Thanks for the encouragement. I am going to be fine with an AF day today. As I am typing there is a big bottle of wine right in front of me - remnants from last nights foolishness - and I am not interested. I just got do a better job of stopping before I outdrink the NAL. Last night should have ended early as I was next door having dinner and wine and when it was over I came home grabbed the keys and went straight to a bar where I proceeded to drink until ..... well until I woke up in my bed. Not sure how I got home. 2xs in one week. I hate it!

But I am going to dust myself off and do this AF day and hope to control my drinking better. Thanks for the kind words and the offer.

Reboot,

We have all been there, and it happens. And I am glad you are having no issues with that AF day!

I think trying to find that last drink that makes you go off into the deep end will help. It took me a while to find it, but with trial and error I did.

I am worried about you drinking and driving, and is there anyone that you can trust help you out, or do you know the bartender well enough to ask once you hit a certain amount to call you a cab? You need to think of a plan until you do have better control over your drinking.

I am sure you don't need me mothering you, but old habits die hard! I am sorry if I am stepping over my boundaries.

Jaba

Reboot, I think that a lot of my drinking on nal is habit. It sounds like you fell into an old habit. I went out with a group on Saturday and I drank like I always did with that group. I had six drinks, although, in the past, I might have continued drinking when I got home. I woke up feeling like crap on Sunday, not just physically but so disappointed in myself. I am not going to let this get me down, though, and you shouldn't either. It is a bump on the road.

Maybe you should try one drink in a bar and a full glass of water before you have a second drink. I see lots of people doing that and it does seem to slow them down. I am going to try to make that a habit. I do find that if I drink a full can of sparkling water when I hit the one hour mark after taking my nal instead of having a glass of wine, it does slow me down a lot. Plus, all the time spent in the bathroom is a bonus. You can't take your drink with you.

yes. lots of water is a good thing. really helps me out. but please stay the phuck away from the car. lots of other alternatives to a ride out there....

Yes, please reboot. You certainly don't need a DUI, and if anything were to happen it could change your life AND THE LIVES OF OTHERS irrevocably. You don't want that. xoxo newlife

I want you to be selfish and not drive drunk for your own safety. And because others deserve to be safe too. Not to pile on, but all of the issues that Mr. ND has are courtesy of a drunk driver slamming into him when he was five, as he knelt down on the sidewalk to pick up a little plastic egg. They hit him twice and crushed him against a light pole, then they fled back to Mexico, and no justice was ever had. I honestly don't know how his broken little body and brain ever recovered to the extend that they did.

I know we're not rational when we're drunk, and impulse control goes right out the window, but I'll ask you anyway to think of a cute little kid playing who could become permanently disabled or worse, and call a cab next time.

Thank you all for your concern and I hope that I will never drive drunk again as it is a recurring nightmare of mine every time that I wake up not knowing how I got home - that there will be an officer waiting for me at the door because I hurt someone. So your points are well taken and no excuses - I am out of excuses - it is the reason I am here to get control of AL and the dumb things I do when I am under its influences. From an out standing citizen to an absolute idiot in just several drinks.

Jaba - i am going to try to find that magic number and I have been drinking a lot more water at the bar. Thankfully what was once an every night occurrence is now a rarity. But even a rare drunk drive is not acceptable.

On a good note today is going to be another AF day. Plenty of opportunity and a few strong urges but I decided early in the day i would do an AF day this week when it was not after a hangover.

Hurrah! One little victory! And something to be proud of and build on.

Thanks, Reboot, for letting us know that you will be working on not driving on alcohol, for I think the nal causes more of an intoxication.

I am glad that you are willing to push through an AF day, for I knew in the beginning doing AF days where not as easy as they are now; however, if you find that after your AF days you drink more than you want to, maybe you are not ready for them. (Never take anything I say, but a suggestion). But, Nodoormat, is correct and you should be proud that you are having those AF days!

I am wishing you happy AF day,

Jaba

Ugh! Just lost another long post! So here is the shortened version of week 17. Good news bad news type of week. Down to less than 40 units for the first time which is 2.5 times less than what I did before TSM. Had 4 AF days! Which is 4 days better than pre TSM. But had two days where I drank way past the NAL (as described on previous posts). Here are daily numbers 0, 18, 2, 16, 0, 0 and 0 for a total of 36. Day to day urges under control due to NAL. Hard core drinking still occurring all though less frequently. Goal is to change my habit of hanging out with my old drinking buddies and find alternative fun and to try to establish and upper limit (as compared to just drinking like normal).