A truly powerful and beautiful piece of writing! And I’m in agreement about moderation, which I am also trying (work in progress!) I don’t think it’s anything to allow someone to judge. It all boils down to that grip, doesn’t it. Can you control it, does it control you, is it the only way one can deal with the pain, and so on. There are a few days I think I fail, but mostly it’s under control and I can *stop* (another key, for me anyway). I might quit entirely, only because of the calories and the rare failures that put me back into that depressive “I failed” state despite “winning” most weeks.

From what I read, moderation is hard for most people but entirely possible for some. All comes down to your goals, body, and mind and boy don’t we know all of those are different for everyone! That’s what makes Medium so great.

Here’s to the process, and again your words are tremendous. It’s so wonderful to read about moderation over abstinence. So many of the stories are about the last drink and it isn’t always so black and white or the only answer indeed.