It was great hearing about Andy’s drinking days. It sounds like he did have a problem, but managed to sort it out. And, he sorted it out without having to declare himself to be an alcoholic, totally foreswearing all alcohol and abstaining for the rest of his life. I think the fear that one must be dry forever keeps some people from recognizing that their drinking is problematic.

I drink more regularly now than ever, sometimes a drink every day in a week. But, I will take regular breaks just to know that I can. If a break were ever truly hard, beyond just ‘oh, it’d be nice to have a drink right now,’ it would definitely give me serious pause.