amyrose

An easy out to boredom, anxiety, and being same old boring me....for a few hours. The fantasy of confidence. Next morning: texting people to see if I pissed anyone off. Of hoping I didn't respond to work emails drunk. Of knowing my husband is going to be making fun of something I did or said drunk all day and shrinking/dying a little more inside each time.
Not drinking allows me to build confidence for real. To deal with anxiety in a healthy way and know that I am good enough just as I am. I may not always believe it, and that's ok. It's a start. Change is scary, so not drinking is scary by default, but it's such a relief to try something new and not just diving back into a bottle.

MIRecovery

Unfortunately I has seen far too many that thought they had another recovery in them and they are now dead. Far, far too many. None of us know when we have used up our last one

LBrain

At least one more thing to regret...

BlissWithin

I want to rephrase my original post, what I meant is that I would surely add another recovery attempt If I drank again.

eyeshake

I'd have something to focus all of my time and energy on. I'd have a brief respite from my difficult emotions, but they would come back much worse than before. Alcohol is like a vitamin for negativity.

Coldfusion

Whoa! What makes you so sure you'd be able to STOP drinking so that you COULD attempt recovery?

There is a possibility or probability that if I start drinking again, I will be unable to stop. I will be too caught up in the cycle of intoxication and seeking relief from withdrawal.

For me also, alcohol brings death.

thomas11

I'm with most of the rest of the people in terms of an answer. But your Dr. poses a good question. I am going to pose it to myself if I find myself tempted.

Bailey3

An empty life

kinzoku

I'll be honest.

I would get back a partying lifestyle which, while it had its issues, was fun at times.

But I would also get back hangovers, regret, guilt, missing work, and all sorts of bad stuff.

Not worth it.

BlissWithin

I was thinking about my responses to this thread, If I ever decided to take another drink is because I'm no longer in recovery, and If I am no longer in recovery it is easy to just keep drinking and dismiss recovery... I know I'm talking semantics but it really is the alcoholic mindset we are talking about, right?

Just an example, if I drink an ounce of hard liquor by accident in a party or a restaurant, I will feel the effects of alcohol but most likely will not return to alcoholic drinking.

IvanMike

That makes one of us.

By the way, i never drank an oz. of booze by accident ever.

mav

The sum for me is simple.

Me + alcohol = oblivion.

No ifs, no buts. End of story. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. Game over. You lose.

mav

I've read this 20x and still don't understand it. But the third clause of the last sentence... Danger.

Dee74

Not trying to be witty but...a funeral plan.

Anything that my inner addict tells me I'm missing from not drinking is a lie.
allen Carr asks much the same question (I'm paraphrasing a lot)

what do I expect this drink to do for me?
is that a realistic expectation?
Is it a self destructive desire?
assuming it's not, what other healthy ways could I achieve whatever it is I'm looking for?

D

BixBees505

Nice... "assuming it's not, what other healthy ways could I achieve whatever it is I'm looking for?" ...because one drink even one is NOT healthy for me!!!!

least

The only thing alcohol can give me is misery. And I've had enough of that.

Bailey3

I need to edit my post. Not only would my life be empty but, it would be shorter and more miserable.

Jsbodhi

Well at the very least I could probably add on another 15 lbs...
Not from one drink, but the many to follow for a few months after that I'm sure.

Pedro1234

Disappointment
Regret
Self Pity
Anxiety
Depression
More drinking
High blood pressure
Blood disorder
Fatty Liver
No self worth
No motivation
Vicious cycle
No life
I dont want to think what i would have if i was drinking as i prefer what i haven't got!

soberclover

This is scary to think about considering my last drunk left me in the intensive care unit in the hospital with a traumatic brain injury....given the fact that the disease of alcoholism is progressive, I would probably progress to death if I drank again