Beyond Rehab

I believe that certain people who have struggled with substance abuse can have a glass of wine without a problem. But I’m probably not talking about you.

I don’t think very many people who have struggled with substance abuse have reached the level of understanding and maturity that is required to drink moderately without a problem. I’m going to brag here and say I believe I have reached that level. I say that without having actually put myself to the test, so I can’t really know for sure. But I am not convinced for myself that “One drink is too many and 1000 is never enough,” as A.A. puts it.

I know that if I reintroduce alcohol into my life and try to maintain a light drinking habit, it will be a LOT more work for me than I care to take on. The daily conversations I would need to have with myself in order to continue that moderate drinking behavior are much more than I want to tackle.

So even though I think moderate drinking is possible for a select few, I’m not interested in the challenge. But before you rush to the challenge yourself, I suggest you read this article.

The article covers the case of Audrey Kishline, the founder of Moderation Management (MM). Reading that article (and other articles on the author’s website) illuminated even more my understanding that even though successful moderate drinking is possible for me, it’s just not worth the effort. I think it’s possible to become a moderate drinker after struggling with addictions, but I do not think that most people in recovery who desire to do so are willing to do what it takes to accomplish that.