Alan Car Book - does it work if you just want to cut down drinking, instead of quitting?

[Pooshy]

I drink too much to be healthy - I'm not an alcoholic but I drink at least 2 glasses of wine every single day, often more

I would like not to feel dependent on alcohol like this as I feel my relationship with it has become unhealthy (especially while on maternity leave Altho I've always drank a lot)

I'm thinking about reading Alan Car's Easy Way to Control Alcohol I only want to cut down, not stop, and just have a drink on weekends, special occasions etc

Does anyone know if it's suitable if you just want to cut didn't, not quit? The title suggests cutting down, but the reviews (who are mostly written by alcoholics) only mention stopping altogether

That's a good question. My Ex is an alcoholic, for sure. If he drinks a little, he ends up drinking a lot. He acts stupid when inebriated. Hence, he can't cut back - has to not drink at all. My brothers are what I might call alcohol dependent. They never miss a drink after work, but they rarely overdo it, and their behavior doesn't change. I am neither an alcoholic nor alcohol dependent. I can take it or leave it, makes no difference. I'm very happy to enjoy a drink occasionally, but if I have a drink on a succession of days - it loses its bloom - so no point in it. In the end, alcohol makes me sleepy - which may be, biologically, why I never end up drinking too much.

Maybe figure out which you are? Alan Car's books are a great read - I read his for quitting smoking. But, as great a read as it was, it didn't work. I switched to vaping instead.

I think when there is an addiction, you can't stop thinking about it when you stop. Then, if it is an addiction, you have to stop and find a healthier substitute, like exercise or ... knitting? Exercise is a great substitute. You can't drink or smoke at the gym, and it elevates endorphins which make you feel good naturally.

Sorry if this is a little off topic! Hope it helps. What constitutes an addiction is a topic that fascinates me.
Best wishes.

Well, he makes it clear within a few pages that he thinks reducing doesn't work, and the whole book is based around that, so no, it's not meant to help you cut down. He makes the point that he thinks the only way to be in control is to stop.
Both the smoking and controlling alcohol books helped me, and I'm clean of both I actually went to one of the sessions in London. It worked immediately. Hth.