Why can’t I stop drinking after a couple drinks? Social drinking

November 16 marked 4 months alcohol free for me! I am so thankful for the clarity sobriety brings and the cognitive therapy that helps me maintain it. I appreciate Laurie’s suggestions too. I think they are right on the mark. Especially bringing your own drink and setting reasonable expectations. For me that means setting no expectations and focusing on just being present and being my alcohol free self not worrying about pleasing or impressing anyone. I impress them enough by saying how long I’ve been alcohol free! Lol… Drink wise, if anyone likes the taste of beer, there’s plenty NA beers out there. Bud Zero says 0% alcohol, while others like WellBeing say less than .5%. I personally like tonic water with lime and some ginger ale, or tonic with lime and ginger ale and cranberry juice. Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and sending good vibes out to all those who are struggling. Stay strong, you are not alone, and always remember people you don’t even know are rooting for you and support you on your sober journey! We’re a special extended kind of family💛

Thank you for mentioning Sensory Integration training. I have not been aware of such a program. Self medicating is common with cannabis which can cause a psychotic state.
All of the members in my large family will benefit. We will be able to be more supportive to our family member as a supportive group.
Thank you

An additional question regarding
Sensory Integration. Was this program offered by a therapist?

So good to hear from you, @jennymja! Four months of sobriety is a cause for celebration! I see that Cognitive Behavior Therapy helped you. Could you share a bit about how that was good for you?

Not to downgrade the problem, but it is similar to the "eating just one potato chip" choices. Your success is just as great to avoid one drink as it is 1000. Keep going!

I was perusing the discussions and fell upon this one. WOW! This is "so me". I visit the site to talk about Stage 4 Breast Cancer with other patients like me. I am also an Alcoholic. It took me decades, yes decades, to admit it. My parents, 2 brothers (who won't admit it) and 2 sons all fall in this category. We aren't (usually) falling down drunks. We all work(ed) FT jobs, held down households, did what we are supposed to, (functioning alcoholics) but when we drank......hold on tight. Over the years I went months, even a few years (during pregnancy) and didn't drink. But on those occasions I started, it just kept going, to keep that good feeling, and then to recover from the bad feelings. A vicious cycle. I quit drinking right before I was diagnosed with Cancer (Apr. 2019) because I "felt" something was wrong. A week later I got my diagnosis. I didn't have time to think about drinking then and no urges even entered my mind. Now, last July 4th and again in Sept. something triggered in my mind and I let myself have a few......well there is no "few". I went to E.R. in Sept. because aside from drinking, something was wrong. Ends up all the alcohol consumption had drained the natural sodium from my body to dangerous levels which can cause seizures. Now, I live with the embarrassment as all my doctors got the notes and have labelled me a problem drinker even though I had quit for so long and only drank on 2 occasions and am back to my sobriety (for good hopefully this time as I help my now recovering son and son still in denial). I honestly think doctors treat you differently if they think/know you have a drinking problem. Just my opinion. Thanks for letting me air my thoughts. Have a great sober day everyone.
Peggie

Some of us CANNOT ENJOY JUST TO DRINK SOCIALLY. SOME OF US NEED TO LEARN THIS THE HARD WAY.

My dad went through this. He was sure he was a social drinker. However, alcoholic tendencies mean that it takes more drink for you to get a buzz and you may not feel it. Drinking like that makes your biology needy, so there you are. Also, many alcoholics have ADHD, so if that is you, best to avoid alcohol entirely. It is too bad, but if you do not have an ally, I would not drink at all as addiction is risky for you.

Peggie, We "know" each other from the Breast Cancer group. I'm inspired to know this side of you, too. Is it possible for you to talk with your doctor to edit the notes in your file? While it might be important for your history to be included, it doesn't have to be phrased in a way that is derogatory or stigmatizing you.

You're right to be proud of your long period of sobriety. And two lapses do not define you. Good to recognize that "just a few" doesn't translate well for you.
Do you have a safety plan (not sure what to call it) or some plan to help you avoid your triggers? Or deal with them if you are tempted to drink? If you do, you could share that with your doctor to include in your medical notes.