Please excuse any typos for have been drinking

A year ago, I quit smoking. However in the place of a cigarette I have
taken to alcoholic drinks as a substitute.

From not long after quitting cigarettes, I've been aware that i was
using alcohol more as a substitute. It hasn't concerned me too much
because I'm so delighted that I'd quit smoking! However, now that a
year has passed I think it's time to quit the alcohol habit,.

I'm posting here mainly because I'd like some feedback from other
alcoholics, especially if they've had a similar experiences to me.

What I've found interesting, is that lately, I've very rarely been
"drunk". I've been "needing" to drink lts of alcohol, but other than
satisfying my cravings, it's not had the same sort of effect as before
when I drank socially. In a typical evening, I'll drink 8 pints of
cider and I'll feel normal, whereas in the past, that would definitely
have got me drunk...

It seems weird to me that in the days before I was an alcoholic, I'd
frequently get drunk whilst drinking, whereas now, that never seems to
happen.

In a way, at the moment, I'm not too concerned about my alcoholism. I
never really believed that I'd be able to quit nicotine addiction, and
now that I have, I feel a great sense of power about addiction. I felt
helpless when I was a nicotine addict, I didn't believe it was
possible to quit at all, and now that I have, I felt that I can beat
any addiction, even alcoholism.

From the moment that my alcohol consumption started to concern me, I
decided that I'd quit heavy drinking on the 1st anniversary of my
smoking cessation (December). however lately, I've decided to put that
date back to January 1st. I've decided that it'd be too awkward to
quit drinking over the Christmas period, and 1 month can't hurt!

I'd be interested to hear other people's views on this. I'm concerned
that my delaying might be a sign that my inner self might be trying to
delay the quit date. However, I think I'm being fairly logical in my
decision and it doesn't concern me too much. I quit smoking in
probably the most stressful point in my life (i.e when I "needed" a
cigarette most), so I don't doubt that I can quit drinking alcohol in
the "drinking season". However, it does concern me to some extent that
I'm delaying a date that I set myself, I'm concerned that I may be
deluding myself somewhat.

Another thing that I'd like feedback on is whether it's possible to
reduce drinking, rather than quit completely. Early on, I thought I'd
get to a point where I'd force myself to drink less. However the more
I think about it, the more I realise that I'm going to have to quit
completely, at least for a period of many months at first. I know from
my nicotine addiction that trying to "cut down" is a fool's game. This
is my main reason for shifting my quit date to January. Originally I
planed on "cutting down" over Christmas, but now I realise I'm going
to have to quit completely, I figure it'll be easier from January. I
don't doubt that I won't be able to do it in December, but I figure a
month doesn't make a huge difference. Am I deluding myself? I intend
to keep posting here, so if I don't stick by what I say, I can be held
accountable. hopefully that'll be enough to keep me on the straight
and narrow!

Another thing that concerns/interests me is that I've always believed
an alcoholic to be someone that doesn't realise they're an alcoholic.
Right from early after quitting smoking I'd realised what had happened
to me, sure it's gotten worse over time but I never disbelieved that I
was an alcoholic. Is this usual?

I apologise if I seem arrogant. i honestly do believe i can beat this,
quitting nicotine has given me an enormous feeling of power, maybe
above what I'm entitled, after all, all I have done is jump from one
addiction to another. My intention in this post is to be honest, even
if that does reflect my over-inflated ego! I you are offended by this
post then please take solace in the fact that I will continue to post,
so if I fail you will be able to ridicule me for my failure then!

Ayway, I'm really just asking for feedback at the moment. Please don't
be reluctant to criticise me, I'm ready to take note of any words of
advice that people cn offer me, and the more the better!

WeWe