Posted by DannaB on January 16, 2007, at 0:47:54
Hello all,
I think I am a bit of a binge drinker. While I am perhaps not an alcoholic in the typical sense (for example, I am able to keep liquor at home for months without being tempted to touch it), when I do drink I sometimes lose control and have a hard time saying "when."
This was never too much of a problem, but lately I have noticed these incidents becoming more frequent and more worrisome. There have been times I've gotten sick or had to apologize to friends or otherwise been embarassed after drinking.
While I don't think I have a physical addiction on alcohol, I have a psychological dependence in a sense because drinking is associated with parties and socializing with friends (all of whom drink) and it's quite difficult to be the only one abstaining. I am usually able to drink moderately (1-2 drinks only) if I plan ahead, but there is always the fear of losing control once my judgment is compromised.
So what I'm asking is how to approach this. How do I know if I can make moderation work or if I should really abstain? In either case, how do I handle situations where friends are drinking? What are steps I can take to ensure that I don't lose my judgment and drink more than I intend to?
My doctor knows my concerns about my drinking but this hasn't been the focus of our work together. I am "alone" on this and I really need some support but don't know where to go for guidance...are there groups you'd recommend? I'm not sure whether AA would be the best fit.
poster:DannaB
thread:722771
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/subs/20070101/msgs/722771.html