craigmtc

I've needed to reduce my alcohol intake for a long time. Drinking 8 cans a night on weekdays and more on a weekend. I've been advise to cut down rather than stop.

I reduce to 6 cans a night for two weeks, and have now reduced to 4 per night, with more on a weekend.

My aim is to drink only on a Friday and Saturday.

Anna

If you're an alcoholic, moderating your drinking, especially long-term, won't work for you.

But, if not, cutting back could be good.

Mcribb

Sounds like you have a plan! Good luck...and I say well done sir for making a sacrifice to make yourself a better person. Character building is important in life.

aaronraguse

I tried cutting down, didn't work for me I was still drinking atleast 8 a night like yourself, weekends alot more. All the best.. its bloody hard to cut down and let alone quit.

craigmtc

Thanks I accept that if I can't cut down and maintain those levels, I may have to give up all together.

Cheers

Craig

ClearMind

craig,

Good luck in your attempts to moderate. I've spend many years trying to moderate, but it is truly torturous. I have heard stories of it working now and then, but those stories are few and far between. That being said, though, it seems like a person needs to experience many failed attempts at moderation before they "prove" to themselves that it just isn't possible, and that the only option is quitting altogether.

Regardless, good luck!

IOAA2

Hi. Alcoholics usually if they have the first drink want more and more. We fool ourselves into thinking this is working, maybe for the short period it does but over time it's mostly fruitless.

BE WELL

ClearMind

Limiting my intake of alcohol, for me, was like ordering a plate of hot wings and eating only one. If I have one, I want the whole plate. There's not really any point, in my eyes, to eat one chicken wing

Edit: i seem to have made myself hungry

Tang

I see moderation like this. I plan to descend this mountain taking a step at a time, however after I take the first step I notice there is grease on the bottom of my shoes. Next thing I know I've descended a hundred steps where I thought I was going to take it gradually one foot at a time. Literally a slippery slope. If you can figure out how to descend without thinking about it and without missing a step, you're not like me.

craigmtc

Thanks for the advise. I do feel better even after 3 weeks of cutting down. Well motivated to keep progressing.

Stang

Never could see the point either. One beer....only if it's the size of a five gallon bucket!

ErikT

I have friend who doesn't think they have a problem because he only drinks on the weekends. But...he gets really drunk on those weekends. And he doesn't let a weekend go by without drinking. He has gotten DUI's....but still thinks hes fine because he works all week and maintains his job. In my opinion,...he has a major problem. Still REALLY wanting to drink on the weekends may mean you are still preoccupied with alcohol. How about quitting altogether for 30 days and see how you feel?

ClearMind

Good post ErikT. Many times during my years of alcoholism did I limit myself to drinking on the weekends (although, of course, this moderation plan was short-lived). The problem is, I would obsess over the weekends during the week.. think constantly about drinking, even though I didn't necessarily drink through the week (for a few weeks, anyway). Then, of course, when the weekend arrived, I more than made up for those weekdays that I didn't drink.

Taking5

Craig,

You were advised to cut down and not stop? By whom might I ask?

craigmtc

I was advised to cut down gradlually as appose to stopping cold turkey. It's not as if I've been advised that it wouldn't be better to stop altgother. The idea of dirnking on a weekend only was mine

ando68

I'm now convinced, if its once a problem it's always a problem. I've cut back, changed, chopped & flipped it around just about every way I could. Before long though I was back to where I left off.
I do wish u well with it though Craig.

whiskeyman

This was my greatest wish.

Even to have the ability to taper would have been great, eh.
To cut down from 6 to 4

tomsteve

im wonderin who advised to cut down rather than stop.also wonderin io whoever said that has any knowledge of alcoholism. also wonderin if you've been honest about it, as in why yer drinkin that much.

ErikT

but WHO advised you of this??

craigmtc

It's via a support netowrk in th UK called Turning Point.