Welcome to our monthly moderation site,
This site was designed for people who may consider moderation but also has very good information for those who want to abstain completely from alcohol. Just disregard the parts that discuss moderation and focus on abstinence only if that is your goal.
Moderation for drinking can be successful for people who are not dependent on alcohol but who have found that alcohol is starting to create difficulties in their lives and they want to decrease their drinking and/or taper down to a safe, moderate level.
If you have perused various recovery sites, you will probably find the common statement that 30 days of abstinence is recommended before you attempt to moderate your drinking.
The rationale is explained this way. Every time you drink alcohol your body begins to build tolerance. The frequency with which you drink, the amount you drink, the age at which you began drinking and your family history, all affect how fast your tolerance will grow. When you build up a higher tolerance it becomes difficult for your body to gauge what is normal and you may end up consuming too much. Most people who discover that they are drinking too much and try to moderate their use without lowering their tolerance do not find much success. If you are able to give yourself a break from alcohol for 30 days, you will also probably discover that you sleep better, feel better, and you will become more aware of what other activities (other than drinking) that you enjoy when you are not focused on that drink in your hand. So, if you have found our monthly moderation site with the goal in mind that you would like to be consider being a controlled drinker, we recommend you try to abstain from alcohol for 30 days. This is not a requirement but a suggestion. We are also very supportive on the moderation site so you can be comfortable in the fact that you will not be judged if you have trouble complying with this request, or want to discuss the struggles with abstaining or any slips while trying to abstain for 30 days. We are here for you! :h
Before we begin day 1, let’s look at a few things that may help jumpstart the decision to give 30 days abstinence a try:
• Evaluate the upside and downside of continued use. Make a list of the reasons you might want to continue use and why you want to quit. Weigh both sides.
• Avoid the people, places, and things; that may trigger your use. If you find yourself in a risky environment, be prepared to respond assertively, don’t make excuses, and be willing to leave immediately if necessary.
• Make a commitment to quitting. Make your decision public with people who will support and respect you.
• Decide whether you are ready to sacrifice immediate gratification for more long term benefits.
• Have confidence that you can deal effectively with the situations you face and that you can accomplish the goals you pursue.
*See* you tomorrow - Day 1!
:l
Eve11
Addendum: This thread has run for 30 days but we want to keep responding to it as there's lots of good advice to share with newbies. Please feel free to respond to whatever day you are at in your AF timeframe and let us know how you are feeling. We would love to hear if anything that was written resonated with you and if so, why or how. Remember: We are each an angel with only one wing, and we can only fly by embracing each other.
~Anonymous
This site was designed for people who may consider moderation but also has very good information for those who want to abstain completely from alcohol. Just disregard the parts that discuss moderation and focus on abstinence only if that is your goal.
Moderation for drinking can be successful for people who are not dependent on alcohol but who have found that alcohol is starting to create difficulties in their lives and they want to decrease their drinking and/or taper down to a safe, moderate level.
If you have perused various recovery sites, you will probably find the common statement that 30 days of abstinence is recommended before you attempt to moderate your drinking.
The rationale is explained this way. Every time you drink alcohol your body begins to build tolerance. The frequency with which you drink, the amount you drink, the age at which you began drinking and your family history, all affect how fast your tolerance will grow. When you build up a higher tolerance it becomes difficult for your body to gauge what is normal and you may end up consuming too much. Most people who discover that they are drinking too much and try to moderate their use without lowering their tolerance do not find much success. If you are able to give yourself a break from alcohol for 30 days, you will also probably discover that you sleep better, feel better, and you will become more aware of what other activities (other than drinking) that you enjoy when you are not focused on that drink in your hand. So, if you have found our monthly moderation site with the goal in mind that you would like to be consider being a controlled drinker, we recommend you try to abstain from alcohol for 30 days. This is not a requirement but a suggestion. We are also very supportive on the moderation site so you can be comfortable in the fact that you will not be judged if you have trouble complying with this request, or want to discuss the struggles with abstaining or any slips while trying to abstain for 30 days. We are here for you! :h
Before we begin day 1, let’s look at a few things that may help jumpstart the decision to give 30 days abstinence a try:
• Evaluate the upside and downside of continued use. Make a list of the reasons you might want to continue use and why you want to quit. Weigh both sides.
• Avoid the people, places, and things; that may trigger your use. If you find yourself in a risky environment, be prepared to respond assertively, don’t make excuses, and be willing to leave immediately if necessary.
• Make a commitment to quitting. Make your decision public with people who will support and respect you.
• Decide whether you are ready to sacrifice immediate gratification for more long term benefits.
• Have confidence that you can deal effectively with the situations you face and that you can accomplish the goals you pursue.
*See* you tomorrow - Day 1!
:l
Eve11
Addendum: This thread has run for 30 days but we want to keep responding to it as there's lots of good advice to share with newbies. Please feel free to respond to whatever day you are at in your AF timeframe and let us know how you are feeling. We would love to hear if anything that was written resonated with you and if so, why or how. Remember: We are each an angel with only one wing, and we can only fly by embracing each other.
~Anonymous
Comment