I was an alcoholic for 5 years. I have been sober for 1 year now. I still enjoy going to parties and being very social. Do you think it is possible for a person with my kind of history to ever become a social drinker again?

I think this is a dangerous road to go down. I truly believe that one drink will lead to two and then will lead to three and so on. I always used to think I was in control but I wasnt. The only way I have been able to keep on my sobriety is to keep entirely sober. Just my opinion.

Were you ever a "social drinker" in the past?
From a person who has not had a drink for sixteen years, I am giggling over this question. Anything is possible, yet what is underneath the thought and your question? Whats behind the question...it is where I would want to go. What are you hoping "social drinking" will do for you?
My guess is that whatever you hope or want from "social drinking" you can achieve without the drink! Find an "addiction recovery coach" and work that out and you can have all the satisfaction without the risk to your health or life! What you think you are missing may be true, but my best guess is that it is not the alcohol you are missing at all!
Much love and light to you!
~Cheryl

I think that you are playing with fire there. I have been working on my alcohol addiction for over 10 yrs and alot of days I am ok, and dont even think about alcohol, but other days are not so easy, but it seems the longer I stay sober, the fewer those bad days are together. Alcohol is a life snatcher - for the betterment of yourself, I would find another activity. "If you keep going to the barber, eventually, youre going to get your hair cut". I was in the same position 10+ yrs ago and I ignored everyones advice because where else was I going to meet the towns most un-eligible losers to date - duh, no one hangs out at the bowling alley anymore, so where do I go, and do what? Anything other than the bar always sounded SO LAME! I now realize after a few more trips to jail, my self confidence destroyed a bit more than before, more legal/home problems than ever. I've spent lots of wasted time trying to prove this theory wrong. Sober living is better - you might actually remember today, tomorrow! hmmm.... u might wake up alone in your own bed, instead of some strange place with a guy whose name you dont even know.... I wouldnt chance it - in my experience, every time I fell, I fell harder than before, and usually stayed out in the mess longer. Todays a new day! Seize it!!

I really don't know if it's possible to "go back" and become a social drinker after being an alcoholic. I suppose it depends on your particular situation, if you were ever a social drinker before you developed a problem, etc...but I think it's pretty generally accepted that once you have a drinking problem, it's really hard to drink only socially.

Why is social drinking appealing to you? I think that's an important question to ask yourself. It's really great if you're still are enjoying going to parties and being social without drinking--if you think that drinking will make the party more fun, that sounds like a dangerous road to go down. It's so easy for one drink to become two to become three. It might be possible for a recovering alcoholic to be just a social drinking, but it sounds like flirting with danger to me. I don't think I could do it.

I know that everyone here will probably say it is irresponsible of me to say this but here goes; YES- you can return to normalcy! Anyone can. It's just a matter or "reprogramming" your mind. It may take some time and now may not be when you want to start drinking socially- especially if you are unsure. Let's face it, ppl drink socially b/c it's fun, right? If you have a goal to return to normal, as I did (now sober for years after a wicked heroin addiction and I do have a drink or take a vicodin if I need/want to) then you can.

If that's really your goal check out stuff on the Law of attraction.

If this post upsets anyone please keep in mind we all recover differently, what's right for me may not be for you, but it could really help someone else. It's all opinion on here (even from MDs whose success rate is like 3%) and we are the only true experts for ourselves.