Great advice for moderating your drinking
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Join Date: Nov 2016
Posts: 782
The post reminds of that Jeff Foxworthy comedy routine, "You know you're a redneck when ............."
So you take Less' post and start with "You know you're an alcoholic if [insert paragraph]!"
We really need some more humor around this place, even if it is gallows humor.
So you take Less' post and start with "You know you're an alcoholic if [insert paragraph]!"
We really need some more humor around this place, even if it is gallows humor.
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Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: UK
Posts: 6,902
Definitely gallows humour - made me chuckle, with a lot of ouches involved. Esp as watching my OH currently try to moderate (because obviously, just stopping drinking would just be unecessarily dramatic), and I remember doing all this stuff myself for far, far too long.
Thanks. Great post.
BB
Thanks. Great post.
BB
Hears The Voice
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Unshackled
Posts: 7,901
Wowser.
I screwed up 1b once, by accident. While fully practicing 1a, and telling myself I needed alcohol to sleep, I visited the doctor. She asked how much I drank. I knew the real answer (15 or 16 drinks/night) was not going to sound like moderation to her, so I lied and said "8".
Turns out that didn't sound like moderation to her, either. In fact, when you're active duty military that answer gets you an involuntary 2 weeks in IOP.
That interrupted my moderating for a couple of weeks.
I screwed up 1b once, by accident. While fully practicing 1a, and telling myself I needed alcohol to sleep, I visited the doctor. She asked how much I drank. I knew the real answer (15 or 16 drinks/night) was not going to sound like moderation to her, so I lied and said "8".
Turns out that didn't sound like moderation to her, either. In fact, when you're active duty military that answer gets you an involuntary 2 weeks in IOP.
That interrupted my moderating for a couple of weeks.
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Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Florida., USA
Posts: 3,252
The counting drinks was interesting to me. On the days I was sober enough or cared enough to count them, I considered it an achievement to be able to go to bed with only 5 or 6 drinks. Though I relapsed the other day, on the day I quit in January, I was ASTOUNDED at the amount I did drink when I counted them. I probably missed a few, but I couldn't believe it.
Great post, Less.
Great post, Less.
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Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Florida., USA
Posts: 3,252
Originally Posted by Nonsensical 
Wowser.
I screwed up 1b once, by accident. While fully practicing 1a, and telling myself I needed alcohol to sleep, I visited the doctor. She asked how much I drank. I knew the real answer (15 or 16 drinks/night) was not going to sound like moderation to her, so I lied and said "8".
I screwed up 1b once, by accident. While fully practicing 1a, and telling myself I needed alcohol to sleep, I visited the doctor. She asked how much I drank. I knew the real answer (15 or 16 drinks/night) was not going to sound like moderation to her, so I lied and said "8".
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Big City
Posts: 3,895
Just wanted to say thank you to everyone who posted and found some solace in this thread.
I was just going through my head the other day and thinking about the idea of the divided self and how incredibly strong the Beast/AV/demons on the shoulder can be in convincing us to drink.
In every single imaginable way my life is better, more solid, admirable, peaceful, deep, fun, in control, exciting, confident, etcetcetc sober. And YET that wistful voice remains whispering about cold white wine on a beautiful Friday afternoon. What the heck man.
Anyhow thanks as always SR.
I was just going through my head the other day and thinking about the idea of the divided self and how incredibly strong the Beast/AV/demons on the shoulder can be in convincing us to drink.
In every single imaginable way my life is better, more solid, admirable, peaceful, deep, fun, in control, exciting, confident, etcetcetc sober. And YET that wistful voice remains whispering about cold white wine on a beautiful Friday afternoon. What the heck man.
Anyhow thanks as always SR.
Member
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Florida., USA
Posts: 3,252
Originally Posted by lessgravity
In every single imaginable way my life is better, more solid, admirable, peaceful, deep, fun, in control, exciting, confident, etcetcetc sober. And YET that wistful voice remains whispering about cold white wine on a beautiful Friday afternoon. What the heck man.
Anyhow thanks as always SR.
Anyhow thanks as always SR.
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Big City
Posts: 3,895
Saw some people here discussing "moderation" so I figured I'd bump my own post rather than comment.
Even the concept of "moderation" is such an alcoholic's idea. It's so far from the heads of someone who doesn't have a problem with alcohol.
I know what thinking that way has led to in my life. Just happy to have been shed of that ignorance without losing more.
Even the concept of "moderation" is such an alcoholic's idea. It's so far from the heads of someone who doesn't have a problem with alcohol.
I know what thinking that way has led to in my life. Just happy to have been shed of that ignorance without losing more.
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Big City
Posts: 3,895
I was moving some clothes and suitcases this morning, end of the season housework. I found in the back of a suitcase two empty liter bottles of vodka. My house is full of family members who very well could have been standing next to me as the two empty bottles clinked out of the suitcase and rolled onto my basement floor.
The shame and fear that rushed up for my feet straight through the rest of my body was something that I haven't felt now in many months. But it was a stark reminder that my past is not far behind in any way. To quote Faulkner, the past is not even past.
It felt good to know that I'm done with that life. But it was also a humbling reminder of how far down that path I had walked. Here's to a better life.
The shame and fear that rushed up for my feet straight through the rest of my body was something that I haven't felt now in many months. But it was a stark reminder that my past is not far behind in any way. To quote Faulkner, the past is not even past.
It felt good to know that I'm done with that life. But it was also a humbling reminder of how far down that path I had walked. Here's to a better life.
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