Help With Drinking

[Meg888]

Hi. Is there a book someone can recommend to help control drinking – that is not to give up altogether, but to become more of a social drinker? I know that basically if one needs help to even ‘control’ it, it insinuates a problem, but this is what I’ve got to go on! It’s not for me, and the person who wants it basically drinks most nights, to aid sleep (he says). He’s not especially a heavy drinker, though at times he does binge, but nearly always drinks more than he should. Sometimes he can drink 3 drinks and be very drunk, other times he’s not so bad. He is diabetic, so wants to sort this out for health and weight reasons. He works, lives alone and is reasonably happy other than this. The drinking causes no issue in his life now, but it has done in the past. But he insists he cannot sleep without it – but does not want to go to docs or meetings. We’ve read there is some self-help books out there, just wondered if anyone could recommend. He must have some reasonable will power as in the past he was addicted to amphetamines and smoking and has been clear of both for many years, so I do not particularly doubt him wanting to do it himself.

[Old_Geezer]

My guesses, not that I've had to tackle this sort of problem before.

First don't buy alcohol for keeping in the house; so you have to go socialise to drink at all.

Then go with friends who can apply peer pressure to remind him of his aim and encourage him to stop at one or two and no on to something non-alcoholic. There are non-alcoholic beers, one can';t expet them to be as good as the real thing but that's little enough to put up with to achieve the aim. Or get a taste for juice or soda.

Aside from that get his wife to accompany him to the tavern with her new rolling pin, ready for action.

[Old_Geezer]

... one can't expect them ...
as I typed !