Hi sal I think it's great that you've been sober for two years and you still give help and support to people on here. I checked out post alcohol withdrawal syndrome you advised and every symptom points to me! Is it really true that I would need to stop drinking for two years in order to heal and any relapse in that time, even a couple of drinks would undo all the good I had achieved so far? I would ideally like to eventually drink like I used to, occasionally on the odd night out and not to my detriment and to not allow alcohol to dictate and control me (obviously I let it) thanks for your advice x Hi Natalie, I used to think I was rewarding myself by drinking. I wasn't and neither are you. Alcohol is in fact poison. Reward yourself with something else at the time you usually drink. A nice soft drink, a book you enjoy, a film, a walk, a good meal (that especially as it is not so easy drinking on a full stomach). It really is insane to reward yourself with something so destructive. Cathy, I used to think that I could cut down and drink in moderation. I thought that way for years. It's called "delusion". The fact is, I am alcohol dependant. When I start drinking, I cannot stop at one or two. Oh, I could stop for a week or two (months even sometimes), but I always returned to