Moderation Tips

[texpatriate]

I have a love hate relationship with alcohol.It doesn't help that I carry the both the Irish and the Wagon Burner DNA

For a while I quit drinking for a several months. That was boring so I decided to actually try and consume alcohol in a moderate fashion.Here are some things that have worked for me.

1)When I go to a bar I only take enough money to have X amount of drinks. By removing my credit cards, debit cards, and excess cash I can enjoy a few tasty adult beverages but I know that I will reach a predetermined STOPPING PLACE.If you live next door to the bar this might not work for you.

2)Unless I am entertaining I only keep a few bottles of beer in the fridge. I consume much less beer this way.

3)I buy hard liquor in smaller bottles. Again this allows me to drink but only up to a point.

These rules are annoying sometimes but I would rather follow them than give up drinking all together.I hope that this helps somebody out.Again these are things that have worked for me.If you are in AA you should stay there. If you want to try and cut down on your ethanol consumption maybe these tips can help you out.

-Texpatriate

Edited July 19, 2006 by texpatriate

[The Dan Sai Kid]

I have a love hate relationship with alcohol.It doesn't help that I carry the both the Irish and the Wagon Burner DNA

For a while I quit drinking for a several months. That was boring so I decided to actually try and consume alcohol in a moderate fashion.Here are some things that have worked for me.

1)When I go to a bar I only take enough money to have X amount of drinks. By removing my credit cards, debit cards, and excess cash I can enjoy a few tasty adult beverages but I know that I will reach a predetermined STOPPING PLACE.If you live next door to the bar this might not work for you.

2)Unless I am entertaining I only keep a few bottles of beer in the fridge. I consume much less beer this way.

3)I buy hard liquor in smaller bottles. Again this allows me to drink but only up to a point.

These rules are annoying sometimes but I would rather follow them than give up drinking all together.I hope that this helps somebody out.Again these are things that have worked for me.If you are in AA you should stay there. If you want to try and cut down on your ethanol consumption maybe these tips can help you out.

-Texpatriate

I thought it was against forum rules to discuss moderation issues

[texpatriate]

I thought it was against forum rules to discuss moderation issues

Really I must of missed that. Funny I thought that this forum was called the "I drink too much forum" and not the "I have stopped drinking forum". Oh well my bad. I will pay more attention next time.

-Texpatriate

[BalthazarBeefheart]

I have a love hate relationship with alcohol.It doesn't help that I carry the both the Irish and the Wagon Burner DNA

For a while I quit drinking for a several months. That was boring so I decided to actually try and consume alcohol in a moderate fashion.Here are some things that have worked for me.

1)When I go to a bar I only take enough money to have X amount of drinks. By removing my credit cards, debit cards, and excess cash I can enjoy a few tasty adult beverages but I know that I will reach a predetermined STOPPING PLACE.If you live next door to the bar this might not work for you.

2)Unless I am entertaining I only keep a few bottles of beer in the fridge. I consume much less beer this way.

3)I buy hard liquor in smaller bottles. Again this allows me to drink but only up to a point.

These rules are annoying sometimes but I would rather follow them than give up drinking all together.I hope that this helps somebody out.Again these are things that have worked for me.If you are in AA you should stay there. If you want to try and cut down on your ethanol consumption maybe these tips can help you out.

-Texpatriate

I thought it was against forum rules to discuss moderation issues

I can't find any forum rules but am grateful to any poster who takes the trouble to pass on any tips on moderation because I find abstinence so damned dull. The first tip is practised by many.

[The Dan Sai Kid]

I have a love hate relationship with alcohol.It doesn't help that I carry the both the Irish and the Wagon Burner DNA

For a while I quit drinking for a several months. That was boring so I decided to actually try and consume alcohol in a moderate fashion.Here are some things that have worked for me.

1)When I go to a bar I only take enough money to have X amount of drinks. By removing my credit cards, debit cards, and excess cash I can enjoy a few tasty adult beverages but I know that I will reach a predetermined STOPPING PLACE.If you live next door to the bar this might not work for you.

2)Unless I am entertaining I only keep a few bottles of beer in the fridge. I consume much less beer this way.

3)I buy hard liquor in smaller bottles. Again this allows me to drink but only up to a point.

These rules are annoying sometimes but I would rather follow them than give up drinking all together.I hope that this helps somebody out.Again these are things that have worked for me.If you are in AA you should stay there. If you want to try and cut down on your ethanol consumption maybe these tips can help you out.

-Texpatriate

I thought it was against forum rules to discuss moderation issues

I can't find any forum rules but am grateful to any poster who takes the trouble to pass on any tips on moderation because I find abstinence so damned dull. The first tip is practised by many.

Sorry, I was only joking - it's against forum rules to discuss, "moderation issues" as in what the mods do - not as in issues of curtailing alcohol consumption.

I'll shut up now!

[Neeranam]

Sorry, I was only joking - it's against forum rules to discuss, "moderation issues" as in what the mods do - not as in issues of curtailing alcohol consumption.

I got it

I can't give any info on drinking in moderation - I tried for years but couldn't do it.

[abs942]

Hello,

To those of you who have the option to drink moderately or to stop, there has been numerous tips and ideas here over the past weeks. The thing is that, I can't. I am sick and my desease consist of a mental obsession and a physical craving that keeps me on alcohol. Moderation does not work because the physical part does not allow me to stop once I have started. One small glass is enough. Stopping does not work because the mental part tells me "this time it wil be different" or "I'll just have a couple tonight". Pople who does not have this desease will never understand, it has nothing to do with will power or being strong, its like being alergic while the brain tells you that whatever you are alergic to, is ok to put in your body. Let me give three examples of how this works in my world;

1)When I go to a bar I only take enough money to have X amount of drinks. By removing my credit cards, debit cards, and excess cash I can enjoy a few tasty adult beverages but I know that I will reach a predetermined STOPPING PLACE.If you live next door to the bar this might not work for you.

*This is great for you, but for me and others with a simmilar reaction to alcohol, this will result in going (or taking a taxi) home after my credit card, borrowing money from someone in thye bar. My creativity would be endless here. The point is that when the predetermined stopping place arrives, my body needs more and my "willpower" or my sober mind (which I had prior to going out)will not be in charge anymore.

2)Unless I am entertaining I only keep a few bottles of beer in the fridge. I consume much less beer this way.

*How far to the nearest 7-11? It does not really matter. If you have my desease and you have drank your three bottles of beer in the fridge, you would do anything, go to any length to get some more.

3)I buy hard liquor in smaller bottles. Again this allows me to drink but only up to a point.

*Again, will not stop me once I have started.

I do not expect anyone to understand but I know that, -to the originator of this forum, if you have the same as me, you will understand. Most people told me that "you have no problem" when I finally talked about it, but this is not for them to determine, and none of these people understand what it means to must have another one. The fact that I went to work in a suit every day and had many employees has nothing to do with the way I feel and the helplessness that is a fact from my point of view.

I tried numerous things to stop or moderate, drink only beer, only on weekends, never at home, only wine with meals, never more than one aperitiff, going down to the beach for the weekend, not drinking the cheap stuff etc etc. I talked to a Doctor, I tried, tried and really tried bacause I could not picture my life without alcohol. I am sure there are other ways to get sober, but for me only AA has worked. Simply because when I walked in there, everyone was nodding their heads when I explained how I drank, not suggesting ways of moderation and how to deal with predetermined stopping places, bacause it does not work for those people whom I met there.

Brainwashing? I don't know, -but it's free, people are genuinely happy and the rate of success is high, I still have not seen anyone fail among the people who does the things which are suggested. The first year in AA I drank again and the only difference between now (that I am sober) and then is that I today do the things which are sugegsted.

If you are not ready to try this beacuse you can not picture your life without alcohol, I understand. But if you one day have tried the other options and you still have this physical craving once you pick up the first drink, why not try it? What is the difference?

ABS942

[texpatriate]

If moderation doesn't work the only thing that you can do is to walk away from it.

That or you will die.

Edited July 20, 2006 by texpatriate

[Jai Dee]

I tried numerous things to stop or moderate, drink only beer, only on weekends, never at home, only wine with meals, never more than one aperitiff, going down to the beach for the weekend, not drinking the cheap stuff etc etc. I talked to a Doctor, I tried, tried and really tried bacause I could not picture my life without alcohol.

So abs942, do you want to give up completely?

Or at least, detox for a limited time?

We do have a dedicated group of people here on the forum that are trying to do exactly that.

PM me for more information if you're interested.

[BalthazarBeefheart]

I tried numerous things to stop or moderate, drink only beer, only on weekends, never at home, only wine with meals, never more than one aperitiff, going down to the beach for the weekend, not drinking the cheap stuff etc etc. I talked to a Doctor, I tried, tried and really tried bacause I could not picture my life without alcohol.

So abs942, do you want to give up completely?

Or at least, detox for a limited time?

We do have a dedicated group of people here on the forum that are trying to do exactly that.

PM me for more information if you're interested.

I see you are a super moderator so must be able to give guidance on this subject but reading abs942's whole post I'd say he has already found the help he needs from AA.

[Jai Dee]

I see you are a super moderator so must be able to give guidance on this subject but reading abs942's whole post I'd say he has already found the help he needs from AA.

I am a forum supermod, and certainly not in a position to give guidance... far from it.

I was merely thinking that he could share his experience and advice with like-minded people somewhere else on the forum.

[Pundi64]

Just don't pick it up!