Good on you for approaching a drinking problem in a rational manner and not giving into the woo. Now if only the woo wasn’t accepted by the majority of healthcare providers and society at large. It’s taking long than we thought, but we’ll get there. This thread gives me hope.
Believing one is powerless over a behavior is not responsible and not a good way to take control of ones problem.
Think.
Getting all drunk only to hold it all in to act like you’re sober is a waste of alcohol.
I’m ashamed of you MOL, I thought you knew better.
Excuse me while I indignantly go stick my dick in the mashed potatoes.
The major reasons why AA is so popular with healthcare is because a) it’s free and widely available, and b) there are a lot of drug and alcohol counselors who are members, so there’s a lot of 12-stepping going on.
That being said, if AA/NA/OA/whateverA is working for you, then that’s what you should do. But it’s not for everyone. Alcoholism/addiction/food issues/whatever are complex problems that can’t always be addressed in a self-help support group because there may be other, underlying issues that are best addressed privately with a non-12 step counselor. Unfortunately, many 12-step groups try to be all things to everyone, a philosophy some of their members buy into. Throw in projection (Everyone who drinks is an alcoholic!), reinforced self-deception (I’m not a wrinkled dickbag, I’m sober!), and refusal to accept responsibility for one’s actions and behavior (I can’t help myself because I’m powerless!) and you’ve got the makings of a serious hellhole. And that’s where MY issues come from.
I have maybe one drink a year. I think the reason I have never been a drinker is that I have always been a control freak. I don’t like the idea of not being in control of myself or aware of what is going on around me.
Thats a pretty weak start for rape month. But given nobody else has stepped up to the plate I guess I’ll take what I can get.
But who will think of the starches?!
Hmm. My understanding of AA is that it asks alcoholics to accept that they are powerless over alcohol once they take that first drink. It’s our responsiblilty to use every tool that other sober people have taught us to keep from taking that first drink–call someone, go for a walk, read, pray, whatever.
It’s what you do when you spent too many years unsuccessfully “taking control” of your problem and waking up after another unintended blackout. There are three parts to the serenity prayer and only one of them is accepting what you cannot change.
There is often a popular overlap between addiction physical dependence and addiction. You are neither (based on your description).
Physical dependence is when your body goes through withdrawal and/or requires larger dosage to get the required effect. Many fully functional people are physically dependent on caffeine, for instance. If they stop taking it they get headaches, they need more coffee then they used to to feel “normal”. Alcohol dependence causes worse things, but still may not be an addiction. From here:
There are people who have a glass of wine or beer with every meal and several after dinner but are otherwise fully functional that would be in sad shape if they had to stop drinking but lead perfectly happy lives. Others who have no physical withdrawal symptoms may have a compulsion to drink themselves into a blackout every night no matter what it does to the rest of their lives.
Kinda hard to enjoy your beer when somebody’s sitting there telling you you’re an alcoholic while you’re drinking it, isn’t it?
not much different than a vegan calling you a baby killer while you eat an Egg McMuffin. I just laugh and say I love eating babies.
Ew. Gross. Rape vegan beer culture.
Athena, I swear I want to form a Type-1 diabetes club and elect you as my president.
I hate having to explain to people why I’m eating sugar! “Aren’t you, like, a diabetic?” “Yes, thanks. And my blood sugar is low/I gave myself enough insulin to cover it/I’m going for a jog later and I don’t want to be low/why am I explaining all this to you?”
As to the “I don’t drink and neither should you” folks – now that I’m pregnant and off the booze, I absolutely ADORE being sober around drunk people. I thought it would be really tough, but it’s kinda fun. Y’all get goofy when you’re drunk.
But I am surprised at how many people refuse to take me up on an offer of being their designated driver. I haven’t had ANY drinks. You’ve had three. As long as someone is offering, why not avoid even the potential for a DUI or a wreck? (I swear, I’m not at all preachy about it, just matter of fact. But folks are all like, “Nah, I’m fine!” Certainly you are – but do you really want to even risk it if someone’s offering you a free ride?)
Okay, rape month is starting to look a bit better now…
“It’s not a baby yet. It’s just an egg. Though it’s a shame we can’t get caviar from Humans…” 
Yay! Thanks! I always hesitate when I post this kind of stuff because I don’t want to hijack every thread, but, like you, I get so freakin’ frustrated when I see the old stereotypes being repeated. I believed a lot of that stuff because I was ignorant before diagnosis, and it sure the hell did nothing for my freak-out factor. I thought I’d never be able to eat anything good again, ever. So untrue!
You forgot “I just wanted a freakin’ piece of cake, what’s it to you?!?”
Ha! But seriously now, sometimes there is drunken tomfoolery, and then sometimes you just have some whiskey and go home. Nothing more interesting happens than bitching about work, which is what happens when we’re sober. But I know, the SDMB Drinking Experts have declared that when people get drunk – no matter what, no matter the person, no matter how much they’ve had to drink – they do all this cray cray shit, and so on.
Threads like this always make me thirsty. I think it’s martini time!
This thread is making me want a drink.
Just got home from the bar - and yes, I’m also still working. We had a couple drinks with some friends. Want one? MOL, I think you and I may be sisters. I was adopted so I can’t be sure, but it’s possible. But I do so love you even if we’re not. 
Want a beer? They are cold. The Cold Duck (YES people, some of us DO STILL DRINK Cold Duck) is in the freezer getting cold - after my next beer I’ll pop that - let me know if you’d like a glass.
In this thread anyway, they’re saying the opposite. If you don’t act drunk, then the SDMB Drinking Experts say you aren’t drunk, no matter how much you’ve had.
In other words, yet another big fight over the definitions of words. Don’t you just love 'em?
Really. Who said anything like this while posing as an expert on drinking?