If that’s your path than that’s your choice, I can only speak for myself.
I think about moderation from time to time, but I know that it’s only a thin veiled excuse for me to get drunk, because I’m an alcoholic and that’s what alcoholics do. For me, moderation is trap thinking.
You may want to read your posts from way back, too. It may help you focus on the initial reason you stopped and how hard those first days were.
It’s up to you if you think it is really worth the risk of going down the addiction and recovery path again. What do you really have to gain? Do the benefits of drinking in moderation outweigh the risks of repeating all the mistakes you made under the influence, and maybe worse this time around?
@EarnIt cut right to it . Sometime last year you were asking why can’t you go out and have fun (meaning drinking)? If it’s safe to assume that between then and now, you found your way back to the bottle, ask yourself: was it fun? Have you been enjoying yourself?
I have definitely been back to the bottle (or cans, as is the case). That’s why I say go back and read what you wrote early on and remember why you quit. That’s not advice I have always taken. I am only Day 41 this round. I am doing a ton of “going back” to keep myself on track.
I am in the “if you have to ask if you can moderate, you probably can’t” club.
It’s much the same for me. If I’m thinking of moderation it means I’m craving and ripe for a relapse. It’s how my last relapse happened. I thought I could control it this time, I’d gone so long without, I had it under control. Well, I didn’t. One drink is all it took to lead to near daily drinking again, and that relapse lasted well over a year.
Good job on almost a year 
Personally, I wouldn’t be able to moderate nor would I want to. It’s easier to just not drink for me. Having to control my drinking would definitely lead to blackouts, but trying to control it would be SO difficult. It would always be on my mind, and nothing else really.
What are the reasons you stopped in the first place?
Me too! And it turns out, “normal fun” actually is waaay better! 
It’s real
Thanks for articulating it like this and sharing 
Same! And then I remind myself, I won’t have a drink, because I don’t drink and then it’s time to carry on with my life, sober and happy.
Ally, when we relapse it never gets better only worse… And for some they never make it back, they just die. Find a new circle of Friends. Maybe try going to an AA meeting.
I tried to moderate for about 9-10months after a period of being alcohol free (think I had about 172days…) and whilst it seemed like I had a handle on it at first and was enjoying going out and having a few drinks with friends again moderately, it wasn’t long before I was blacking out drunk again, mega sick, no memories of the night and absolutely hating myself for it! It was NOT worth it, that’s for sure. I learnt that the hard way. So much suffering. Hope this helps aid your decision. Wish you well x
Like many here, after months of abstinence I decided to have a drink, which was a slip twice I got back on track. Other times relapses. The thing is once you relapse, it gets harder to be on square one. Much harder work to stay sober.
Currently sober but I don’t count the days. It is like counting the days until I die. Drinking is not an option for me. Period. I proved it to myself, I lied to myself. It was easy.
I don’t want to start over again. I am so scared to be on day one.
Congratulations on your wonderful year. The decision is yours, however I haven’t heard that trying to moderate worked for anyone so far.
You are young and that worries me. At the same time I have so much respect for you to be able to quit for a considerable amount of time. Keep fighting.
All the best!
Maybe try a meeting meet people there who had the same idea you had, and there will be a few absent as they are in the grave yard they thought maybe i can drink again wish you well
I’ve had periods of sort of moderate drinking, probably still borderline too much but stopping at 2 or 3, and periods of heavy drinking. If I go back to drinking and tell myself I’ll never have more than 2 drinks, it would probably be fine for a while. Then I’d almost certainly hit some life issue and slup back. And even if I never drink more than 2 — it’s still a drug I’m using to numb my feelings, a bad example for my kids, bad for my brain cells, bad for my long term mental and physical health, and against my deepest values. Also it’s easier not to drink today if I didn’t do it yesterday either, and I’m a non drinker. So I personally am choosing abstinence. Maybe think about other ways to make your social connections feel good. Maybe make some sober friends too.
Its not that i dont agree with everybody on here - i am, and im not going to encourage anyone to start drinking or anything. But ! I think that people dont have to be alcoholics for needing some time away from drinking. I think its only wise to take some time away from it now and then. Especially in this World where its so easy for people to just drink - cause its normal. But for people who is addicted its another story, they will always have a tendency to go back binge drinking. But the thing that im often wondering about is why we drank in the first place: i guess people drank to parties, with friends and for enjoying time with someone, it didnt start as an addiction, it became one and that must be because of something else: sickness, trauma, loneliness or what ever the reason could be. And i think if that could be cured maybe we will not missuse again. But im not sure. Just a thought and i have no prove of it, it is just something i have been thinking about now and then. Hope to not offend anyone by these thoughts
This! Although I think about getting totally shit faced from time to time as well. As others have said this is usually a sign that there is something else going on that I need to work through.
For me, I know I am an all or nothing type of person. The best and easiest way to manage that right now is to not drink.
Moderation sounds harder than abstinence to me, or at least more complicated. Some people do manage it though. Club Soda might be worth a look for more info/support around moderation (they call it mindful drinking) although I think they are fairly London centric.
I’m not a moderate person… I’m extreme therefore I either do extremely good or extremely bad in pretty much everything that I go at or ever have… I’m trying to learn how to moderate the middle… I was near death and hearing voices still thinking that I could moderate my use of alcohol but I didn’t know for sure what was causing it… When I knew I couldn’t other’s even thought that I could and I was just crazy due to prior prescribed psychoactive medication side effects that I already had issues with previously and of course we didn’t drink that often at that time… Well I couldn’t tolerate alcohol neither (without those meds of course)… 
got real bad… Just gotta close the book and make a choice… Least that’s what I’m shooting for… 
I’ve been on the wrong end of the stick for a long while now (I put me there)… Alcohol is a depressant and I get sad enough on my own… No additives needed on that… 
I’m gonna refrain… I don’t want to die or worse, try to live like that… 
CONGRATULATIONS to you on your year sober!!! 
I hope you choose what’s best for you…
I think about this everyday. Am I an alcoholic or just an alcohol abuser? Should I quit 100% completely or just have a few drinks once a month? I had a bad experience on Saturday and I’m still recovering from it so I’m learning towards the former. It takes incredible strength to go against the social norms and face possible exclusion.
This!!!
Why would we want to go back after discovering life after the chaos of active addiction!!
Nice one Jane.
And that is indeed up to you and others regarding their choices. But it doesnt mean that wondering about how and why isnt okay. And yes it might do just that to you, and therefore it is the best not to. But for others things might be different. I didnt write this to make anyone mad or offend anyone- it was just thoughts