During my early attempts to get sober, I often gave myself the 1 craft beer if I went out to dinner privilege. It started at about a year sober. At the time it seemed like such a little thing when I had been drinking to excess on a daily basis for over
A decade. So I did it. It started off just on Tuesdays for tacos and corona. It was a slippery slope and it eventually led to me going out for dinner every night. 1 and 2 turned into 3 and 4. I was drinking daily again and telling people i had pretty much “quit drinking”. Even though I was consuming 10% of what I had in my past, it was feeling too good. The old me that I had just escaped.
After 1 scary and dangerous over indulgence I knew that I had to stop what I was doing. I did and I never went back. However the interesting tactic I used was this..
I never took away my permission to have 1 or 2. Every day I would remind myself it was ok to have a little and then moments later I would simply decide not to.
I’ve been doing this for 4.5 years now. Every day I crave. Every day I say.. maybe one day I’ll have another but not today.
On the rare occasion my wife and I get a date, we both order a corona or a red wine. Neither of us are able to finish our one beverage.
Is this success? I’ve remained sober, so yes. For me it works…
