Unfortunately if you are an alcoholic, the chances of social drinking is out of question. There is a phenomenon called craving, which forces an alcoholic to look for another drink, once he/she puts the first drink in the body. And more. Hence an alcoholic ends up drunk. Some people do not have this physical craving. They can always walk away by taking a drink or two.
The story of Bill W co-founder of AA is a great example of why knowledge and fear will not keep an alcoholic away from his first drink. Around 1930s' Bill W was admitted to the Towncenter Hospital for Alcohol and Drug treatment. There a doctor called Silkworth told him about the obsession of the mind that forces the alcoholic to pick a drink after a prolonged period of absence and then the talked about the physical allergy that lead the alcoholic to get drunk after he takes the first drink. And then when not drink they are restless irritable and discontent....And he went on to say only a psychic change can fix the problem.
So Bill W goes out with the knowledge, but gets drunk and then fear keeps him sober for some time but then he gets drunk and comes back the 3rd time. Thats when his friend Ebby comes to him with a spiritual solution. Bill W then sobered up never to drink again until he deid (1971).
Here is a line from the book called Alcoholics Anonymous:
If, when you honestly want to, you find you cannot quit entirely, or if
when drinking, you have little control over the amount you take, you
are probably alcoholic. If that be the case, you may be suffering from
an illness which only a spiritual experience will conquer.
Thats a good question. The question is are you able to do that consistently? And not pick up a drink after a prolonged absence? And once you take that first drink, are you going out of control? The term craving used by Alcoholics is, after math of we take the first drink? Can we go without the 2nd drink consistently?
And after a prolonged absence, the thought we can handle liquor normally is what AA calls it obsession of the mind. Where it tricks the person into believing he is a normal drinker.
After entering the fellowship of AA and reading the big book after 4 months of misery and finally after the fog cleared up, I came to realize that an alcoholic undergoes a phenomenon called craving which happens after he puts the first drink inside the body. Once that craving kicks in we end up drunk. He WILL not be able to stop with just 1 or 2 drinks. And then there is something called obsession of the mind which forces us to pick that first drink after prolonged absence. During that period (without booze) we are restless, irritable and discontent (which some call the spiritual malady or the untreated alcoholism).
I would sneak out on Saturday around 10 am for a tall bottle of ice house...but then i will be making several trips back to the gas station after that (i took a oath not to store booze at home). Sometimes I would just buy a 12 pack (1 each for Saturday and Sunday) but late Saturday I would have ran out of all the beers and will rush to get some for the evening and for Sunday (here there is no booze sale on Sunday). Heck of planning will go around my drinking.
Its been almost 4 years since i last took a drink. Its all due the working the program of AA, i have not had a desire to take a drink last years.
Dear Robbo, would like to know what you mean by been there done that? Todays AA you got to be careful which meetings you go to. There are meetings that have turned into group therapy kind of gigs. The actual program of recovery is spiritual. Getting straight with yourself, with fellow men and with your higher power and of being maximum usefullness to others. Its not about just going to meetings.. Going to meeting works until you get drunk.
Beer is also an alcoholic beverage. I am confused when you say its sobriety check when you are already decided to go with few bottles of beer. Whenever I went in with that notion, invariably, something will happen in the party that will trick me into relaxing all the rules for that day and work on the sobriety on a later date.
Thanks for the title. I don't usually butt-in to somebodies plan. But your use of the word sobriety gave me a big laugh. Sobriety for me is not putting any mind altering substance in the body.
Good luck with your experiment. A problem drinker always thinks one day he can control his drinking and enjoy too. But this is a progressive disease. You seem to be in control but then you will get in a vicious cycle and people get caught off-guard.
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