I read Jocko Willink’s Psychological Warfare, and Miyomoto Mushashi’s Book Of Five Rings.
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Correction: I listen to Jocko Willink’s Psychological Warfare. I read Jocko’s Discipline Equals Freedom Field Manual. @Mephistopheles
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And you kinda look like Jocko 
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You think?
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Yes, very much so! Could be Yoda-Jocko
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I’d be a mini-me Jocko then. He’s a big guy. Over 6 feet and mid-200’s. I’m 5’7 195.
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You know how they say owners start looking like their dogs after time? Well maybe in sobriety, Newly recovered start looking like their mentors Kinda cool to look like someone you look up to 
Except in my case… cause that means I’ll start to look like Bill W. soon 
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Hi Ray, wow 32 years sober. I am 36 days. Do you still have urges for alcohol ?
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No the urges or compulsion to drink has been removed for along time now by bringing in the program into my life and doing what was suggested going to meetings getting involved and helping others who still suffer, new mindset was needed and a desire to live without booze .leaving for a few days this weekend with my sons fishing trip up in the highlands of Scotland Braveheart country, my eldest is 23 on my AA birthday tomoro aswell wish you well MIke
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I feel that at the end of the day we know ourselves more than anyone else ever can. And that means we know how much control a substance can gain. We know our breaking points. We know if we can “just have one drink”.
I won’t go to AA, because it personally has never helped. Some people swear by it. I haven’t gone to rehab, so recently I’ve been doing it on my own. (How it usually feels at least.) If that means “Random Sobriety” or whatever, then fine. I don’t need someone to label my journey anyway.
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I don’t find the label alcoholic useful (others may). I had a problem with alcohol when I was drinking it, and the problem was that alcohol is an addictive poison.
Now I don’t drink alcohol, so I don’t have a problem.
I have never been to AA or followed any kind of programme. I am one of those mysterious spontaneous recoverers, because since I stopped six months ago, I’ve been completely at peace.
I don’t feel that I can’t drink. I just have no desire to do so ever again because I know what it holds for me.
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Hi I’m Derek and I’m an alcoholic. Drugs and alcohol are but a symptom of my disease. My alcoholism stems from my selfish and self-centered behavior. Through the rooms of AA and my higher power I have learned how to keep the drink down. More importantly I have learned how to live happy joyous and free.
I have an amazing life today. I have inner peace and serenity that I never would have found without the help of my Higher Power and the 12 steps.
Alcoholism is generally self-diagnosed. However plenty of doctors have diagnosed me with with substance use disorder. With that knowledge I was ready to surrender and get sober. 620 days today.
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You’re wrong.
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.
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Now I want the zero shits. are they anything like zero candy bars? Like is it something I’m going to enjoy eating? Or is it more like I’m going to enjoy nothing coming out of my butthole? either is cool with me, I would just like to know before I give you my address. 
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To me you are a recovering alcoholic. And usually alcoholics can’t start drinking again because we have no limit. We can’t just have one.
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I got into AA because of an alcoholic who blamed his drink on me. I didn’t think I was an alcoholic. I knew I was drinking more than I should and I was using it to avoid managing my life. Because of that admission, I have 84 days sober despite his continuing to drink. I’ve put the drink down for months of my own will power alone before. But this time I want to feel this good for longer so I will use AA and others for that. I may not be sober forever but I am for this 24 hours. I’m happy for that regardless of what the labels are. Thank you for bringing up this subject. It pops in and out of my mind often so it’s good for me to keep discussing it with people who know what it is like.
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I can agree with self medicating. That’s what I was doing to not deal with reality of things in my life. I also stopped on my own straight will power. It was becoming exhausting and lonely to me. I started isolating myself and hiding my addiction which was a struggle. All we can do is take one day at a time
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I wouldn’t worry about the labels. You have to decide whether or not your an alcoholic. The degrees of pain (drinking) doesn’t matter. You know how much pain you were in before you stopped. You know how good you feel now. That’s what matters, not the degrees or level of drunkenness we obtain before we stopped or how we came to the point of stopping. I needed to go to rehab and already believed in God as my higher power so AA and the steps resonated to me. If that’s not how you got sober it’s fine.
I will tell you that 3 years sober and now I question myself as to whether or not I can handle drinking again. I know better. I do believe that’s just my messed up brain trying to get a drink. I do feel if I drink again it will kill me. So, I just don’t drink today.
I believe not being able to stop drinking (will power), trying to hide my heavy drinking, being ashamed of how much I drank, and always thinking about that first drink made (labeled) me an alcoholic. Now I feel wonderful without a drink. Stay strong.
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For me I couldn’t quit through will power. I could make the same argument that I’m targeted because I say that this doesn’t work for me and I’m therefore told I’m treating someone else bad or that their alcoholism is better than mine because they can and I can’t.
Whatever works for you to get alcohol out of your life after suffering adverse effects is all that really matters. What label you choose to argue only allows negativity in that you don’t need.
A. Alcohol is a problem
B. Find a solution that works for you
C. Who cares about the rest
Save your energy for those rough days. Trust me you’ll have em
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You have a problem when you often wake up. Feeling like death, looking forward to when you can crack the first beer, worrying that people can smell alcohol on you at work, chew gum, take time to register what happened the night before, have regrets about what happened, generally screw up things when drunk.
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