It’s been over a year and you’ve been crushing your sobriety. Over twelve straight months without a drop of alcohol has led to improvements in your physical and mental health along with a stunning lack of near-death situations. Congrats! Now you’re ready for the next step in your sobriety: Relapsing!
Taking a metaphorical nosedive into a distillery vat is just part of the recovery process. But what about all the drinking knowledge you likely forgot since quitting? Fortunately, we’re here to help!
Remember How Easy it Was to Quit the Last Time
You remember when you quit, right? Quitting cold turkey lasted three days before you caved and wound up in a full-blown bender. Then came the months and months of decreasing your use before finally stopping entirely. That is until you lost out on that promotion and you said “fuck it,” leading to a relapse that ultimately got you fired and caused the end of your relationship. And then finally quitting for the long haul. You remember how easy that was, right? Exactly! You can quit again, no sweat! So pick up that bottle!
Don’t Start Small
It might be tempting, when trying to start drinking again, to just dip your toe back into the alcoholic well. Maybe have a glass of chardonnay with dinner or a tasteful kamikaze while reading Proust. But don’t buy into all that “moderation” bullshit, come back with a boom! Go to your favorite bar and close the fucking place down. Ask for their cheapest whiskey and then drink them dry.
Remember, Liquor Before Beer… if You’re A Coward
Don’t listen to that old nonsense about “liquor before beer.” When you were a raging drunk, you could drink whatever the fuck you wanted whenever the fuck you wanted. Your body is probably still up for the task. The same goes for how much you can drink and how fast you can drink it too. If you used to be able to stomach taking a handle to the face within the span of an hour, then you owe it to yourself to go for it! Otherwise, you’re just moving backward and that’s the last thing you want to do while relapsing.