changing mindsets

[cookinghappy]

I posted earlier in the week. Happily, I've been back on my third week of not drinking Mon-Thurs, which I intend to increase this weekend to Sunday-Thursday. I think 5/7 AF would be better than 4/7. Nevertheless this is progress since as I said before, I've been on a little over a bottle of wine a night for - not sure - perhaps 3 years now. I am immensly reassured too how easy it's been physically. The thing that's worrying me though is mentally how much I'm looking forward to the Friday night when I can let rip. I don't look forward to it in the day time, but each AF evening at about 7pm I think 'In two days time/tomorrow I can have a drink'. The mindset seems wrong to me. It's almost as if even if I didn't feel like a drink tonight, I'll do it because today's my day. Does anyone have any suggestions. The thought of saying I won't drink at all seems so bleak.

[Flip]

changing mindsets

I think that it might be useful for you to think about WHY you look forward to it so much - what is the underlying reason for you wanting that drink so much?

A lot of this 'recovery' stuff is about examining what we really think about ourselves and others. Now is the time to start questioning the why and what, and WHO is behind it all.

Personally it's the difficulty of controlling that stops me from trying to moderate. It really is so much easier to not drink at all. By giving yourself permission a couple of times a week it almost seems like you can give yourself permission at any time. Why be that hard on yourself? :-)

[Beaches]

changing mindsets

Cooking I know what you are talking about. The mindset does need to change because it's like it's set up as a reward and it is so not a reward. A reward would be something that is good for us, something that made us feel good, made us excel, better ourselves etc and alcohol does the exact opposite. If you are doing so well with not drinking the other days then work on the days you do. For example, start drinking later then eventually cut it out all together.
Flip makes a good point, moderation does sometimes seem like too much work doesn't it?