No. It’s not. Once you cross the line - the craving cannot be satisfied by just one, or an occasional one. Many people have tried to prove they can moderate. Me included. What I have found is the ones who go through the discomfort of accepting moderation is not possible for them … are the ones who ultimately have the freedom they once thought an occasional drink would offer.
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Thank you!! 
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Thank you! it’s so great to be here.
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All of this! Yes!
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Nah, not this guy. Unless, I develop Alzheimer’s and have no memory of what it was like before but then knowing me I’d just turn into a rapid demented drunk.
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I negotiated with myself on this for so long…years!
I hope this doesn’t offend anyone, but I feel like I went through all stages of grief over the loss of the possibility of drinking in my life:
- denial
- anger
- bargaining
- depression
- acceptance
Little did I know that accepting that drinking in
moderation was not an option and alcohol did not belong in my life anymore freed me in a way I had not expected.
I don’t waste my time thinking about what if…? Because I know that if I drink one, I don’t really enjoy it. One means 3 for me, and 3 means 10. I can control it until I can’t. It’s exhausting and nerve wrecking.
I empathise with the original question. I valued my wine very much and thought a gourmet meal without it was rubbish. I’m surprised in how my palate changed, now that I’m close to 7 months without alcohol. Everything tastes better. Every experience is calmer, clearer, more enjoyable. Dinner conversations are better. Laughter is genuine. I still love all sorts of culinary experience, but wine simply belongs in someone else’s glass. I can even smell the bouquet from my husband’s glass, out of curiosity. Doesn’t trigger me in the least. I hope I can continue to be this way.
Long story short: moderation is not worth it for me. It may work for someone, but I really don’t think I ever heard of someone who pulled it off for an extended period and was happy about it. The risk of falling off the wagon again - and faster - scares me to no end. It’s not worth it for me to take the chance.
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For me, it is not possible to drink moderately. Sorry for being so honest but that is my case. I have renounced to several things in my life, one of them share drinking wine with friends, because I must not have the bottle in my life.
I must not, I can not, I do not want.
It is in my case the only way to be normal and happy.
Regards.
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Alcohol caused me so many problems i dont even want it in moderation, i am absolutely done with it, we are not friends lol thats my take
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I had 8 years sober and thought i could drink moderately… well i ended up within weeks just like i was before the 8 years.
I think if someone can drink moderately then they will do just that if you have to ask yourself if you can or your here i think that answers the qn.
People who dont have drinking problems dont have problems over or for drink 
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To answer your question, No.
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Really like how you described losing the bondage of self, my friend. Acceptance IS the answer. Thanks for your share.
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Simple answer is NO. We alcoholics have a mental and physical disease…one drink triggers Craving another, The body craves another drink and our mind convinces us it is ok. Reference Ruth Potee’s Physiology of addiction on YouTube….
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Answering the question point blank sure there are people who were drinking too much at one time, became self aware of it, tried moderation and lived happily ever after.
Those people really do not fit the definition of an alcoholic though in my opinion. Once you reach that point moderation is not a solution and only a doorway to deeper addiction. I could never really handle any amount of liqour to begin with and often didn’t stop drinking till I was pretty wasted so moderation wouldn’t work for me.
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For me it was not sustainable. I relapsed in January and started to moderatly drink and like a boulder rolling down a hill gaining spead, (everything happened so fast) and i was right back where i started deep in my alcoholism again drinking several times a week and blacking out. I couldnt moderatly drink and if youre an alcoholic i dont think you can either.
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Nope. My life is happier and more sane without alcohol and now that I know that why would I add it back in? Anytime I think I can drink moderately I play the tape all the way through. Anytime I think that I want a drink I do my mental list in my head of what sobriety has brought to my life vs what drinking brings to my life. Sobriety wins every time. As long as I keep choosing sobriety I don’t have to stress about drinking moderately.
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Only you can answer that. A question I have for you, why do you want to go back to something that is hurting you, by your description? For me, once I was honest with myself, I knew the answer was that alcohol could no longer be a part of my life.
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Very well said. I have no desire to waste all the headspace it took to moderate. No desire for alcohol in my life. It’s literal poison.
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