Tazman53

They do? I would love to see a reliable verifiable source to validate that statement.

Whatsnext I assume today is day 6, congrats, I spent years quitting for a week or 2 at a time and my old frined alcohol would always lure me back in one way or another.

What I found key to STAYING sober was me changing me, changing people places and things makes it easier in early sobriety, but life goes on and I had to learn how to live life on lifes terms.

Today I can and do go where ever I wish and as long as I am working my program I am not even tempted by booze.

Yes I go to sporting events, weddings, resteraunts with bars, parties with booze (No not beer blast)

I live life today happy joyous and free, do I go sit in bars trying to tempt myself, no, I have no reason to be in a bar, bars are for one thing only to drink, just like a beer blast is not a party, it is about getting drunk.

There is no reason in the world to try to do this alone, there are rooms full of people who were just like me that today are sober and happy.

I am an alcoholic who learned everything there was to know about alcoholism, I could stay sober years ago for long periods of time and always wind up drinking again, for this alcoholic even though I knew that alcoholism is a progressive disease, even though I have known for ever that there is a strong probabilty it is heriditary, even though I knew I had every sign that I was an alcoholic I would still start drinking again.

Knowledge and education do not keep most alcoholics sober for any great lengths of time, if this was true I would have at least 30 years of sobriety under my belt, instead I have one year today.

Afraid2Succeed

The only Gallup poll I could find was from 1990. The more recent Gallup polls require a $95 subscription.

1990 Gallup poll of a cross-section of the American population found that people are ten times as likely to change on their own as with the help of doctors, therapists, or self-help groups. The survey found and was reported by American Health magazine:

"Professional help has surprisingly little to do with important life changes, even health-related ones. Doctors helped people change only 3% of the time - while psychologists and psychiatrists, self-help groups and religious counselors got the credit even less often. Support was much more likely to come from friends (14%), parents, children, or siblings (21%), or a spouse, boyfriend or girlfriend (29%). And 30% of the time, people simply did what they had to do on their own, often with striking success."
-J. Gurin, "Remaking Our Lives," American Health, March 1990, pp.50-52.

Jersey Nonny

Congrats, again, Taz! You've learned more in the rooms of AA in the past year than you ever could in any classroom...and, the knowledge is priceless!

What's Next...you sound like a pretty intelligent person yourself. You've asked all the right questions, and actually answered them...so, I think you really know what you need to do.

I was a "periodic" and drank for 32 years from the age of 16. I also periodically tried to stop, but could never stay stopped. Eventually, the "periods" of drinking got closer and closer together, until I was virtually a daily drunk, and a falling down one at that.

After a 12 day stay in a hospital detox, I learned to stay stopped with the help of many, many AA meetings, the 12 Step Program of recovery, and countless fellow alcoholics met over the past 27 years. I can't attest to any other method of getting/staying sober...because I personally don't know any other way...what I can say, unequivocally, is that AA works for those who follow the simple guidelines and suggestions.

Good luck, whatever you decide to do.