re: Does anybody struggle to control their alcohol intake?

quote:

---

Does anybody struggle to control their alcohol intake?

---

Can't say that I do. I rarely drink, but when I do, I'll knock down a couple glasses of whiskey or nearly half the bottle depending on my mood to about the same effect the next day. That said, my body deals with alcohol strangely.

I used to drink every single day… then I would quit for a few days - rinse and repeat

I just started feeling so god awful shitty the next day that I would just crack open a beer and start drinking again

3 years ago I stopped cold turkey. Went to a 30 day treatment program

For the first 1-2 months after treatment it was difficult to not drink because I was so used to drinking for example

Get off work - drink
Go to the pool - drink
Watch a football game - drink
Work outside on the lawn - drink
Wash my car - have a cold beer - drink
Go fishing - drink
Hit the beach - drink
Work on websites - drink
Cookout - drink
Brunch - Bloody Mary then drink beer all day

Etc

But the problem I had was once I had that one drink I couldn’t stop for that day.. I would just keep drinking

Treatment taught me that I simply cannot have just 1 beer.

After a few months of living by the “I can’t have just one beer” I no longer think about drinking.. I no longer want to drink and I no longer mind being around people who drink. I have trained myself that I will never drink a cold beer ever again - even though I love a cold beer

Anytime I am in a situation where people are drinking or I would like to have a cold beer, I just crack open a carbonated flavor water that’s as refreshing as a cold beer, it sounds like a cold beer when opening the can, the can feels like a cold beer.. and it stings my throat a little like a cold beer.. so I just drink one of those and boom.. I’m good.

Everybody can drink alcohol around me and I’ll just drink an AHA or Bubby and I am damn good to go - no hangover.. no feeling dumb about the day before and a lot more money in my pocket. Oh and since I no longer pound beers all day, I also no longer chain smoke cigarettes. I’m a much happier human being now. Good luck!

quote:

---

You are an alcoholic and you know it. Your whole post is directed at talking around it to convince yourself you are not.

---

More than likely. But YOU have to be the one to admit it. Until that happens, it will continue. And things will get much worse.

void

I can def relate.
As i got older, couple things made me change. Realized most if my mistakes, or bad choices, came under the influence of alcohol. And felt like there wasn’t much difference between getting drunk and being a drunk.
I still partake, just much less frequently and much more selective on the where/when.

I’m good - I have a drink most days but it’s been a while since I’ve been “drunk”

I had trouble so I quit. No AA meetings, I just quit. I read my Bible some. Quit 18 years ago. It’s easier than trying to control it, for me.

quote:

---

Yes, I was a functioning alcoholic, I never missed work, most of my drinking was work related, taking clients out, an afterwork bar meet, all my tabs were expense account, so it was very hard to stop that behavior. No, I didn't hit rock bottom, never had a DUI, my wife didn't leave me, but I knew it was time.

---

My favorite was taking everyone out from work to drink until the late hours, so everyone was in it together.

Then drag in and almost up the following day.

Some people get addicted to the "life" of going out.

I went out for the alcohol. Until I cut out the middleman and started drinking at home.

I am grateful to have quit drinking prior to the pandemic. I would not be alive.

quote:

---

you have alcoholic behavior.

---

I always associated being an alcoholic with someone who needed to drink daily, kept bottles of booze in the truck, things like that.