I was pleasantly surprised to find this topic. I used to think I drank because I was bored. Now I think I was bored because I drank. For years I tried to moderate my consumption and yet still woke up most Saturdays facing a headache and a less-than-stellar outlook on the day. It took me a year or two to "get my mind right," and then I was ready to be free of the worry and obsession. Lucky for me my husband was at the same place - ready to quit. So we did. Some of our friends were puzzled. Some were jealous. Some are not really our friends anymore. I miss it, sometimes, when I am frustrated, or pre-menstrual. I miss the taste of beer and wine, and scotch, and gin, and tequila. I miss the rituals. But I have been free of alcohol for more than two years, and the benefits (to me) have far outweighed the negatives. It's as if a huge space opened up in my life. I don't miss worrying about whether I could quit, or whether I have a problem. I wish I had learned to drink like a normal person (whatever that is) but I developed bad habits early. I'm really glad my daughter seems to be finding a much more moderate way - perhaps we served as a negative example! I guess my point is, you don't have to be a waking-up-in-the-gutter alcoholic to make abstinence a logical, reasonable choice.