Is Mods really attainable?

[Suzanna]

Hi all,

I notice that the mods board is not really visited as much, and there is not alot of activity. What do you all really think, is mods attainable? Or is it considered a pathway towards abstinence? I have read that we should do 30 days abs and then graduate to mods. I have not been able to do that, but I also am not one who drinks and becomes abusive or blacks out, nothing much really happens to me at all actually. I have usually 3 glasses of wine, or 2 vodka seltzer's and a beer, then go to sleep. I personally feel that I would like to attain abstinence, but the work involved is hard for me right now. Once I just stopped drinking for 4 years! I had a young child and a great job and I said, that's enough nonsense with this taking control of my life, and I just stopped. Why then? What planets alligned to have that happen for me then and not now? So the question now is, is mods a viable goal or are we putting off the work of abstinence? Suz

[southernbelle47]

Hi Suz
Moderation has not worked for me. I don't know how old you are but I started to have problems moderating after I turned fifty. I had not had a problem until then. The last almost ten years have been a series of ups and downs. My hubby retired at a yound age(48) and my daughter got married and moved to another state. It was not a happy marriage (drug & alcohol abuse) so she moved home with two kids. My oldest son got married and also moved out of state but is happily married(thank God) Then we sold out home of twenty five years and moved to the country fron a big city. My youngest son then decided (2001) to join the marine corp. In 2003 he went to Iraq.
THIS is when my "chickens" came home to roost with the drinking. I found myself not able to control that one or two a day.
I've heard that acoholisim is progressive . Also I've read that one drink a day....everyday is HEAVY drinking for a woman.
I've probably given you too much info. I hope your not sorry you asked.
I think SOME people may be able to drink moderately. I'm not one of them.
May God bless you.
Nancy

[lushy]

Hi Suz, I do not have a lot of time to go into much detail but this subject has been on my mind a lot lately. I truly believe that some, if not many, of us can obtain moderation. In fact, I know of a couple of people on the mods board who are doing it quite well. (BTW, we do post a lot on the monthly mods board because it is too hard to try and post on both boards). I think for most of us here though that are questioning their drinking habit that abs SHOULD be the choice we make but we do not want to give up the hope of mods. It is interesting question and I am curious what others have to say. If I could stick with drinking 2-3 drinks like you do on the days I allow myself to drink I would be very happy. I am on that path to figure if it is a possibility for me.

[Suzanna]

Southernbelle, you have alot on your plate. I'm 48 so will be hitting the five-oh pretty soon, but we are in the same ballpark agewise. God bless your son serving in Iraq. Maybe I am fooling myself with this mods but since finding this site I am mindful and drinking less. I do hope to do mods and graduate to abs, I had 2 AF days, Jan. 1 and 2, then cravings got the best of me, but I am not on meds right now, just supps which do help. Suz

[Suzanna]

Lush, it doesn't always work for me, staying at 1 or 2, but mostly recently I am doing okay. OK I hadn't checked into the monthly moderation board. We are all busy guys and gals with busy lives and lots of balls in the air! This was a question on my mind too so that's why I wanted all you intelligent folks to weigh in on it with me. What attracted me to this site was the fact that it was not a hard in your face give it up and repent to the higher power and give up lots of money for the secret to success for controlling your drinking kind of thing. There was a choice. And I do like knowing that we are all on a journey together and improving with support of great new friends along the way. Suz

[southernbelle47]

Suz...........this IS a good place to walk on our jouney...and that is what it is. It helps to have friends to share our load.
BTW...my son is home safe and sound and the rest of my life has settled down.

What supps are you using and for how long? They do help and spending time here is a Godsend.
I also don't keep wine (drink of choice) in the house.

Rj set up longterm abs and longterm mods for some of the folks who had been here for awhile and felt there needed to be a place for them to move on to. Some of them still post but some have moved on with their lives .

Nancy

[Saint Jude]

I'm here! Just not usually much activity down here, so I post up in the monthly mods section a lot. I guess I'm cosidered an "oldie" ... A year here now! So far,... so good!

A few slips but nothing major. Haven't called in sick or dead to work in over a year! That's a BIG one for me!

[Mighty Mouse II]

Dear Suzanna, Welcome!!

For me, moderation has worked very well and this Board was a great help in creating a program that worked because I could freely discuss the specific problems that were causing me to drink excessively, set goals to try to overcome it and then talk about what was working and what wasn't. What you will find here is that everybody is unique, defines their own goals, and then attempts to find ways to achieve them. It is great because no one sits in judgment of anyone else. For me having AB days does not work. I need daily goals, something I can do every single day. Then, when I accomplsih that goal, I make it a little more challenging for another thirty days. If I slip up, I very carefully evaluate why and then plan a course of action so I don't do it again. It works very well for me, though occasionally, I slip. It is an up-and-down process, but hopefully on an upward trend.

I only drink wine and I try to limit it to red wine, though I will have a chardonney now and then. According to the American Medical Association, two glasses of red wine a day is healthy. Even Dr. Perricone, (the diet I follow), suggests one glass of wine a day. The French Institute suggests anywhere from three to five glasses a day, but most researchers even taking in to consideration the "French Paradox", recommends no more than three glasses of red wine a day; there are significant studies in Southern France to support their assertions, though some would argue that the diet there (similar to Perricone) is also a major factor. I have studied the Scientific Journals on this for years. Below is an article I found by Lisa Shea on www.wineintro.com, which I think explains the French Paradox very well:

"The French Paradox - Helping Fight Heart Disease
So, assuming a glass of wine with dinner every day, what benefits will this wine bring to your body? Current research by UCA-Davis has shown that the wine is reducing coronary heart disease incidence. This was known as the "French Paradox" for a while, because doctors couldn't figure out why cream-loving French weren't dying from heart attacks frequently. Wine, it turns out, was the answer.

What is wine doing? The wine is altering the blood lipid levels. It lowers the total cholesterol count by both raising the high density lipoprotein (HDL) levels while lowering LDL levels. In essence, it keeps the blood vessels clean. Wine has been shown to decrease the "stickiness" of platelets, so that blood is less likely to clump inside blood vessels. Studies find that the stickiness effect lasts around 2 days, which is why a glass a day is so helpful.

For those looking to maintain a healthy weight, wine helps lower glucose and insulin levels. Moderate drinking can reduce blood pressure as well.

Many of the health benefits are caused by the resveratrol naturally found in the wine grapes. In fact, a Copenhagen heart study followed 130,000 people for 10 years. Those patients who averaged 6 glasses of wine a week had death rates that were 30-40% lower than normal.

In general, researchers have found that those who drink 1-3 glasses a day regularly are healthier than those who drink none, and also than those who drink more.

Any alcohol, like any other food item, can be used properly, or can be used to excess. Some people are sensitive to the natural sulfites found in wine - sulfites are higher in whites than in reds. Others get migrane headaches from too many tannins, which are found mostly in red wines. While avoiding misuse, we should also rejoice in the many fine benefits that can be had by properly using wine as it was meant to be used - in moderation.

Caloric Chart
5oz Wine: 100
5oz "Lite" wine: 80
12oz Wine Spritzer: 120
12oz Wine Cooler: 215

Caveat: I am not a doctor ... for detailed answers about how wine will affect you personally given your medical condition and lifestyle, contact your family physician

Note: A great deal of research and work went into my wine / health pages. If you use this information, please credit me properly. Thanks! " (by Lisa Shea at www.wineintro.com)


Again, welcome aboard. Hope the information helps.

MM

[dilayne]

Hi Suzanne..just flying by here but wanted to contribute. I think Mods is attainable to some, but it is a very personal thing. I think you have to try it to find out if it is possible for you. My story is similar to Southernbelle's..I'm 48 and was actually abstinent for about 16 years..when the kids grew up my husband and I decided to let our hair down and drink..I really tried to drink moderately but would end of binge drinking at least once a month, sometimes more..binge drinking for me would be a large bottle of wine (sometimes a little more). That wasn't OK with me. Drinking just 2 glasses of wine would have been ideal, but I found it to be a major struggle to do..my decision to go Abs came mostly from the desire not to expend so much mental energy on controlling my drinking. To get rid of it freed up my life. I think if moderation consist of a constant battle, lots of failures and dissappointments, one should probably get real about their ability. If it's relatively effortless and satisfying, then moderation is the way to go. I think it's a personal journey for most of us and there are wonderful people here to share the journey. Good luck in whatever you do!

[southernbelle47]

Thanks for the site referral MM. I went there and read. I think I may have an allergy to some ingredients in wine.

Hi Di......ditto on what you said.

Nancy