Here are some of the methods we have tried: Drinking beer only, limiting the number of drinks, never drinking alone, never drinking in the morning, drinking only at home, never having it in the house, never drinking during business hours, drinking only at parties, switching from scotch to brandy, drinking only natural wines, agreeing to resign if ever drunk on the job, taking a trip, not taking a trip, swearing off forever (with and without a solemn oath), taking more physical exercise, reading inspirational books, going to health farms and sanitariums, accepting voluntary commitment to asylums we could increase the list ad infinitum.
I have tried all of these methods and more
The marijuana maintenance program Not drinking at the bar (it was the bar's fault) moderate drinking at home
They all failed miserably
What worked for you? What didn't work for you?
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Build a man a fire and he will be warm for a night, light a man on fire and he will be warm for the rest of his life
Oh, that list comes from Chapter 3 More About Alcoholism of The Big Book
Here is how the chapter begins: Most of us have been unwilling to admit we were real alcoholics. No person likes to think he is bodily and mentally different from his fellows. Therefore, it is not surprising that our drinking careers have been characterized by countless vain attempts to prove we could drink like other people. The idea that somehow, someday he will control and enjoy his drinking is the great obsession of every abnormal drinker. The persistence of this illusion is astonishing. Many pursue it into the gates of insanity or death.
We learned that we had to fully concede to our innermost selves that we were alcoholics. This is the first step in recovery. The delusion that we are like other people, or presently may be, has to be smashed.
-edit in the interest of those with short attention spans -
Despite all we can say, many who are real alcoholics are not going to believe they are in that class. By every form of self- deception and experimentation, they will try to prove themselves exceptions to the rule, therefore nonalcoholic. If anyone who is showing inability to control his drinking can do the right-about- face and drink like a gentleman, our hats are off to him. Heaven knows, we have tried hard enough and long enough to drink like other people!
When I could control it (LMAO) I couldn't enjoy it (I wanted MORE!!!!), and when I was enjoying it, I certainly wasn't controlling it
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Build a man a fire and he will be warm for a night, light a man on fire and he will be warm for the rest of his life
Was going to create a "bracelet system" where I would decide before drinking how many drinks were "acceptable" for that particular occasion. I would then switch bracelets from one arm to the other as a system for reminding me what my limit should be.
In retrospect, how stupid! (and desperate).
I repeat every day "...lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." I will no longer give in to the temptation and will be delivered from the evil it brings! No bracelets needed
Off the top of my head, Only drinking on weekends Only drinking every other day Private therapist Change in friends (ended up couldn't wait to get away from the non-drinkers fast enough to go drink) Eating first Only two drinks(the glass just got bigger and I opened my throat wider) Hiding the booze bottles from myself. If I hid enough of them I'd hope to only find a couple.
I know I have a few others too, can't think now.
I tried all of the above except scotch/brandy was vodka/beer.
None of them worked.
Abstinence for today through AA has worked for OMG, 10 months.
-- Edited by angelov8 on Monday 12th of April 2010 01:10:04 AM
I've done most of the above (just didn't think of the bracelet -- what a wonderful example of alcologic!). The one I tried the longest was the geographical cure. Hey, maybe it's that I'm hanging around all these losers? I need to find a better class of drinkers -- you know, more sophisticated types. Then I'll drink like them.
Didn't work. When even the honkytonks and biker clubhouses "don't want your kind"...
I used to stay home on all holidays and my birthday because I'd been arrested for DIP on most of them. I was afraid to travel and go to large public events (big concerts, missed a lot of them), and going to the beach. Mind you, these weren't attempts at not getting drunk, these were just precautions to keep from getting arrested.
I did all of the above to try and keep from blacking out including drinking beer only (for the most part) for the last 5 years of my drinking, but still blacked out ocassionally.
Thank you all who posted before me. Great subject and a great reminder. I did most of what's been mentioned. I chuckled at many of them. Just proves how insane we were and the persistant delusion that we were normal drinkers and weren't alcoholics......
i reckon I tried all of the ones in the book and a few more besides, even the ones that so called worked didn't really because I was just left with the resentment of not being allowed to drink as I wanted to.
I remember bargaining with myself in the grog shop - If I buy Jack daniels and famous grouse I'll be OK but if I buy the own brand stuff, then I'll have a problem.
If I at least buy good quality mixers for the own brand stuff......
If I at least put ice in it........
If I at least drink it out of a glass.....
If I at least keep putting the top back on........
If I don't drink the Rose........
If I don't drink the White..........
and finally, If I don't drink One Day At A Time......guess which one works.
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It's not having what you want, it's wanting what you got. BB
And Angela, you made me ROFLMAO...first, sqint to read that long line, and when you said Private Therapy....was wondering if that meant Solo Therapy..:), I did that as well, I thought I was my own best council....go figure.
About giving up or trying to find my way to quit drinking on my own, I did many of the above, but the hands down dumbest was when I make a firm commitment to Detox off of Alcohol, with Beer.....did not like the taste either, so figured it would be perfect, started with just the regular six pack, then discoverered I needed the larger size cans in the 6 pack,
Then one sunny day while in this "detox" mode, it was a very hot day, kids were gone with Dad, and I put on my bikini, and took my beers out to this side terrace that got a ton of Sun, and just relaxed in the blazing sun for maybe 2 hours, that was my plan, woke up from a blackout about 10:00 pm. And here is the kicker to this story, I made a clear decision that it was not possible to detox, and sunbath at the same time, so I continued with my detox with beer, but only indoors.
Well that lasted about 4 months, and started feeling discouraged when my friends were saying hey Toni, why are you putting on SOOO much weight? Well there you have it, I was now plump, and no wiser, so what the heck, I gave up and went back to 80 proof, easier on the waistline.....tried really hard to keep my drinking heavily to the week ends when my boys were gone with their Dad, but you know how that works itself out......
Anyway thanks so much for the laughs, great start to a rainy Monday morning.
Hope your all have a great and AWESOME Sober Monday.
And Thank you God for allowing us our lives, and our sense of humors too, to be able to laugh at ourselves, and guide us out of ourselves....at Last.....to YOU.
I drank because I wanted to be drunk and only twice in 29 years did I really want to stop. That being said....
To control the amount: Only drinking stuff I could barely afford (only alcoholics drink cheap beer & well-brands). One drink...one water...one drink...one water... If I haven't puked or fallen down yet, I'm not drunk enough.
To control when: Weekends only... After dinner only... After noon only... Never before coffee... Never before my morning piss...
To Quit: Marijuana Therapy (man, that stuff makes a guy THIRSTY!) Piercing or burning myself when I wanted a drink...
Turns out that through a Spiritual house-cleaning and re-building of my broken self I am now mostly free of the desire and "need" to get drunk. One Day/Hour/Moment at a Time.
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