another friend of Bill W, coming up to 14 years of relatively sane life, free of worrying about what alcohol would do to me, or what I would do in a blackout. My current life is unbelievably better than it ever was, it isn't perfect, but neither am I, & I wouldn't swap it for anything.

I visit folk clubs in pubs & cafes & other venues & I watch people making music with wine, beer, tea, coffee & nothing to drink. Some have 1 (alcoholic) drink, some have a few, some have too many to my eyes, but they're all there for the music & alcohol is not the total experience. Even the people I see as drinking alcoholically are there for the music. Maybe I move in a different crowd.

There's nothing wrong with having a drink or 2 or 3 or even getting drunk on occasion, but there is if alcohol takes over & gets in the way of living life.

AA is not the only way to stay sane & sober. My sister is around 23 years sober & has never been a member of AA, but she had 2 good therapists in her early days of sobriety & supportive friends over the years.

anon