Should I Stop Drinking Altogether or Should I Try to Control it?

The question for some people who are struggling with their drinking might be: should you try to stop drinking altogether or is there a chance that you can control it?

First of all, if you figure out a way to moderate successfully then this is awesome. Chances are you are not a true alcoholic if you can figure out how to successfully moderate your drinking. For the rest of us, our drinking problem is defined by the fact that we cannot control our intake - that is the whole crux of the problem right there. So at this point, most of us will be forced to give abstinence a try.

Now this when it gets a little tricky as most alcoholics can actually limit their drinking for a certain period of time and seem to be in control. Some drunks can actually control their alcohol consumption for many weeks or even for over a year in some cases. However, take these next two points into account: One, they will not be able to have a good time if they are actively trying to limit how much they consume, and will only be able to limit it through a large effort on their part. And for two, no person suffering from alcoholism will stay under control forever; at some point they will lose control and drink more then they planned on.When you get right down to it, the best course for the struggling alcoholic is to stop drinking.

So essentially, you can try to control your drinking and if you can pull it off and maintain this over a long time frame then more power to you. But be honest with yourself and if you slip up or end up drinking way more than you wanted to then own up to it and realize that you have lost control. Saying that you can control it “when you really want to” is probably denial at that point, and you need to realize that most “normal people” (meaning non-alcoholics) are pretty much always controlling their drinking by default. In other words, normal drinkers don’t have to struggle to control their intake. If you do, then this might be a serious red flag for you.