thomas11

Thanks for the response Carl, obviously the list I created is in its infancy, I know I need to learn more about the subject of sobriety.

You may disagree with me, but I kind of feel like stopping drinking can be as simple or as complicated as you want to make it. I am going to try and keep it relatively simple. I know what its like not to drink, it do it every week. Craving and triggers I need to learn more about.

One other thing that I think is a bit unhealthy on my end is sometimes I find myself comparing myself to others who's addiction may be far worse than mine. And I know that isn't right. Just because the guy down the street drinks 24/7 doesn't make my drinking "ok".

Jabbadabutt

I am not one to judge nor prescribe the magic bullet.....however one thing I learned is you need to make a plan and stick to it, no matter what. Oh, and the hardest thing to accept regarding a key component of the plan is NOT DRINKING, at all. I tried for years to be a normal drinker...until I realized that trying so damn hard to be a normal drinker is not normal at all, and at that point I knew I had a problem that required help.

KeepTruckin

Thomas, I do the same thing with comparing my problems to others. Unfortunately, that's really not healthy. I think I read Dee or someone else say something about looking for similarities we can relate to, rather than the differences that separate us. I've used that kind of thinking for justification of my drinking for a long time. I'm getting past that, especially because I've realized how easily I could become the people I feel that I'm "not as bad as".

Dee74

When I took a drink I never knew where I'd end up..sure, often I woke up in bed...often not.

I often lost several weeks...still can't remember much of the late 1990s in fact and that wasn't even my lowest ebb. I had a lot of unexplained injuries and soap opera style complicated personal relationships....

I can't drink in safety.

D

EndGameNYC

I think it might be helpful for you to read this again.

silentrun

You have a lot going in favor Jeff. Between living in MN and having a non drinking spouse I was able to create a bubble were I could stay away from alcohol until it became a non issue. You may get some strong urges on Friday or Sat night right before the liquor store closes. Maybe plan to be somewhere fun like a movie or out to eat by 9pm so you will not be able to make it to the store even if you wanted to. The only thing extra my "plan" had was a plan B. If you relapse what are you willing to do? I had decided that I would give myself one chance to get it right and if I couldn't I would go to rehab or at least AA. This HAS to work.
I can't drink safely because the more I get the more I want. If I get into trouble that day or die 5 years from a stroke or suicide it's all the same to me.