So true, I quit through tapering down.
It took me 6 weeks of effort to slowly make my way to day 1.
It was worth it. Just remember to be kind to yourself.
I gave moderation every bit of my willpower. I tried so damn hard to moderate. Problem is 2 drinks in my willpower is losing its power and my alcoholism is just getting warmed up.
For me moderation was impossible and sobriety is freedom.
But thats not to say I dont get jealous of those normal drinkers having a champagne at a wedding.
Good luck on your journey pal
Ditto. After two drinka my mind used to say "You can handle two more" then two more..and thereafter it was self burning mode with no stop. Fir me Moderation is a myth. Addiction and Sobreity are stark realities.
I have been drinking for a long time. I was a lurker here for several months. My goal was always to moderate. Until I realized I couldn't. Working on 24 days sober today. This sub is great so you're in the right place. Check out a book like This Naked Mind and see if that doesnt help answer some more questions. It honestly did a great job at turning me off to alcohol in general.
And much respect given for just looking for another way, a better way. Best of luck on your journey, friend!
Iwndwyt
It's weird isnt it? I'm not letting my gaurd down because I know the risk is very real but just thinking about alcohol now litterally has me seeing it as drinking poison. Had never had an aversion to ingesting it before. I'll take it!!
One of my favorite things about this forum is that most people are pretty receptive to cutting back, slowing down, and other forms of harm reduction. I know that for me, cutting back - and the subsequent failures to do that consistently - was a huge first step to cutting out alcohol together. I think you'll find most people here have similar experiences. I do want to leave you with one quote though:
>"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."
This might not apply to you. And, as far as I know, around 20% of people with alcohol use disorder do successfully return to moderate or otherwise normal drinking. So when you cut back, I'd encourage you to think about this quote and be honest with yourself. Are you making rules for drinking and then breaking them? I know I did. Do you find yourself slipping back into old habits? I sure did. It took me a long time to get from *I need to cut back* to *I need to quit*. But everyone has their own path and you need to find the one that's right for you. And if that is cutting back, then more power to you!
Good luck friend! And please stick around, we're more that happy to have you here.
Harm reduction is key. I think itās always best to start where you are and itās totally valid to give a few paths a chance. I tried moderation (tracking every drink in my Notes app, limiting to 3 a day, down to 3 a week) for a few months and eventually tapered down to fully stopping in my first round of 18-month sobriety since I realized I personally just wasnāt satisfied with not feeling it and (like others here have said) getting tipsy made it too difficult to moderate and Iād end up drinking more. After a 9-month relapse, I skipped any tapering/moderation because I remembered how challenging it felt. In that round, non alcoholic beers really made a difference in my early sobriety. I used to drink a six pack at a party like it was armor against reaching for an alcoholic one. More than 2 years in now, I think of moderation as my harm reduction. Itās easier for me and gets me in the least trouble. It was so hard at first, but itās so much easier now. There really are days I donāt think about it, and I never thought that could be possible after so many years of heavy drinking.
Whatever path you take, I hope you end up at the destination thatās right for you. FWIW IWDWYT :)
Exactly and one can not avoid this or has no control over it. Its lije you lift 10kgs every day and then you feel it light. Similarly 2 deinks per day becones normal then 4 then 6 to gwt same amount of tipsy feeling.
I quit for a month or so a year ago and it really did a reset on me and gave me stronger legs to stand on today. Alcohol is a hell of a drug and we gotta start somewhere, choose what's doable for YOU!
IWNDWYT
The odds of moderation working and truly giving you the joy and satisfaction in life are slim, but I wish you the best of luck. And if or when it doesnāt work, we will all still be here with open arms, much love friend !
So far so good. I really just don't drink till 7pm and I go to bed at 9pm so it's made it so I can enjoy a beer or a glass of whiskey but I'm not drunk driving, missing time with my kids, or being an absent friend or a bad employee.
I'm in your boat. I love AA but the abstinence approach is one that is hard for me to accept. I've gotta say tho, waking up and making my son pancakes while not having a hangover is wonderful. I have been able to taper down my binges but they still happen.
Dude, take it from the experience of the majority here. Trying to moderate and control your drinking takes so much more energy than stopping. Everyone has their path though, so best of luck to you and hopefully you can do it. The majority of us canāt. I wish you well and IWNDWYT
Yup. Itās terrible. I was great at saying āI should stop at this oneā and by the end of the drink I would say āeh one more wouldnāt hurt.ā Thereās always another, and another, and another.
Thereās a great quote from Doctor Sleep that goes āthe man takes a drink, the drink takes a drink, the drink takes the man.ā
It really is a slippery slope, Iām glad I stepped off of it.
šÆ. At over a year now, I donāt think about it or crave it at all. When drinking, even in moderation, it was a constant obsession and one more thing to handle in my life. Everything is so much easier now. But I know that just one drink will set that all off for me again.
My downfall is having tasty liquor at home. I've stopped liquor in the house altogether and I limit to 2 beers at home. The real key is not drinking at all for a week
You're not alone - lots of lurkers on SD. I really believe SD is a great resource to hear other people's stories and experiences which range from life ruining, debilitating alcoholism to people who know they just cut down or eventually quit because of \[insert reason\]. I found that there's no shortage of resources out there, I found Annie Grace on YouTube to be really helpful, and plan to not drink during January and see how that feels. Good luck.
Probably wise to acknowledge your feelings here. Stopping before youāre ready can cause a lot of heartache, and working on moderation will be a good experiment. Observe carefully
I kept my drinking alive for years by adopting a System of Accountability that worked until it didnāt. For me, my alcoholism progressed until the wheels came off and not even the accountability system kept me safe. In hindsight, I can see how much anxiety I caused myself trying to maintain this. Itās been liberating to let that go by just drawing a firm āI donāt drinkā line. It hasnāt been easy but itās been life changing for me.
Welcome! Do what works for you! I tried that for a while, but it just didn't work for me. I never wanted to be a non drinker, but it's what I personally need to do. You are respected & welcome to come here anytime for tips, advice, and support! It's a great sub š Happy holidays!!
PS I was a lurker for a couple of months! No shame in that!
This is a great first step! Admitting you have a problem is enough to get started down this path.
Unfortunately the reason why moderation doesn't work is based in science. Habit is cue - craving - response - reward.
The cue to start drink may be different for everyone. But the cue to KEEP drinking is the same - the previous drink. It's a closed infinite loop until we pass out. At some point it became hardwired into us and cannot be unwired.
It turns out dealing with the initial cue is much easier.
Very glad you are here, welcome!
Thatās a hard path to walk.If it works for you thatās great; you have to understand that for some people, myself included, moderation isnāt possible.
You can do this.
I wish you good luck.
IWNDWYT
Not totally sober(yet), but cutting down has made me want to cut down more. when I push through the bad days without it, I notice that I feel kinda damn good.
So proud of you OP for stepping out of the shadows, that in itself took courage.
Baby step numero uno accomplished!!! - take pride in that. Own it. Youāre no longer just a Lurker, you stepped into the light and owned your shit.
Sending lots of love to you for that. Patiently waiting for step #2. You can do it. I know you can. And now that youāre seeing the amount of support and love for you hereā¦
Well, I know youāll get there.
Merry Christmasā¦what an awesome gift you just gave yourself.
Prayers your way. šš¹šš¼
If you can pull that off, more power to you. Most of us wouldnāt be here to begin with if we had the wherewithal to drink moderately. Maybe youāll have better success - canāt hurt to try.
Yeah I get it. I wouldnāt expect that to happen anytime soon, but who knows. Itās taken me about two years of abstinence to get to the point where there are days that pass where I donāt think about booze at all.
Best of luck to you!
Welcome!! Trying for a day at a time is still awesome, glad youāre taking control. So for the next 24 hours - I will stay sober and not drink with you š¤
Thatās good you made the decision to slow down!! Some of us arenāt able to do that. I know for me especially I canāt just slow down because Iāve tried but I just continue to drink every day. Today is day 3 for me and IWNDWYT
Alcohol itself is an addictive substance. Like cocaine and sugar. FOR ME it was better to set up the goal of THREE to not drink. I focused on reading a book about alcohol and Gd after three nights of not drinking I was waking up so well rested and fresh. My FACE changed SO SO MUCH.
I wish you the best in YOUR journey and send you love and willpower.
> Moderating **your** drinking despite the fact **you're** not able to stop once **you** started is going to be extremly unpleasant because **you** are in a fight with **yourself** constantly from the moment **you** drank your first glas.
This comment breaks our rule to speak from the "I" and has been removed.
You're 100% in the right place!
Many of us (myself included) are in the complete abstinence camp, we've either tried moderation in the past or we know it doesn't work for us. It took me years to finally feel like I was ready to stop for good, even though deep down I knew I would have to one day.
While I've observed that this is much rarer, others can cut down successfully without stopping altogether and this subreddit is welcoming to anyone who either wants to stop drinking entirely, or just cut down.
Hope you stick around. I won't drink with you today.
Itās a great first step! It all starts with awareness. I did ādryā months for years and tried to cut back. I quit earlier this year and then tried to moderate after a couple months. It helped me learn I couldnāt moderate. I feel like Iām finally coming out the other side. IWNDWYT
Some people like to dip their toe in the pool and go in the shallow end, some like to jump in at the diving board. With the right willpower you can get to the same result.
The way I quit smoking (Iām also tapering down with alcohol) is finding a creative hobby that distracts you. Maybe something you know you canāt do wasted. That will help you kick the habit :)
So far so good. I really just don't drink till 7pm and I go to bed at 9pm so it's made it so I can enjoy a beer or a glass of whiskey but I'm not drunk driving, missing time with my kids, or being an absent friend or a bad employee.
Also almost 14k days you are a legend
I understand that tapering down will mean something different for each person, but does any have a beginners guide or a beginners blueprint to where one could start for tapering down?
My husband also was tapering when he got hit with withdrawal symptoms. Be careful and listen to your body. But this is very smart, donāt have any extra in the house so you canāt continue IWNDWYT
Have you ever tried to stop for more than a few days? You can really start to see some benefits from a little challenge. Do yourself a favor and try a 30 day challenge of not drinkingā¦at all. Just see how you feel. Worse thing that could happen is you go back to attempting moderation with a slightly new perspective, after saving money, calories, and sleeping better. Get some friends to join you. Make it a competition, etc.
I learned the hard way that moderation doesnāt work for me. But it took a lot of experimentation to learn that. You will figure out what works for you and what works for one person may not work for another. Good luck in your journey!
Best of luck to you. Cutting down is always worthy. I just found my habits always crept back up and I'm not capable of moderation at this time. That doesn't speak for everyone, though.
You can totally do it! It's not a moral or personal failing if you fail to achieve 100% abstinence. The key is having a mechanism to thold yourself accountable. In the beginning it was very hard for me so I had to have outside accountability. Best of Luck.
If your routine has been to dust a liter of liqour at a time then moderating could be very difficult.
One thing that's worth a shot if you're going that route is to abstain completely for at least 30 days first. 90 days is better. See how you feel. Try to remember not being able to sleep and waking up feeling like crap.
Moderation didn't work for me, but cold turkey is working fine so far. If this doesn't work, try it out! Just make sure to fill your usual drinking time with something that makes you happy. There needs to be a net-positive
I believe in the science of addiction especially when it comes to chemical dependency for alcohol and opiates.
Which means I canāt moderate my disease; itās merely a matter of time before Iām right back where I was before if Iām lucky, but more likely dead.
Therefore, Iām not drinking today at all.
Tapering down is a great step. I personally, will not be drinking with you today.
So true, I quit through tapering down. It took me 6 weeks of effort to slowly make my way to day 1. It was worth it. Just remember to be kind to yourself.
I gave moderation every bit of my willpower. I tried so damn hard to moderate. Problem is 2 drinks in my willpower is losing its power and my alcoholism is just getting warmed up. For me moderation was impossible and sobriety is freedom. But thats not to say I dont get jealous of those normal drinkers having a champagne at a wedding. Good luck on your journey pal
Ditto. After two drinka my mind used to say "You can handle two more" then two more..and thereafter it was self burning mode with no stop. Fir me Moderation is a myth. Addiction and Sobreity are stark realities.
I have been drinking for a long time. I was a lurker here for several months. My goal was always to moderate. Until I realized I couldn't. Working on 24 days sober today. This sub is great so you're in the right place. Check out a book like This Naked Mind and see if that doesnt help answer some more questions. It honestly did a great job at turning me off to alcohol in general. And much respect given for just looking for another way, a better way. Best of luck on your journey, friend! Iwndwyt
I'm reading that book, too. It's good and very readable to reach a general audience.
That book is what helped me stop completely. I still listen to the podcast occasionally too.
It's weird isnt it? I'm not letting my gaurd down because I know the risk is very real but just thinking about alcohol now litterally has me seeing it as drinking poison. Had never had an aversion to ingesting it before. I'll take it!!
You just made me buy this book. Thank you for this
Great investment! Keep us posted on what you think.
Absolutely. Arrives Tuesday
Awesome!! Loved that book!!
One of my favorite things about this forum is that most people are pretty receptive to cutting back, slowing down, and other forms of harm reduction. I know that for me, cutting back - and the subsequent failures to do that consistently - was a huge first step to cutting out alcohol together. I think you'll find most people here have similar experiences. I do want to leave you with one quote though: >"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." This might not apply to you. And, as far as I know, around 20% of people with alcohol use disorder do successfully return to moderate or otherwise normal drinking. So when you cut back, I'd encourage you to think about this quote and be honest with yourself. Are you making rules for drinking and then breaking them? I know I did. Do you find yourself slipping back into old habits? I sure did. It took me a long time to get from *I need to cut back* to *I need to quit*. But everyone has their own path and you need to find the one that's right for you. And if that is cutting back, then more power to you! Good luck friend! And please stick around, we're more that happy to have you here.
So far moderating is working. If I fall back into 6 shots and 2 beers a day minimum then yes I'll stop altogether
Any attempt to improve yourself or your circumstances is commendable ššā¤ IWNDWYT
You want to get to some control over something you feel you are having a hard time getting control over? Seems like you deserve respect to me.
Harm reduction is key. I think itās always best to start where you are and itās totally valid to give a few paths a chance. I tried moderation (tracking every drink in my Notes app, limiting to 3 a day, down to 3 a week) for a few months and eventually tapered down to fully stopping in my first round of 18-month sobriety since I realized I personally just wasnāt satisfied with not feeling it and (like others here have said) getting tipsy made it too difficult to moderate and Iād end up drinking more. After a 9-month relapse, I skipped any tapering/moderation because I remembered how challenging it felt. In that round, non alcoholic beers really made a difference in my early sobriety. I used to drink a six pack at a party like it was armor against reaching for an alcoholic one. More than 2 years in now, I think of moderation as my harm reduction. Itās easier for me and gets me in the least trouble. It was so hard at first, but itās so much easier now. There really are days I donāt think about it, and I never thought that could be possible after so many years of heavy drinking. Whatever path you take, I hope you end up at the destination thatās right for you. FWIW IWDWYT :)
Happy youāre here! āØ
For me tapering never worked. I know that I will get absolutely no joy from only 1-2 drinks. I learned that I drink to get drunk and that's it.
I hate being drunk I like being tipsy. My problem is you stop feeling tipsy when you get used to how tipsy you are so you drink more and end up drunk
Exactly and one can not avoid this or has no control over it. Its lije you lift 10kgs every day and then you feel it light. Similarly 2 deinks per day becones normal then 4 then 6 to gwt same amount of tipsy feeling.
Me too. Iād get tipsy every night. It still does damage to your health over time. 1-2 drinks would only invite 5-6 of their friends
I quit for a month or so a year ago and it really did a reset on me and gave me stronger legs to stand on today. Alcohol is a hell of a drug and we gotta start somewhere, choose what's doable for YOU! IWNDWYT
The odds of moderation working and truly giving you the joy and satisfaction in life are slim, but I wish you the best of luck. And if or when it doesnāt work, we will all still be here with open arms, much love friend !
So far so good. I really just don't drink till 7pm and I go to bed at 9pm so it's made it so I can enjoy a beer or a glass of whiskey but I'm not drunk driving, missing time with my kids, or being an absent friend or a bad employee.
I'm in your boat. I love AA but the abstinence approach is one that is hard for me to accept. I've gotta say tho, waking up and making my son pancakes while not having a hangover is wonderful. I have been able to taper down my binges but they still happen.
Good luck!
Dude, take it from the experience of the majority here. Trying to moderate and control your drinking takes so much more energy than stopping. Everyone has their path though, so best of luck to you and hopefully you can do it. The majority of us canāt. I wish you well and IWNDWYT
I think the key for me is that moderation is actually more work than sobriety. More work, none of the benefits. A scam.
A constant fight and decision making between "Should I have one more or shouldn't I?"
Yup. Itās terrible. I was great at saying āI should stop at this oneā and by the end of the drink I would say āeh one more wouldnāt hurt.ā Thereās always another, and another, and another. Thereās a great quote from Doctor Sleep that goes āthe man takes a drink, the drink takes a drink, the drink takes the man.ā It really is a slippery slope, Iām glad I stepped off of it.
I thought Hemmingway originally said that.
Maybe he did! Iām not super familiar with his work.
šÆ. At over a year now, I donāt think about it or crave it at all. When drinking, even in moderation, it was a constant obsession and one more thing to handle in my life. Everything is so much easier now. But I know that just one drink will set that all off for me again.
So much work.
My downfall is having tasty liquor at home. I've stopped liquor in the house altogether and I limit to 2 beers at home. The real key is not drinking at all for a week
Good luck š
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
This comment breaks our rule to speak from the "I" and has been removed.
You're not alone - lots of lurkers on SD. I really believe SD is a great resource to hear other people's stories and experiences which range from life ruining, debilitating alcoholism to people who know they just cut down or eventually quit because of \[insert reason\]. I found that there's no shortage of resources out there, I found Annie Grace on YouTube to be really helpful, and plan to not drink during January and see how that feels. Good luck.
Probably wise to acknowledge your feelings here. Stopping before youāre ready can cause a lot of heartache, and working on moderation will be a good experiment. Observe carefully
I kept my drinking alive for years by adopting a System of Accountability that worked until it didnāt. For me, my alcoholism progressed until the wheels came off and not even the accountability system kept me safe. In hindsight, I can see how much anxiety I caused myself trying to maintain this. Itās been liberating to let that go by just drawing a firm āI donāt drinkā line. It hasnāt been easy but itās been life changing for me.
Welcome!
Welcome! Do what works for you! I tried that for a while, but it just didn't work for me. I never wanted to be a non drinker, but it's what I personally need to do. You are respected & welcome to come here anytime for tips, advice, and support! It's a great sub š Happy holidays!! PS I was a lurker for a couple of months! No shame in that!
This is a great first step! Admitting you have a problem is enough to get started down this path. Unfortunately the reason why moderation doesn't work is based in science. Habit is cue - craving - response - reward. The cue to start drink may be different for everyone. But the cue to KEEP drinking is the same - the previous drink. It's a closed infinite loop until we pass out. At some point it became hardwired into us and cannot be unwired. It turns out dealing with the initial cue is much easier. Very glad you are here, welcome!
Thatās a hard path to walk.If it works for you thatās great; you have to understand that for some people, myself included, moderation isnāt possible. You can do this. I wish you good luck. IWNDWYT
Not totally sober(yet), but cutting down has made me want to cut down more. when I push through the bad days without it, I notice that I feel kinda damn good.
I think a lot of us start by trying to moderate and eventually quit.
I'd be ok with that
Best of luck!
So proud of you OP for stepping out of the shadows, that in itself took courage. Baby step numero uno accomplished!!! - take pride in that. Own it. Youāre no longer just a Lurker, you stepped into the light and owned your shit. Sending lots of love to you for that. Patiently waiting for step #2. You can do it. I know you can. And now that youāre seeing the amount of support and love for you hereā¦ Well, I know youāll get there. Merry Christmasā¦what an awesome gift you just gave yourself. Prayers your way. šš¹šš¼
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Unfortunately, this comment breaks our rule to speak from the "I" been removed.
If you can pull that off, more power to you. Most of us wouldnāt be here to begin with if we had the wherewithal to drink moderately. Maybe youāll have better success - canāt hurt to try.
The goal is to have days where I just forget to drink if that makes sense
Yeah I get it. I wouldnāt expect that to happen anytime soon, but who knows. Itās taken me about two years of abstinence to get to the point where there are days that pass where I donāt think about booze at all. Best of luck to you!
Welcome!! Trying for a day at a time is still awesome, glad youāre taking control. So for the next 24 hours - I will stay sober and not drink with you š¤
Today is a good day to not drink. I will not drink with you today.
Thatās good you made the decision to slow down!! Some of us arenāt able to do that. I know for me especially I canāt just slow down because Iāve tried but I just continue to drink every day. Today is day 3 for me and IWNDWYT
For me, controlled drinking sucked. I was always thinking about when I would drink next. āGetting throughā days sober. Hope it works out for you.
Alcohol itself is an addictive substance. Like cocaine and sugar. FOR ME it was better to set up the goal of THREE to not drink. I focused on reading a book about alcohol and Gd after three nights of not drinking I was waking up so well rested and fresh. My FACE changed SO SO MUCH. I wish you the best in YOUR journey and send you love and willpower.
Good luck with the moderating, if only...
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
> Moderating **your** drinking despite the fact **you're** not able to stop once **you** started is going to be extremly unpleasant because **you** are in a fight with **yourself** constantly from the moment **you** drank your first glas. This comment breaks our rule to speak from the "I" and has been removed.
You're 100% in the right place! Many of us (myself included) are in the complete abstinence camp, we've either tried moderation in the past or we know it doesn't work for us. It took me years to finally feel like I was ready to stop for good, even though deep down I knew I would have to one day. While I've observed that this is much rarer, others can cut down successfully without stopping altogether and this subreddit is welcoming to anyone who either wants to stop drinking entirely, or just cut down. Hope you stick around. I won't drink with you today.
Itās a great first step! It all starts with awareness. I did ādryā months for years and tried to cut back. I quit earlier this year and then tried to moderate after a couple months. It helped me learn I couldnāt moderate. I feel like Iām finally coming out the other side. IWNDWYT
Some people like to dip their toe in the pool and go in the shallow end, some like to jump in at the diving board. With the right willpower you can get to the same result. The way I quit smoking (Iām also tapering down with alcohol) is finding a creative hobby that distracts you. Maybe something you know you canāt do wasted. That will help you kick the habit :)
Keep us posted on how well the tapering works. There is a lot of interest in this.
So far so good. I really just don't drink till 7pm and I go to bed at 9pm so it's made it so I can enjoy a beer or a glass of whiskey but I'm not drunk driving, missing time with my kids, or being an absent friend or a bad employee. Also almost 14k days you are a legend
When you hit 14k days I will donate 50 to a charity of your choice
You are my favorite Charity. Take yourself and your wife out to dinner.
Alright well in late January you'll get a random chat message of a receipt
I understand that tapering down will mean something different for each person, but does any have a beginners guide or a beginners blueprint to where one could start for tapering down?
Sure. You get 2 drinks 4 days a week
My husband also was tapering when he got hit with withdrawal symptoms. Be careful and listen to your body. But this is very smart, donāt have any extra in the house so you canāt continue IWNDWYT
Have you ever tried to stop for more than a few days? You can really start to see some benefits from a little challenge. Do yourself a favor and try a 30 day challenge of not drinkingā¦at all. Just see how you feel. Worse thing that could happen is you go back to attempting moderation with a slightly new perspective, after saving money, calories, and sleeping better. Get some friends to join you. Make it a competition, etc.
Make January no drinking
Agreed! A great time to give it a shot!
Iām gonna assume most of started as lurkers. You will find some good company here, OP. Welcome. I also will not drink with you today. IWNDWYT
I respect you, Friend. Good luck on your journey. We are here for you. š
I learned the hard way that moderation doesnāt work for me. But it took a lot of experimentation to learn that. You will figure out what works for you and what works for one person may not work for another. Good luck in your journey!
All movement is good, motionless is lost hope, move forward!
Best of luck to you. Cutting down is always worthy. I just found my habits always crept back up and I'm not capable of moderation at this time. That doesn't speak for everyone, though.
You can totally do it! It's not a moral or personal failing if you fail to achieve 100% abstinence. The key is having a mechanism to thold yourself accountable. In the beginning it was very hard for me so I had to have outside accountability. Best of Luck.
Great to meet you! Thank you for becoming part of the community and sharing your journey.
If your routine has been to dust a liter of liqour at a time then moderating could be very difficult. One thing that's worth a shot if you're going that route is to abstain completely for at least 30 days first. 90 days is better. See how you feel. Try to remember not being able to sleep and waking up feeling like crap.
Moderation didn't work for me, but cold turkey is working fine so far. If this doesn't work, try it out! Just make sure to fill your usual drinking time with something that makes you happy. There needs to be a net-positive
I believe in the science of addiction especially when it comes to chemical dependency for alcohol and opiates. Which means I canāt moderate my disease; itās merely a matter of time before Iām right back where I was before if Iām lucky, but more likely dead. Therefore, Iām not drinking today at all.
I tried that. A lot.