In response to the original question . . .

Is it possible to mature out of addiction?

I can't take the chance of researching this.

Give us an honest report back in a year or two.

No one has a crystal ball :(

Time will tell ultimately.

I just said this today! I never did try to moderate but I am sure I broke the thing in my brain that regulates drinking. There isn't a guarantee sure enough someone could give me that would convince me it was worth risking it.

Congrats on 3 years Johnston.

I think it comes down too the individual inevitably, for a lot of us the fear of trying to moderate outweighs the hope of moderating.

I've tried before and succeeded to an extent but controlling the level of alcohol put too much stress on me to enjoy what I actually had.

After 5 years in AA, I have no desire to drink. At all. When I conjure it up, my insides go "EWWW". I'm sorry to hear OP went back out. I hope you make it back in!

Glad you are here.

check post #115 :)

D

I'm quite sure I would be able to moderate now, after 4+ years of sobriety and a lot of positive life changes. For a while. :) Like the OP, I'm equally sure I would not be able to maintain that, and gradually it would grow back into addictive drinking and negative consequences. And since I already know what the result of this "experiment" would be, and since I have no desire at all to go back to drinking anyways, I can skip it.

I know two fellows with 20 plus years of sobriety that went out. I don`t know why they went back to drinking but I don`t believe they returned to AA or have gotten sober.

One of the gents I used to work with. We used to get together after meetings and chat. I wasn`t aware he had left AA until I asked him did he still go to the Friday night men's group. He seemed upset and said, "No." So, I never brought it up again. However, I did hear him debating the merits of California wine with co-workers and talking about getting together with them for happy hour.

I don`t work with him anymore so I don`t know what happened to the guy or the other fellow I knew with long-term sobriety who went back out.

However, there is one gent who got sober in AA around the same time as myself who went out after five years. He`s never been able to get much clean time since then but does show up to meetings every so often. Great guy and all that but he`s still surrounded by all the drama which comes with active alcoholism. Talking with him I can see how far I`ve come since the day I stopped drinking whereas he`s still pretty much still drowning in life. Much like when I first met him.

Thanks for bringing this thread back today, Dee. Very telling amongst the recent 'revival' of moderation discussion today.

Johnston- if you are still around SR, just want to say thanks for your honesty and congrats on 3 (now hopefully 3 plus) years!

I see Johnston around from time to time :)

D