The question of whether an alcoholic can ever drink again socially is one that plagues the minds of many who are thinking of, or in the process of, quitting. Unfortunately, the answer is a definitive, “NO!” If the answer was anything different than this, the person would not be an alcoholic to begin with. An alcoholic is a man or woman who abuses alcohol, whether by binge drinking or daily drunks, this individual has no control over the amount of their intake. As the old Pringles commercial says it, “Once you pop, you can’t stop.”
I am reminded of a phrase that I learned while going through my own recovery. “One is too many and one is never enough.” That is so true for the alcoholic. I had never been able to have just one, or even just six. It seemed pointless to me. The purpose of the alcohol was to eliminate the pain of real life, which I had no clue how to cope with. One drink, socially or not, would never accomplish this, so what was the point?
Alcoholism is a disease. Unfortunately, it knows no cure, only continued treatment to keep it in remission. If the alcoholic engages in social drinking, they are making as dangerouos a mistake as the person who goes into remission from lung cancer and buys that first pack of cigarettes after quitting. They may just have one or two a day for a short time, but eventually the addiction will gain control again and they will be back in the cycle of destruction.
The alcoholic in recovery, if they are taking their recovery seriously, will not take such chances. They will instead learn to adapt to life without alcohol. They will develop new friendships that do not involve drinking. That is one of the greatest advantages of getting involved in your local chapter of Alcoholics Anonymous. It gives you the chance to meet people who, like you, are choosing a new life of sobriety.
Learning the coping mechanisms and life skills that are required to live a sober life is difficult for many in recovery. Social situations will arise where alcohol is being served, possibly even accompanied by a group of people who do not understand what you are going through in trying to overcome an active disease. In these situations, the alcoholic will do best to take their leave if there is any temptation to step over the line back into addiction. The one who stays and worse yet, accepts the “social drink” being offered is only fooling themselves. They will find out soon enough that that old Joker, alcohol, has gained the upper hand once again. Then, it is back to step one…