how do you initially motivate yourself to turn away from drink? Its not that I’m a habitual drinker, probably every couple weeks I grab a beer, I dont like drinking at home, but once I start I cant stop myself. usually leads into drugs and thats just expensive. How do I tackle this first hurdle because willpower alone keeps saying “eh, just one drink wont hurt you can go home afterwards”
Advice needed 
Honestly, I find that just abstaining from booze altogether is the only way I can 100% trust myself. Forever is a really long time but until I can change my mindset and relationship with alcohol and know for sure that I won’t crave drugs or drink too much then I won’t be touching alcohol and in reality that will probably never happen. I, personally, wouldn’t see the point in having one drink, I drink to get drunk. If you aren’t like that then maybe you aren’t an addict?
I have been in the same boat lately. I am new in recovery again and that’s been the hardest part for me, finding ways to motivate myself to stay away from the drugs. As of now all I have been doing to stay on track is “playing the tape” in my head of where using brings me and all the people I end up causing harm to, ultimately myself. I’ve come to realize all I do when I’m using is let myself down time after time.
In early recovery, some mental exercises really helped.
One is “playing the tape through.” Thinking all the way through what “one drink” will lead to or has led to in the past. Another drink? A hang over? Doing or saying things we regret? Feeling lethargic instead of healthy? A full on relapse with all that and worse?
And what if you don’t? Clear headed, bushy tailed, focusing on progress instead of collapse. Getting better instead of worse, little by little, one day at a time.
Writing this out, even as a pros and cons list. I’ve found there’s nothing left on my pros list. Anything I originally thought was a positive was actually a lie to myself.
Reflecting on this both before and when I see a drink has helped a lot. Ain’t nothing good going on in that glass for me.
Maybe a meeting might help wish you well
Why do you want to stop? That’s where I started and that’s what I focus on. I hated the way I got when I was drunk, how it made me feel after and how I relied on it to deal with my emotions.
If your main thing is money, well what do you want to spend that money on instead? I have found that focusing on the positives I can get from not drinking, as well as playing my tape forward (i.e. not romanticising alcohol) has been really important. If you can save some cash and get something you really want, or hit a savings goal, that might help with some motivation?
That realisation that all the positives are lies is so liberating 
Make it a challenge for yourself. It took me three times. When I found this app I was like here we day one was not so bad, then work one got a little tricky, then month one I was irritable literally. As I was my days get further and further away from day. I told myself Chris lets what you got. No lie in third month while flying back forth from Chicago, I was about to lose it. I guy sat next to me wreaked of alcohol and bad body order. This is on six plane ride back to Portland, OR. If I can sit through that and not collapse under pressure, then you can fo it. That’s one thing the Army has taught me everything is mental.
I was not a habitual drinker either… only on weekends and usually just one day, but I could not have “one drink”. I still have an alcoholic brain, and so do you if you can’t stop after one, and it leads to poor decisions (ie: drugs). Just be done with it altogether, that’s what I did 
Work a program if you need to!! Many people here have had success with AA, or SMART recovery- it can be hard to do it on your own. I don’t work a program yet, but that’s not saying I never will.
Thanks for all the kind replies. It does take a low point to reach out but the couple days since drinking I’ve resolved (for the nth time) to just quit all out. that’ll probably be tough considering I work in a bar as well. I know at this point there aren’t may pros, besides relating to meeting up with friends but then there’s the problem of being around increasingly inebriated people. there are meetings almost daily near me I may attend if I feel flaky.