Tim Bruening wrote:
>
> jimbo wrote:
>
>> On Feb 2, 7:38 pm, Tim Bruening <tsbru...@pop.dcn.davis.ca.us> wrote:
>>> What medications, if any, do you take to reduce your cravings for
>>> alcohol?
>> I've never taken a medication to reduce craving nor have I ever heard
>> of one that works. Her best best would be to consult a physician.
>> Jimbo
>
> How then do you resist the urge to drink?
>

I couldn't - at least not for very long. That was until I began working
a program in AA.

AA taught me to draw strength from my higher power in order to avoid
that first drink. By staying sober for more than a few days to a few
weeks at a time I continued working the steps and developed a new
perspective on myself - a perspective that meant I could look at myself
in the mirror without loathing. Once I became comfortable with who I
was, avoiding the first drink became a lot less difficult.

I will offer to you a perspective you may not have considered. If your
friend's wife is an alcoholic she is not drinking for the same reasons
as you or most other social drinkers. Most people drink because they
like the way it makes them feel, alcoholics drink because they don't
like the way they feel when they are not drinking.

Slogans won't change that, nor will medications.

If AA isn't her cup of tea, she could try Rational Recovery which
utilizes "Addictive Voice Recognition Technique" in order to stave off
cravings. The only caveat with RR is to try and avoid the anger that
the program is darned near built upon. While reading the small book I
get the impression that RR sobriety is more a case of staying sober 'at'
AA rather than being sober to better one's life.

In the end, however, it boils down to whether or not she 'wants' to quit
drinking. If not, nothing you (or even your friend) can do to get her
to stop.

Good Luck