StrengthNme

I am going to sparring class at karate tonight and everyone is going out to the bar afterwards. I am debating on having only a single beer (and yes, I'm 100% positive I would only have ONE). My question is, would one beer cause me to go back into withdrawal after 2 weeks with no alcohol? I absolutely never want to have to go through that ever again...yes, I know avoiding alcohol altogether is a definite way that will never happen, but humor me. Would a single beer cause those symptoms to come back?

suki44883

Hard to say, but why take the chance?

What it definitely will do is encourage your addictive voice to start talking to you, trying to convince you that you can handle one or two. To the body, alcohol is alcohol, whether it comes in the form of beer, wine, mixed drink, moonshine, etc. The body recognizes it and wants more.

I vote for not going to the bar. Two weeks is great, but it's just a tiny drop in the bucket.

GreatInquiry7

If you're like me, its possible to have one, yes. But if plans slightly change and it turns into 2, and then 3, and then etc.

Mummyto2

Why would you even risk it, there are no half measures excuse the pun, I tried saying to myself wine is my demon I will try beer, nope I will try gin nope, alcohol is the problem in all drinks, good luck

AnvilheadII

why on earth would anyone have ONE beer?

StrengthNme

I'm 100% positive I can go and only have one and no more. However, it's not worth it if that one would cause withdrawal symptoms to come back.

Quit290117

That’s exactly what I did last November after 5 months sober. 1 drink felt fine. Next week a few more felt ok. Every occasion since absolutely smashed. Always go out with the intention of controlling how much I drink but I can’t, feel terrible for days after. Back on day 6 now and determined to stop this cycle of destruction.

StrengthNme

Ummm when you're 100 lbs like I am one is quite enough.

tomsteve

welp, that one may work today, but tomorrow,the next day or next week you may very well end up worse than this
https://www.soberrecovery.com/forums...so-scared.html (Day One of Detox from Alcohol - SO Scared!)

whats the motive behind one with what youve been through?

suki44883

So, say you go and do just have one beer and stop with no ill effects, what is to say in another two weeks you won't find an excuse to have just one. Hey, it worked before, and now I am 200% positive I can have just one! yada, yada.

It most likely won't be long before you will be back where you started.

I still say it isn't worth it.

StrengthNme

Thanks, tomsteve, I needed that!

Dee74

The way it would work for me is I might be able to have one beer.

If I didn't buy more beer on the way home, or in the next week, and if the obsession to have another beer didn't drive me crazy, I might have 2 beers the next time after class...

Sooner or later tho I'd be back to full on drinking ans suffering the withdrawal and all the other things drinking brings with it for me.

I'd always said 'I wish I hadn't had that last beer'...but when I got here to SR people would tell me it's the first beer that does the damage...

The folks here were right - it's the first beer that starts the madness again, sometimes quickly sometimes slowly.

I believe I have a toxic relationship with alcohol - any amount of alcohol.
I believe that will never change,

I forget that at my peril.

D

Lizajane

If it is truly a question, do you really want to discover the answer?
Scenario ONE: you have the beer, everything is ok
Scenario TWO: you have the beer and withdrawal starts all over again and you suffer those consequences

How about not playing withdrawal roulette?
The result: no withdrawal or return to drinking! Guaranteed.

Everyone is not going to the bar and having beer by the way. I bet most are going and having a drink. I bet there are some not going and perhaps some going and not drinking alcohol. Rarely is EVERYONE going and having a beer. Just saying.

doggonecarl

If you can talk yourself OUT of sobriety and into drinking ONE beer, then you should have no trouble talking yourself into more.

Don't risk it. Have ONE cola. Or two.

BrandNewDay11

Well I hate to bring up this worn out phrase but it's warranted here. With most problem drinkers (me included):

"One drink is too many and a thousand is never enough".

Arpeggioh

For me, it's wouldn't be the fear of withdrawal, it's a much bigger, badder fear: breaking the "sobriety" seal, much like on a bottle of liquor, providing an opening back into my life. Even a crack, and that addiction would almost certainly start to wiggle its way through. Not immediately; it might take weeks, or months, but it's got time to wait, because it's found its way back in. Only a matter of time before it's running the show again...

Withdrawal symptoms are a walk in the park compared to what I'm scared of, man!

Mattq2

Strength,
This is a true story after seven years of sobriety I “knew “ I could have one beer. Well I did and it was off to the races within a few months I was drinking 12 to 18 beers every night. It took me fourteen years of pain and misery to get sober again. It’s just not worth it my friend. Just my opinion , be careful

biminiblue

My experience was a lot like Mattq2.

I quit drinking for nearly 18 years.

One day I just had one. No real thought given to it, I just did. I might have had a couple, actually. Didn't drink every day, just once a week or so. Then Fri/Sat. Then Thurs/Fri/Sat - still just one or two - m a y b e three.

The rest of the story really didn't play much more dangerously every single time - BUT I never knew which time I would have 12 drinks and have to deal with that afterwards. And it started progressively getting worse - as it does.

Seven years later I was in the alcoholic's misery. Shaking in the morning or being out-right sick, having to drink every day, trying to keep count, starting earlier and earlier. Having to have more drinks than I really wanted to - to stay out of withdrawal.

I had to quit, again, and it was a much harder time getting to that quit than I had ever thought it would be.

We can't stop you. We can be a cautionary tale.

AnvilheadII

anyone who can have a beer with impunity doesn't think about it, plan it and ask the opinions of others as to the soundness of that decision........

fini

if your only worry about doing this is a concern about withdrawal, then....that is a very narrow focus here.
when there is such a much wider picture to consider.

here is a question for you:
why is it so important to you to have a beer after practice? cameradery can easily be had with folks you have something in common with without the addition of booze.

checking my motives works well for me...that rigorous honesty thing.

but it's late where you are, and you will have made a decision.