I would tell you to pour that whiskey down the toilet and flush it away....that is one way you will not bend on not drinking it....if you have a drinking problem you are in the right place but suggestions are gold here....take what you want and leave the rest....basically if you do not wish to drink something make sure it is gone completely to resist the temptation and have less stress later when you crave the booze....

Hello Ivory227,

The first question I would have is why do you have a pint of whiskey next to your bed? Also, I will tell you a story about a similar experience that I had shortly after I stopped drinking.

One of the great loves of my life was whiskey and shortly after I quit drinking I was given a gift of two expensive bottles of the magic liquid. Not wanting to offend the bearer of good gifts, I accepted the bottles with the intention of finding them a new home where their true value would be appreciated. Those bottles were stored under the bed (I know it seems strange) for several months and I can tell you with complete honesty that not once did I feel tempted. That was not down to any special talent or strong willpower on my part. Quite simply, by that time I knew something about alcoholism and fully accepted that I could not drink safely. It also helped in a big way that I was going to AA meetings six nights per week at that time was fully committed to sobriety.

Therefore, if you too have some knowledge of alcoholism you will know that your choices are simple. You can drink and probably face disaster; possibly even a painful and early death or you can pull out all of the stops and do whatever it takes to get sober. The whiskey beside your bed is a good test of what your intentions are for the future. Do you fully accept that you are an alcoholic and cannot drink? Do you understand that there are no grey areas and no exceptions to the rule?

If you accept the reality that you cannot drink safely, the presence of the whiskey won’t bother you. That said, I think you should still hide it away out of site or if it is your own, pour it down the drain. Then you would be wise to think about what you need to do in order to change your thinking so that you will not be tempted, no matter how many bottles are in your line of vision. AA did it for me.

When I got sober I had to have it out of the house. Period. My mind would think about it 24/7
For some reason me as an alcoholic likes to punish myself and this was what was going on
The real power came to me when I walked out to the sewer and poured that sh down the drain
I was done and that was the beginning of my sober life
1-2

easier said than done.. I'm still in that " I think I can do this" denial phase.. I don't think I could just pour it out.. but so far I have not drank any.. I know I can get through a day because I've done it before so I'm just gonna try and look at as baby steps

My husband drinks so I can't get rid of it; But I wouldn't have it bed side. Just gotta be stronger than the booze. I've decided I am.

I know.. the only reason it's next to my bed is because that was my "hiding spot" when I was drunk over the weekend.. and I know, I know, stop drinking during the weekend, but I've relapsed.. and I'm just looking for something that's gonna make me not more anxious and want to drink rather than feel ridiculed..

*not any of you... love your support!! :-) and advice

Having a bottle of whiskey that close to me in early sobriety would be a HUGE trigger for me! No way could I NOT drink it! It would be just a matter of time!

I can't understand why you would want to increase your chances of relapse by having your favorite drink within easy reach?

With all due respect, I think if you are serious about staying sober then you will do what all of the above have said and that's either dump it or give it to someone else who can drink it normally, By placing it in your favorite hiding spot, you are repeating old habits that will end in relapse. I don't mean to be so pessimistic but I have been through this myself, many times and it just didn't work for me. The first thing I did when I left treatment was to get rid of all my drinking friends. That was 8 years ago. It doesn't bother me now, in fact, I went to a wedding last summer and out of 200 people in attendance, I was the only sober one..

In early sobriety, I needed time for my brain to heal because I rewired it from years of drinking and drugging. That's why I was told at AA to try not to make any major decisions for at least a year. It can take that long for the brain to get back to normal again.

So long story short, you need to play the odds and get rid of your triggers, at least for awhile.

God Bless!

Good luck!

Lots of great advice. When I relapsed, my sponsor asked me if I was done drinking. And I was so I was able to pour it out but it was hard. If you can't pour it out, at least put it somewhere it is really difficult for you to get to. Even now when I get the urge, I put away my Sea breeze and any disinfectant with alcohol in it in the cupboards. And I always have sweets on hand. It could be juice or chocolate or candy. You are in the right place.

Good luck.

Hugs

Give the bottle to a friend and tell them to return it in a year. Work a program, any one that breaks you of this. When you get the bottle back, you won't be tempted.

thanks for all the great advice! :-)

Get rid of it, especially in the early days. That bike ride sounds so much more appealing than guilt, misery, and sickness. No matter what tho and if you do drink it, I'm still here for you. I understand. What happened to your meetings? Stay safe and try to give away that whiskey. Or just toss it out! Huggles

Think like a hoarder. There are only three states of possession - need it, love it or trash it. Which is this? You KNOW you don't need it, you CHOOSE not to love it, so you trash it. You know its presence will eventually compromise your choice not to love it, so toss it now - it is completely irrelevant to the sober you.

Hello Ivory,
I agree with the others. That bottle is a Siren calling to you. If I had a bottle of wine in the house, it called in my ear so insistently. The demon inside of me had no choice but to open it. A half-bottle of wine sitting on the counter the next morning was even more dangerous. Which way would the day go-dump it out and get rid of the temptation, or open it and start first thing in the morning. Then go out and buy more when it was gone. Another wasted weekend being wasted.
Please do yourself a big favor and dump it.