On Tue, 4 Dec 2007 19:17:00 -0800 (PST), wewe@mailinator.com wrote:

>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
>

I dont know how you could substitute drinking for smoking. First they
are two different things, second, I'd start to smoke when I was drunk,
and would not care. But that's me !!!

Only you can determine if you are truely an alcoholic, or just
drinking too much. There are tests you can take on the AA website.
http://www.aa.org I'd read some of the AA literature on there and
take the tests. I think those tests are pretty generic and since we
are all different, they dont answer everything. Yet they will make
you think and maybe realize what you are doing. In my opinion, there
are two key questions, 1. Can you stop drinking without getting
physical symptoms (the shakes, etc). 2. Is drinking affecting your
life in a negative way, such as ruined relationships, loss of jobs,
etc. If you can not stop drinking, and/or it's ruining your life, you
are likely an alcoholic and need to seek help. AA is a good place to
get that help, amongst others. If you CAN quit, and it's not caused
serious problems in your life, you may not be an alcoholic. Either
way, it sounds like you are on the way to becoming one, so knock it
off before it gets worse. You asked if you can reduce drinking. This
again depends on how bad you are. If you are not to the level of
alcoholic, you might be able to drink in moderation, if you are to the
point of alcoholic, I'd quit completely. Of course, one way to quit
is to gradually reduce the amount you drink per day. If you had the
willpower to quit smoking, you should be able to do the same with
drinking. I think smoking is harder to quit, but then that's just my
opinion. I quit drinking, but I still smoke.

Go to the AA website and spend some time there. Everyone needs to
answer to themselves as far as whether they are alcoholic, or just
needing to cut down or quit drinking. Why not see if you can at least
limit yourself to no more than 5 drinks per day. By that, I mean 5
beers, or 5 shots, or 5 mixed drinks (mixed normally). NOT 5 Quarts
or gallons. Going to AA will also help you realize your level of
alcoholism. Give it a try.

Good Luck

Hope this helps.

Anon