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"Going dry" from alcohol?
pinkBlueberry89 April 11th, 2022
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A lot of the common advice about quitting alcohol is that you have to quit drinking forever. I find that aspect daunting (forever is a long time), but I've talked to other people who have had success with going dry for a predetermined amount of time (a month, six months, a year etc). Then at the end they have the opportunity to reassess if they want to try drinking in a healthier way, or continue to go dry. Does anyone have any experience or thoughts about this? Knowing my own brain, I feel like it would be easier for me to have 60 dry years running rather than one big commitment to quit forever.

1
Alia3475 April 16th, 2022
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@pinkBlueberry89 I do think the idea of "quitting forever" is one of the reasons so few people address their drinking problem *before* it becomes a physical dependance. If you recognize a problem early, especially emotional dependence, it is easier to remove the substance from the equation in the short term, so you can handle the underlying issues. I have taken a few such breaks from alcohol and can definitely say it's been helpful.

I have *also* had the experience that once I start drinking again, the escalation will sneak in over time. and if times get rough a drinking problem can escalate pretty quickly. So I am starting to see the appeal of getting out of that cycle for good... but I'm 46. If you're young, and it's a fairly new experience for you to be examining your drinking habits and wanting to see what sobriety is like for a few months, I think that can only be helpful.

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