Rewarding Myself With a Drink

I agree that you don't need rehab or detox. Perhaps what you need most is to wrap your head around a different type of reward and I'm guessing that you have a hard time accepting your limitations. Your "reward" ends up costing you something or else you wouldn't be concerned about it. I've worked with plenty of people who continued to drink simply because they didn't want to accept that they couldn't.

Labels aren't helpful so let's keep it simple with an old adage: If drinking alcohol causes you to have a problem, then you have a problem with alcohol. You always have the option of just not drinking. I'm not an alcoholic but I do choose not to drink because I can clearly see the possibility of it causing me a problem.

How about a different reward? I go out for expensive dinners as a reward. I'll blow $200 on dinner because there's no way I'll regret it later and I love great food. You could buy yourself a new toy - some electronic gizmo that's totally unpractical. Go on vacation. Buy something really nice and unexpected for someone you love.

Take a long look at you. We all have limitations and for those of us with addictive personalities (all or nothing kinds of folks like me) just seem to push them and push them. There are only 24 hours in a day and there is only so much I can do. Drinking may have been fun in the past...but it sounds like it's time to accept that while you may not have a problem with it now - you may someday. Why take the chance? Find a new reward and have a better life. Good luck!