The short answer is no!
The longer answer is a bit more complicated.
For some people, consuming alcohol just isn’t a problem or an issue. They easily have a drink every now and again without worrying about it. In fact, I know quite a few people like that who maybe only drink 1 or 2 times every couple of months.
Is that what you should be striving for then?
Look, not every brain is wired the same way. Unfortunately, for so many, the research says most brains aren’t wired like this. After working with so many people in the addiction field, it turns out that many people aren’t built for occasional drinking.
Controlling a drinking habit doesn’t work. You can’t control a drinking habit because your drinking habit is an addiction. Addiction doesn’t allow you to control it – you are controlled by it.
It’s a common misconception that drinking habits and addiction are separate but they aren’t.
Why you shouldn’t try to control a drinking habit
At some point you’re going to get pretty frustrated with trying to control a drinking habit. That’s because the addiction side of your brain, without the right training, is going to take over. Addiction is funny like that.
When you get frustrated with yourself because of your drinking habit you set yourself back. Each one of these setbacks compounds and slowly eats away at you.
Negative emotions are your enemy!
If you keep getting setbacks time and time again it becomes a vicious cycle you can’t get out of. These negative thoughts and emotions spiral you towards never actually overcoming your addiction in the first place.
Addiction works to convince you and your rational mind that having another drink or having just one is fine. This is a losing battle.
You don’t want to be fighting this battle day in and day out. It is an illusion that you have control when you don’t. Illusions can be dangerous because you aren’t actually solving the root cause problem.
What’s the alternative to controlling a drinking habit?
The most obvious alternative is to get sober! It might be hard to do so in today’s current social distancing world but there are at home programs and options available.
Part of the approach to getting sober from home is to plan out and slowly decrease the amount of alcohol you are drinking. A slow and steady decline helps to get your body used to the new world. A word to the warning however – it can be dangerous to just suddenly quit.
Depending on how much your drink, alcohol withdrawal syndrome is serious and can even cause sudden death. You need to be very careful if you decide to get sober and follow a plan like the one I wrote in The Sobriety Success Method.
Will I ever be able to control a drinking habit?
I normally say no to this question. Anyone reading this post is likely struggling with a drinking problem that is much worse than the occasional drinking habit. In these cases, you need to understand that you are likely addicted. And, if you are addicted, you need to take the right steps to get sober.
Click here to order a copy of The Sobriety Success Method for a detailed step by step program for getting sober at home.
