thomas11

I hope this is appropriate for this forum, but I am curious to ask those who have 1 drink and can't stop what their thought process is on the whole thing.

I was a binge drinker, so I'd drink a belly full, eat and passout for awhile. Get up and do it all over again. Sometimes until late into the night. Made me sick as a dog for the next two days. But I know a couple people and I have read on this site, that some people have one beer, and its all over. I'm curious to know if you are one of those people, why you think that is?

Jim1958

Nope. Can't have just one. Then I want 20 more. I think it is psychological too. It depends on if you have recognized you have a problem and are trying to quit. If you have the first one, you feel your sobriety is blown and it gives you permission to drink more. And drink the day after, and after that. So I would say no for me. I can't have just one beer.

ScottFromWI

I can't speak for everyone of course, but to me that's simply the definition of addiction - the inability to stop/control once you start. No thought process involved for me - just a fact.

Chaisson

I've had to accept and acknowledge that I don't have an off-switch, so one will never cut it for me. I may not have always drank to excess, but knowledge and awareness weren't enough to stop one from becoming 10 or more. It was always about the next one. When we refer to "normal" drinkers, they don't obsess about drinking, how to get the next drink, do they have enough for the night or how to cover it up. Normal drinkers can take it or leave, and my drinking became anything but normal.

entropy1964

But I know a couple people and I have read on this site, that some people have one beer, and its all over. I'm curious to know if you are one of those people, why you think that is?

I'm kind of confused. Are you asking a bunch of alcoholics if they can have 1 beer and its all over, as in they are done? Or if they have one beer and its all over, as in full blown bender? And I guess, why are you asking?

For me, who knows. I could have 1 drink (don't like beer) and be fine. Or not. But the scariest part is, if I were to have 1 drink now, I would risk waking the beast. I dunno. I'm an addict who no longer drinks. Why would I even think about it? Haha. That's a laugh. I do think about it. But not in the 'I wonder if I can have 1 drink' kind of way.

Ok this response is as confusing as the OP to me. Sorry!

Cascabel

I always seemed to have a stopping point when I would tell myself “that’s enough”. The problem was that “enough” became more over time until it started making me feel lousy and, was, I believe, affecting my health. When I extrapolated the “curve”, I didn’t like what I saw so I quit.

Jules714

For me the girl who picks up the first drink is not at all the same girl that pours the second. Its never going to be one and done for me. Its a thousand and the full refund of my misery plus interest.

dafunbra

MantaLady

Like Frick I am confused and don’t understand what you are asking? The way your question reads seems like your asking if there are people here who can’t just have one drink which does seem a bit of an odd thing to ask a community of alcoholics. Maybe I am reading it wrong?

thomas11

Or if they have one beer and its all over, as in full blown bender? And I guess, why are you asking?


You got it right frick, I am asking those who have 1 beer/drink and are off to the races. Why am I asking? Because I want to know how it works. I can NOT drink all night long because I get too hungry and tired. But I know people who will forgo everything except the alcohol.

thomas11

This is the response that interests me. No off switch. I want to try harder to understand it. I don't pass judgement on it whatsoever.

ScottFromWI

I honestly don't believe their is a way to understand it. If there was we wouldn't be here in the first place now, would we?

The loss of control is the key - not sure why it would matter if you drank 3, 10 or 30 after the first one?

allishope73

I answer honestly from.my expierience ...whats the point to have one beer it will not numb me...not make me sleep ...not make me dancing ...not make me crying ...i d need 5 or 6 ... naw 1 beer its like one sip of coffee whats the point ...all or nothing ...i know folks who can have but they re not on this forum . Here are folks who drink for effects of alcohol not a culinary expierience x D

Atlast9999

dafunbra

Fearlessat50

I don’t know for sure. But I think it’s a combination of a brain chemistry thing, a habit thing, all or nothing thinking as suggested in Jim’s post -once you know you have a problem and decide to get sober then you have that one drink. ... I think there’s self esteem wrapped up in it too.

Gerard52

I generally drank too much but one drink did not lead to a bucket load all the time. My drinking was quite circumstantial and one thing I will not do again is drink in solitude and drive myself into the depths of imaginary problems.

I am at 17 weeks and don't have a desire to drink. Started seeing a very nice lady. It is early days but she is not much of a drinker and doesn't like bars.

MantaLady

Even scientists and the medical community don’t have the answer for that and if there was an answer there would be a cure we could take that would turn us all into normal drinkers. There is no cure, only abstinence. With alcoholism being a disease it’s like asking someone with bi polar why they get so down but some days seem happy or someone with anxiety why they went to an event fine the other day but on a different day had a panic attack at an event. Focusing on the problem rather than the solution isn’t healthy for me. I didn’t always drink to blackout but I always drank more than I should. There was no thought process, that is addiction. x

Arpeggioh

Yep, I could have one drink and stop. I wouldn't automatically switch to raging alcoholic drinking...at least not that day.

Past experience has proven, however, that if it's okay even one time, then it's going to be okay again in the near future. Then the snowball rolling down the hill effect is initiated, and it's only a matter of time before I'm swilling vodka straight from the bottle, wanting to die and crying while I beg for help on SR.

Nope. None for me, thanks! I know exactly where one drink will take me...

Renvate

after one drink my personality changes.

And that guy does not stop.