Remember also to play the tape forward.

Say you are able to give up drinking for 1 year, even 2 years! But all the while you keep this little voice in the back of your head that says, "I'll be able to enjoy alcohol again someday."

Then you drink on a special occasion. A beer, a glass or wine -- or maybe of a liquor drink.

What now?

The alcoholic's brain will fill with a flood of endorphins and warm fuzzy feelings. They are temporary. They will quickly pass. Can you honest say you won't want another? Will you feel like "you've earned it" and keep going?

The answer for me is a definitive yes. And that road leads nowhere good for me or anyone else in my life.

Think on it a bit, keep reading, keep posting. And don't forget what brought you to SoberRecovery. People with "normal" relationships with alcohol don't seek out support on recovery forums... alcoholics do. And it's not a death sentence, it just means you probably shouldn't drink.

If that feels scary, impossible, or terrifying -- that should tell you something, too.

Good luck, we've all been were you are.