New Approach
I’ve noticed a bit of the old toxic behaviour creeping in so I’m going to try an AA technique. I’m simply going to count the days of moderation.
So today I can say……I am prone to excess & it has been three days since I last binged.
Funnily enough it was Friday the 13th when I last lost it.
Two Cans Short of a Four Pack
I’m firmly in the safe zone right now. My intake is under 21 units a week and I haven’t been anything more than merry for a fortnight. Last night I had two cans & left the other two in the fridge. That is a first! No really it IS a first. If alcohol is there it usually gets drunk.
I’ve been hunting for blogs on moderation but have found none. Is this because it is too tame a subject? After all alcoholism is an extremity. It is something for which journaling is recommended and it is something that provides dramatic moments. Perhaps there is more to write about. Not so for moderation?
AA
I visited a UK AA site three days ago before seeing my Alcohol Councillor. They have a questionnaire. There are 20 questions which have Yes or No as an answer. If you answer yes to any more than one your an alcoholic. I got 15 affirmatives. I was shocked.
Then I looked at the questions again and I realised this describes to some degree most Britons. Most Briton’s have lost some memory, underperformed at work or taken a sicky due to alcohol.
I put this to my alcohol councillor. His opinion is that AA think just about everyone who drinks is an alcoholic. I don’t think I’m in denial when I say that their criteria are way to broad to be meaningful.
Or is it just the normalness of the abnormal drinking?
