I'll just tell you my story...

The last time I had a drink or two, I was successful - that day. I had 2 wine coolers and stopped. However, 6 weeks later, I was drinking vodka by the 1/2 gallon.

That was 11 years ago, and no, I don't feel the need to "challenge my drinking". I know exactly what will happen with "a drink or two". And it ain't pretty.

Yah for me its like playing Russian Roulette Its not necessarily when one of-the bullets (a drink)) kills me Butt the enormous self loathing depression and merry go round that precedes it.!! Abstinence requires a sense of resolution followed by a needed change in attitude!!Like a bridge eventually you know you have passed over the mile marker and then it becomes a footnote in a long life well lived... In General !! Living for each day as it comes Kinda simplifies that early in sooobriety I think !!!...So definately No is the answer to your question for Me!!

Billy


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vMEyHa9SCw

I think it's called "romancing the bottle"! To tell you what I think, I'll just share a story that I often hear at AA meetings.,,,,,,...

"I had been sober for 6 years. Then one day, I walked by a bar that I use to frequent back in my drinking days. I decided to go inside, have 2 drinks and leave. I ended up drinking all night long, got into trouble with the police and was drunk for the next 15 years. I quit drinking again after I lost everything, my business, my wife, my self respect, and had severe health issues. Now I am sober and hope to stay that way."

It sounds like you are having a little guilt about doing what you know you shouldn't do so you want us to enable you and so far, nobody has. But it's your life and if you want to have a drink and then quit again then knock yourself out. I just think you are playing the demon's games and falling right into his trap,so to speak!

God Bless!

Hello Peaceful Warrior69,

People who are sober and who are not alcoholics can allow themselves a drink at any time but you probably will not find many such individuals on this type of forum. For those who have crossed the line into alcoholism, one drink will usually lead to many more and a downward path to destruction.

I would urge you to learn more about alcoholism and you will see why an alcoholic cannot have one drink. Before I stopped drinking I had similar thoughts to what you have described but I was ignorant of the facts and under the illusion that I could somehow control my drinking.

Positive things happen to those who stop drinking but if they are alcoholics they cannot drink safely after 39 days or 39 years. If you are such a person, you cannot regain power over alcohol. An alcoholic undergoes a change in the way that his or her body reacts to alcohol and this results in one drink producing a craving for more, no matter how long the person has been sober. The other problem for the alcoholic is in the mind and that is where you will also find a solution.

For me, I had to find a different way of thinking and I found that new path to freedom through Alcoholics Anonymous. Take a look at the link below for an explanation of why an alcoholic cannot drink safely and a possible solution to the problem.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pVBDQPC2XQ

I agree some are hard cases and I watched a mother go into DTS and be enabled out of detox and a sister who left her car running and her car ran over and killed her granddaughter and she is an angry drunk when she drinks and has not stopped for both of them and others I see a real drunk who cannot stop for me I have a problem I have seen it all in AA and so it is not just for the hard core but those with a problem drinking and I go ,,, I hope you don't have to hit a real bad bottom that is all I have

I would never drink 'every now and then'.
For what, to just start up again? Along time ago, I could never picture my life without a drink. Now I can't picture my life with one.
U lost 25 lbs!!! Your not missing out on any fun time by not drinking.

PJ, So well said. Wash, rinse and repeat. That puts things in such simple clarified perspective. I vouch for what you said since this is who I am, one who can't have just one. I proved this in April after 3.5 years of sobriety and thought I could participate in a fun drinking trip. Bad decision, it was a very hard 3 months of trying to stop. Finally did on July 10th.

Peaceful, you say so many positive things have been going on during these 39 days. Is it worth the experiment? And your son and girlfriend?

If you try it, please let us know how it goes.

With just 13 sober days behind me, I was recently happy to just walk down the liquor aisle at the market without being tempted. That's good enough for me. So know, I wouldn't have a drink or two just to prove that I could stop there. Why soil the body I just spent all that time and effort getting cleaned out.

In the past, in trying to rationalize not drinking, I wondered what it was about a glass of Jim Beam I would want to pick up and drink, but if it was a glass of gasoline, not so much. I can't imagine the bourbon is that much "better" for you than gasoline, so why drink either? Just not worth all that comes with it.

I remember asking my father to stop drinking - I had a two year old son and he was missing so much being intoxicated. It wasn't that he drank a lot, a little wine and he was in his own world. He was so marvelous when I was young - running his own business and going to Rotary Club, sailing and treasurer or our church.

Something happened when I graduated from high school and started on my own. Well, he met someone very special, married and within a year she said she was leaving. Somehow they both started going to AA and Al-anon! He stopped and never drank until he passed away 23 years later. It was a miracle. He started working one the farm again and was very involved with grandchildren.

I felt sad when I read your post. 39 days of marvelous courage - you are on your way to a new life. Please do not take a drink. Lean on all of us - vent, but do not take a drink. Take good care.

The mind vs the Body

The mind says, "I've got to stop the insanity". The body just sits back. The mind says, "I've got to got to stop now". The body says, nothing. The mind screams, "I've got to stop!!!! Please God". The body shifts around and pretends to pay attention. Finally, the mind says, "I AM STOPPING!!! I AM SICK AND TIRED I WILL STOP".
The mind stays determined and actually makes the decision to quit and the sobriety has started. And then the body gets agitated and says, "Hey, knock this quitting stuff off.I need my juice, find a drink". The mind says........."no, I am done". The body is starting to scream, "FIND ME A DRINK"! The mind says........"no, I am doing too good.
Then finally after going back and forth, the two are finally somewhat calm but rouse to peak at each other now and then....it starts to get boring.
So, I've lost weight, I'm back with my GF and my child. Hey, I am refocusing on some great things" Body and mind are finally coming together. We must stay on track.
But now WE are bored. Lets try this again......no, not a good idea. Just once! No, not a good idea.......but maybe we...no. NO!!
The mind and body must never forget the turmoil that alcohol has caused them. One drink and the battle starts again. One drink and your mind will be brought down by the unrelenting demands of the body screaming for more alcohol. The mind keeps thinking, I can do it because I've done it before.......years and years ago.
Your thoughts are never your true guiding force. The addiction will resurface and there will be a battle within. The addiction is waiting but not demanding right now. But feed that addiction and all hell breaks loose.
Don't do it.

Nobody can tell you what to do, but we can share advice and stories. I have been a binge drinker for 30 years. I decided after 3 years of heavy drinking I'd had enough and couldn't do it anymore. The only valid course of action I could arrive at was total abstinence.
This is because I had totally stopped drinking for 9 months prior to the beginning of the last 3 year period. All it took for me to get back in to cycle of drinking destructively was one night out with friends I hadn't seen in 20 years. I was going to not drink again after that night, but slowly it wormed it's way back in until once again my drinking was out of control. I now never want to drink again. I'm 16 days sober and plan to remain so for as long as I live. Hope you can find your answers and can be at peace :)

I have tried this a couple of times. I started drinking again. It didn't work for me.

Very normal thoughts, please if you do try this let us know how it goes!
1is2many

Interesting you speak of the pressure building. I very much experience this. The way I relieve it is to go to a meeting and talk about why I want to drink and hide.

The only way for me to change was to change my thinking.

1-2

One of the great stories my mentor told me is that he had about 8 years of sobriety. He took a trip up to the mountains with his family. His wife had a glass of wine, which had never been a problem for him.

He thought to himself, "hey one glass of wine won't hurt. I've got this under control."

He had that first glass. He said the air smelled cleaner, the pine trees more robust, and the laughter of his kids was priceless.

Within a half an hour he had finished off the bottle, had driven to the liquor store and was slamming 40s behind the family cabin.

After two hours, he was enraged, and told the family they had five minutes to pack up their stuff, because they were going home.

He spent 14 months fighting it off, before he got back into AA. He has 14 years this second go around, and he will never again challenge his sobriety.

You may succeed having a drink or two this time, and maybe next time. But it will hit you like a locomotive eventually. Alcoholism is progressive.

I wouldn't risk it. Read the first part of your post. You're healthy, you're losing weight, and you're finding financial/business success. Do you think it's a coincidence that those things happened in your brief sobriety?

If you want to lose those things... lose your sobriety.