yes, pretty similar to you. I was in a bleak period of life – wife had miscarried, we weren’t getting on, I’d drink and we’d argue because I’m a ****t when I’m drunk, and I could never have just a couple because then you’d have another and before you know where you were, it was last orders and you’d be buying 2 pints and 2 shorts just to make sure you were properly twatted at kicking out time. Twice woke up in a bed of vomit, so can consider that two dices with death I’d rather have not had.
It came to a head at a works Xmas do up in London. We had already had a faceful but when everyone left to go home on the late trains I stayed out. At first drinking with strangers and then in late night bars alone. I missed the train, got in an argument / kicked off Waterloo station, and ‘slept’ the night in the subway with the homeless people, being moved on by the coppers at intervals. In December, in just a shirt, and suit. Freezing half to death
I realised that i wasn’t alcoholic in that I didn’t *have* to drink, but equally the ‘that’s enough’ switch needed resetting otherwise I was at serious risk of serious harm or worse.
So i stopped for about 18 months ‘cold’. No withdrawal symptoms or owt like that because I wasn’t dependant, and I was so set on it that i didn’t find it hard at all. At first i used to ensure I drove to have an excuse not to drink, but later was very open with friends that I’d given up.
That was 6.5 years ago. Now I’m back to a point have the occasional beer or glass of wine, and also enjoy a very occasional session with mates again on special occasions, but the switch is reset and I know exactly when to say enough. My mates respect it too, when I opt out of a round or have a coke instead no-one questions it.
Sorry it’s a long post. My advice is to do it, get to a point where you decide where / when / how much and then decide whether you want to start again once the bad habit has been killed off.