Drink in the house?
 

Has anyone decided to become sober but allows drink in the house? I ask as just noticed a thread where hidden alcohol was immediately dumped.
I have some still, do I keep it to remind me it's my choice not to drink.... or get rid?

My house is dry

I think you'll find two distinct schools of thought Kizzy.

For me, I don't need reminders, or things to test my willpower.

I keep it simple - I'm a non drinker - I can't see I have any business keeping alcohol in my house :)

D

I have some alcohol in the house, but it isn't mine. It belongs to my daughter. If you have the least amount of doubt, I'd get rid of it.

I have no alcohol in the house, nor do we ever serve alcohol in the house. It keeps things simple.

Thanks all good advice there, think I will get rid. you're right dee it's almost like I was daring myself to have it around..
So I could say I don't want it, rather than I can't have it. daft really :)

I don't drink so there is no reason to have alcohol in my house.

my wife will buy individual servings of wine but other than that we have no alcohol (that includes mouthwash - my wife's so smart).

I had some in the house but it was getting into my head. I dumped it. I would say if you are thinking about it then it has to go.

There is a section in the AA big book which addresses this issue and relates it to "spiritual fitness" meaning that if you are spiritually fit, it should not bother you.
My first time in recovery, I lived with an active alcoholic while in early sobriety and worked for years at a job where alcohol was around and available and I did not pick up.
But since nowadays I live alone and I work in a sober environment, I chose to keep a dry house and not to tempt fate.

There is a section in the AA big book which addresses this issue and relates it to "spiritual fitness" meaning that if you are spiritually fit, it should not bother you.
My first time in recovery, I lived with an active alcoholic while in early sobriety and worked for years at a job where alcohol was around and available and I did not pick up.
But since nowadays I live alone and I work in a sober environment, I chose to keep a dry house and not to tempt fate.

If for some reason I was to lose my head, I would have the 10 mn it takes to go to the store to hopefully come back to sanity

It doesn't bother me now, and we have some for guests that come over....

Mind you, this was a BIG NO NO when I first got sober.... Someone I always became that "guest"

My wife will have a glass once in a while, so there might be a bottle someone gave her as a gift...but not often. Doesn't bother me if there is a bottle around, anyway. I usually forget it's there, frankly.

When I stopped drinking, I left 1 beer in the fridge.... just in case I needed a beer. When I began thinking about actually drinking it, down the drain it went.

I allow friends to bring beer over and drink at my house but they know if there is any left, it goes home with them and so do the empty bottles.

I say dump it, why tempt yourself?

I aggree with Paul99. The fact of the matter is simple. If You have no control over your drinking it does not matter if it is in the house or not. You can go to a gas station on Sunday and get a 6 pack. Its all about support, fellowship ,and self control. Hang out here and eventually it will be such a small concern.

actually...I think it does matter...

there's a million different points in the journey from house to gas station and back again..a million chances to change your mind.

If it's there in the house? not so much.

D

I guess that is your choice, it's your house after all! I am still under a year sober, and live alone, so I don't keep alcohol in my house. But that is just me! I did keep cigarettes in my house after I quit smoking, so I guess I've done it both ways. Staying sober is the important thing, whatever works for you!

I always figured it didn't matter. I had a whole liquor cabinet stocked in my house when I was trying to stay sober. If Im gonna drink I know where the liquor store is...I thought.

This time around I was finished. I dumped out every bottle and beer. Felt great. My wife is in control of the wine cellar. I never see it and don't think about it.

Go figure some of my friends bought us a liter of Vodka for Christmas. Its unopened in the fridge in the garage. I don't know what to do with it so I don't touch it. I think we will give it away soon, or my wife can drink it over the next 100 yrs :)

Thanks Dee and Fallow. It's very cool to hear some different perspectives on the same
dilema. Love the feedback. :)

Same here. My husband drinks normally so he has alcohol.Luckily I don't like what he drinks. I could not have my drink oc in the house. It would be too tempting.In a moment of weakness if its not there there are a lot of thought processes/actions to go through to get it. If it was there I'd probably just drink it

No alcohol in my house including mouthwash, vanilla, etc. My husband does occasionally get something for that night but we don't keep extra on hand. I have no desire to drink but then again don't need it staring me in the face. I agree with Dee. If I ever got the temptation, I would prefer a few barriers in my way.

My wife isn't drinking presently but has no reason not to !! So there is occasionally stuff about whilst I'm strong in sobriety it doesn't matter but a few months ago due to a health fear and death of a close relative I kept on noticing a bottle of gin just sitting there, I even picked it up , checked how full it was and although I was called away to the phone and it remained there , that was the moment I could and think was going to launch a few.
I asked Emma to give it to friends who liked Gin.
So spiritually strong can come quickly to an end.
I do cook with wines often but I add to stock and freeze, just removes any accidental risk.
If I'm going to drink it things have already gone pear shaped !!
John.

Oddly, I kept a 12 pack of beer in the refrigerator when I first sobered up, as a sick sort of "in case of emergency break glass" scenario. After a few weeks I gave it to a neighbor, who was tickled pink.

Now there is no reason to keep booze.

Zube

If I lived alone, I think I would not have alcohol around, as there would be no point, really, expect perhaps getting some wine in if I were to have a dinner party or something. However, I live with my wife and daughter (11 yr old daughter, yet to drink). As my wife does have the odd drink, I suspect that she keeps some around here somewhere, although I have never asked her where or looked for it (I can't be certain, but her keeping it out of sight is likely more for her benefit then mine, but I do see her point, keeping it in my sight would have no positive effect, and might well have a negative effect, if not today, maybe in future--she plays it safe). One point which is important to me, perhaps once every few months, roughly, she will have several drinks, and get happy rather than drunk. We have a standing agreement that at such times I may, if feeling at all threatened by drink beiing enjoyed around me take a 'time out' and go upstairs to read or whatever, no questions asked, and no offence to either party (working this out before hand was importand, I think). This strategy seems to work well, as she can drink repsponsably, so does so on occassion, where I can't drink at all, so abstain totally without asking my wife to give up her Christmas egg nog, for example. The important thing was working it out in advance, I believe---anyway, it seems to work for us, allow for dinner parties or whatever with drink, ---hope this at least vaguely addresses your question:) Best of luck to you, rick

There are currently open bottles of Chambord and Bailey's Irish Cream in my liquor cabinet. Those are the longest surviving bottles of alcohol in my house ever. Even on night's when I have been totally smashed and out of everything else, I have left them alone. They are just undrinkable, IMO.

There's nothing else in my house at the moment. The enormous wine rack and wine refrigerator are ominously empty. I don't see any reason to provoke my AV.

We love to entertain. We bought this house because it is great for entertaining. I love to grill for people. I foresee having alcohol available for future parties. Not keeping it on hand between events, but having it available for events.

In early Recovery there was no Alcohol in my home for about 2years.

If I lived alone I would not keep Alcohol in the house.

As I live with my son who does drink there is Alcoho,it is kept in the garage out of my sight.

I would hate to have got sober and live the rest of my life in fear of Alcohol.The programme of AA has taught me how to live on lifes terms and that includes living with someone who is not an Alcoholic and likes a drink from time to time.

When I lived alone I didn't keep any alcohol in the house. I had no reason to. If anyone came over and wanted to drink, they were welcome to bring whatever they wanted, but I'd have them take it with them when they left.

Now that I'm married, my wife has some alcohol in the house. She picked up some exotic bottles of I don't even know what when we've traveled. Out of respect, not request... she keeps them out of my sight. I don't know where they are. I, in fact, didn't even know we had any alcohol in the house till not that long ago. I figured she drank or gave away anything she bought.

When I lived in my parents house, they had alcohol around. They rarely drank, but there were times where there'd be a 6-pack, or carafe of wine in the refridgerator. While I didn't really feel tempted by them, there were times I have to admit I felt a bit slighted, as in "why can't I drink that like anyone esle". I found that they did, ever so quietly, whisper to me at different times during the day. I knew they were there. I don't want to play games like that, nor ever feel like I "can't" do something. Without it around those thoughts never cross my mind. I've got nothing to prove by keeping it in the house. So unless there was good reason for me (ie. my wife likes buying exotic wine or rum from time to time), I wouldn't keep any around.

If I am to be completely honest, if I kept alcohol in the house, I would probably drink it. I think the pull would just be too big. Best not to tempt myself.

When I stopped drinking my wife was still drinking alcoholicaly. So I wouldn't say I allowed alcohol in the house as I kind of had no choice, as there was no way I was able to control her drinking. But it was extremely difficult and took many restarts.
Now that she's passed my house is absolutely alcohol free, and always will be. If it is even remotely possible for you to make your place alcohol free I would say do so.

I have a couple of bottles of champagne I got for my 21st and a bottle of wine from my birth year that my dad got when I was a baby and gave to me when I was 21 (was meant to be when I was 18 but he forgot...). I left them at my mum's when I was drinking as I didn't trust myself not to just drink them (I was saving them for a special occasion). Now I'm sober they are still there. I don't think I'd touch them but I'd rather not take the risk by having them in my house. I live alone though. It would be different if I lived with other people.