it, but some of the folks that knew me 5 years ago are still scared of me.

Nothing I can do except keep being nice and move on.

There are times when I act all tough, but it is always when I am by myself and acting.

I still obsess often, but nothing like before. I used to talk outloud to myself way too much. Now I can mainly roll through my mental obsessions, quelling them fairly quickly, in my mind.

It is one of the wonderful gifts sobriety has given me.

Thanks.

HeadEast

I don't know that his post will trigger anyone. There has been a healthy rebuttal to what he is doing. It wouldn't work for me, but I'm not him. As Dee said, he knows where to come if it doesn't work out. Good luck benito.