[nurseaboveboard]

Hey...good for you!!! My sis was always giving up some dumb thing for Lent, you know, something like gumdrops, or other easy to give up thing. Finally, I confronted her, and asked her if it wouldn't be more meaningful to say give up chocolate, or something else to which she really had an addiction to. Well, she didn't like it, but took it to heart. Now she gets more meaning from it. Well, anyway, hope you're successful, and in my experience, if you think you may have a problem with a drug, you generally do. Trust yourself and good luck. P.S. Hope this didn't offend those diehard gumdrop lovers !

[jlsRN]

People do some silly things for Lent, I agree. What came to me was, if giving it up for Lent is worthwhile, then even better to give it up all year!

Chocolate, fortunately, has no hold over me, I only eat it occasionally and rarely feel any compulsion to indulge.

[earle58]

i'm really glad you recognized this tendency, and to act on it.
it shows a lot of insight and honesty on your part.
good for you!

leslie

[Iggynurse]

Kudos to you! I hope you are able to stick with it.

[Indie09]

congrats on your decision and good luck!

on a side note, alcoholism isn't about drinking every day, or drinking a certain amount. one of the most amazing sobriety stories I heard when I was new to the program was a woman who drank 1 glass of wine 1 night a week. the problem was she thought about that glass of wine all week, which restaurant she was going to have it at, what she was going to eat, etc. I was never a daily drinker, but I knew I was an alcoholic - alcohol did for me what it didn't do for others I knew.

sorry to go off subject, but others have mentioned that it's good to stop before it becomes a daily habit, and I just wanted to reach out to others that may have a problem but not drink daily and ensure they know they can "get off the elevator on any floor"

[jlsRN]

OK, Easter is here and, since I've given up alcoholic beverages many times before for Lent, followed by indulgence on Easter, I did feel temptation today.

But, I'm sticking to my resolution. I'll re-evaluate this commitment in one year, next Easter. Thanks for the support!

[poliwog3]

More power to you! Any decision you make that will improve your health is a good one. If you were using drinking as a reward, you may want to replace that with another reward - like a nice brisk walk or a bubble bath or an hour or so of reading a good novel. That's what I do. Works for me!

[jlsRN]

Just an update, made it through our Calif vacation without giving in to temptation. Drinking wine and beer is starting to sound like a drag to me. You get a temporary feeling of relaxation and lightheartedness that is artificial and doesn't last very long. It lowers your inhibitions and you end up saying dumb things. And, it's fattening. It's just not worth it.