You Can’t Trust Alcohol

“The point of drinking in moderation is that sometimes you don’t drink in moderation.” Artie Lange

All I wanted was a sip. But shortly it began to feel like I was sitting with a close friend who would listen to my ramblings without passing judgment. I took another and then the flame of stress, and anxiety began to dissipate.

I then say to myself, if a sip can work such wonder, imagine what it’d be like to have some more. I poured more into the shiny glass and lifted it enthusiastically for another gulp. There and then everything began to change. A temporary cover in the form of a false reality sets in.

I know what it feels like to be a moderate drinker. It’s a term so fitting to how I related to alcohol. Regarding myself as a moderate drinker allowed me to see myself as a reasonable adult that plays it safe. It suckered me into believing that I was in control. And not see and accept a glaring reality.

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With Alcohol, There’s No Clear Boundary.

I have been sober for three years, but before then I was a moderate drinker. I’d remind myself to always keep it moderately. Never cross the line while drinking with friends. But the euphoria of the moment would at times cloud my senses and I’d end up returning home inebriated. Most of the next day would be spent with a foggy mind.

I stopped fooling myself with moderation after realizing that there’s no clear boundary when it comes to alcohol. Though I succeeded in keeping it moderate on several occasions, I also failed on a few occasions. That was when I realized the reoccurring challenge of keeping myself on the side of moderation. That it’d never be possible to accurately gauge or determine where the boundary lies.

Moderation to me is a trap that could lure anyone into getting inebriated because there’s no clear boundary between moderation and inebriation. You can go from a sip to having a skinful. You can continue this way until you take time to rethink your relationship with alcohol. To understand what moderation is to you.

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What’s Moderation to You?

“Moderation is a fatal thing, nothing succeeds like excess.” — Oscar Wilde

I don’t know what moderation is to you. But being moderately drunk or a functional drunk isn’t moderation. If you’re drunk, you’re drunk. I know some people that have embraced different versions of moderation that suit their drinking lifestyle. They claim moderation even when they’re squiffy and inebriated.

Seeing themselves as moderate drinkers makes it easier for them to return to the bottle regularly. It tricks them into believing they’re in control when they’re not. Moderation hides the real reason why they’ve embraced a false form of moderation. Which of course is dependency.

You can’t trust alcohol, a renowned slippery fellow to help you in any way. It’d lure you with moderation and keep you down with many moments of inebriation.

It’d say to you, come closer my friend and have a taste of me and feel my strength. After all, you’re a moderate drinker. But there’s no telling when you’d step out once you step into its territory.

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Conclusion.

Alcohol moderation can be a tricky path. You step in, you begin to wonder where it ends. And where to press the stop button. At times you’d succeed in having it under control. Only to belatedly realize in your next visit that the boundary has shifted to pull you further in.

This is why your usual sip can surprisingly make you squiffy.

Sobriety is the boundary. It’s where you’d put the stop sign and still find it the next day. It might be difficult to embrace sobriety depending on your relationship with alcohol. But you can start by being honest with yourself. By rethinking your connection with alcohol so you can have a clear understanding of what moderation is to you.

When you understand what moderation is to you; the merits and demerits, you’d then know whether it’s worth embracing sobriety or not.

Alcohol can mess up your health even as a moderate drinker. Issues like inadequate sleep and overweight are some of the uncomfortable realities of many moderate drinkers.