What's wrong with just one drink?
 

This is the questions that keeps on cropping up for me. Last time I was sober for a while I went out with a friend and had one glass of wine. Fine right? When I got home I went out and bought a bottle and drank it. The next day 4 cans of beer, bottle of wine and then that or more everyday since I gave up on the 3rd.

How come? Will it always really be that way? Anyone here different?

it will only always be that way if you have that one drink

What's the point in 1 drink?
Why I don't drink ANY!

No, it won't always be that way. As long as you don't pick up that one drink. I can never have just one. Like you found, I'd have one and then more. And keep drinking the next day. But once I decided that I can never have just one it got decidedly better. It was very freeing.

You won't always have that little voice telling you it's ok to have one.

For me, what is wrong with just one drink is - everything. Nothing good ever came of it despite repeated attempts. When I finally accepted that moderation didn't work and that alcohol had nothing good to offer, I was able to begin recovery.

Well speaking for myself. Once it got that way that's the way that it always ended up once I deceived myself into a drink. Maybe not immediately but, in short time, there I was again in one hell of a spot.

((If)) alcoholic, best we stop fooling ourselves.

MM

As long as you pick up one drink, I expect the ending will be the same.

The oldest line in the book for my AV. A Lie! I've never drank one and not drank within the hour. rinse, repeat...

It was always that way for me. There was no such thing as one drink. I got so tired of beating myself up every time I drank. The sober journey works much better for me and for every one around me.

You answered yourself. You can't have 'just one drink'. Don't try.

I could probably have one. Then one the next day. Then three the day after that. A few days later, a bottle...before long, a bottle every day. Downward spiral quickly ensues.
I'm still learning that this is how it works for me. It always has, and if I keep having that first drink, it always will.

Do you even honestly ever want one drink? I don't. What the heck is the point of one drink? That's not drinking, that's getting ready to drink.

It seems like a mathematical impossibility but for me, 1 drink = 6 drinks at a minimum, probably more. One drink just pisses me off and redoubles my efforts to get more.

I know first hand that moderation does not work.

Hi Rocksea,

I'm with Helpimalive on this one. If we are truly honest with ourselves, do we ever just want 1 drink? One thing that keeps me sober is this -- when I crave or romance the idea of having drink, I get honest. Do I really want to be a "normie" and have just that 1-2 drinks? Honestly, do I really want that? The answer is always a resounding NO -- I want to get drunk and check out. That's what I did for many many years. Looking at it honestly gives me the perspective I need. I can't have 1 drink, there's no point in it. I want to drink to oblivion. It is what it is. It's truth on how I want to drink. I can't have just 1, period.

All the best,
Methodman

for me i look at what 1 drink will cost me
i will might end up being locked up in a police cell or worse depending on what i had done the night before with drinking i might have to face going to prison

i might end up getting in my car and killing someone as i would think nothing of drink driving to go and get more booze

i might end up smashing the home up, fighting with neighbors, you name it i might end up doing it

drink to me isnt about sitting at home getting drunk nice and quietly, drink for me has such a huge damaging impact on anyone and everyone around me

then of course if i take one drink and i do end up doing something wrong i will need more drink to try to cope with the shame of it all
or it might be a good idea to have a quick drink just to stop my shakes or try to get rid of the bad feelings of being hungover

all because when i take 1 drink i want another and another i have no off switch that will tell me at drink 6 or 7 right thats enough now like normal drinkers can do

so 1 drink for me is deadly i can never control my drinking, i can never drink socialable i have tried everyway in the world to try to drink normal as i never ever wanted to do any thing wrong
yet time and time again i would end up in the same mess full of guilt and shame and remorse and no answer for anyone as to why i would behave like i do when drunk

now i dont drink, i dont end up in any sort of mess were i have to try to remember what i did last night, i have no guilt shame or remorse anymore as i dont do anything wrong

i am free of that curse that drink gives me the dr Jekyll and mr hide battle is over for now but if i take a drink well mr hyde is always going to be still inside of me just waiting to come out and ruin everything and everyone

so thanks for the offer of just one drink but this alcoholic knows exactly what it will do to me and what it will cost me
its no contest for me

What's the point of one, was my philosophy. Never diluted myself into thinking I would only have one.... Had to catch me pretty quick for me to be < .08

And yes, it will always be that way - Thank God!!! :)

FlyN

I never want one. Always want at least 3(wine). But, usually the whole bottle(about 5 glasses for me), and of late, I top that off with a beer or two if I can find them. Ugh.

You aren't going to find anyone on SR that says they can have "one" and be done. Those folks are out there, but they don't join online recovery forums.

Accept where one drink leads you and do the hard work to avoid that first one.

One drink is too many 1000 is never enough

Heed that warning fully

The problem is, we're not in the game for "one drink". We don't get that special feeling we crave from just one drink. We're in this to get buzzed and drunk, and once that euphoria hits us, we only want more of it.

There is no such thing for me as "one drink". I will drink as many as I can until I pass out. That's how I learned to drink and anything less than that is completely unsatisfying. Therefore, I choose to have nothing at all.