--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don’t have a drinking problem,” I said…" description: "\"“I don’t have a drinking problem,” I said. “I have a stopping problem.”\" — G.M. Ford" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95c/g-m-ford-43613_drinking-problem_i-don-t-have-a-drinking-problem-i-said-i_2174953.jpg" --- # I don’t have a drinking problem,” I said. “I have a… ![“I don’t have a drinking problem,” I said. “I have a stopping problem.” quote by G.M. Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95c/g-m-ford-43613_drinking-problem_i-don-t-have-a-drinking-problem-i-said-i_2174953.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95c/g-m-ford-43613_drinking-problem_i-don-t-have-a-drinking-problem-i-said-i_2174953.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95c/g-m-ford-43613_drinking-problem_i-don-t-have-a-drinking-problem-i-said-i_2174953.jpg) > ““I don’t have a drinking problem,” I said. “I have a stopping problem.”” [G.M. Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-m-ford/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Acknowledges that the difficulty lies not in drinking but in the ability to stop, highlighting self‑control challenges. **In simple terms:** Problem is stopping, not drinking. Key Takeaway Focus on building self‑discipline. Themes self‑control addiction behavior change Mood reflective serious Type advice personal When to use this quote - recovering from addiction - personal accountability - seeking help Key Concepts willpower habit formation Questions to Reflect On - What triggers your inability to stop? - How can you strengthen self‑control? A Different Perspective Stopping may be harder than starting; underlying causes matter. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Drinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drinking/) [Drinking problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drinking-problem/) [Problem Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem-said-1071573/) [Said Stopping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said-stopping-1240030/) [Stopping Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stopping-problem-4673122/) [Wine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wine/) ## Related quotes > [“Luce," Jude said, stopping me, "I get what a piece of shit I am, and it's not awful or unfair or incorrect for people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-williams/luce-jude-said-stopping-me-i-get-what-a-piece-of-shit-i-am-and-it-s/) [Nicole Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-williams/) > [You know the real me," she said, stopping to peer up at him. "More than anyone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/you-know-the-real-me-she-said-stopping-to-peer-up-at-him-more-than/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [So I rang up a local building firm, I said 'I want a skip outside my house.' He said 'I'm not stopping you.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/so-i-rang-up-a-local-building-firm-i-said-i-want-a-skip-outside-my/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Everybody goes through divorces. There's millions of people that have drinking problems. There's people that their weight goes up and down, just like mine.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-daly/everybody-goes-through-divorces-there-s-millions-of-people-that-have/) [John Daly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-daly/) > [I've never gotten in too much trouble with alcohol. I've never had a drinking problem, really.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vile/i-ve-never-gotten-in-too-much-trouble-with-alcohol-i-ve-never-had-a/) [Kurt Vile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vile/) > [“The problem wasn't drinking. The problem was people. And what they needed wasn't a new law; what they needed was a new heart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siri-mitchell/the-problem-wasn-t-drinking-the-problem-was-people-and-what-they/) [Siri Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siri-mitchell/) > [I dont care if my family thinks I have a drinking problem. The unicorn who visits me in the night time says I dont…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-dont-care-if-my-family-thinks-i-have-a-drinking-problem-the-unicorn/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“And winning; that can be heavy on your back, too, like a monkey. You drop that load too when you find yourself an excuse."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-tevis/and-winning-that-can-be-heavy-on-your-back-too-like-a-monkey-you-drop/) [Walter Tevis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-tevis/) > [“I see the problem,” I said slowly. “I don’t seem to have any behavioral filters.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/i-see-the-problem-i-said-slowly-i-don-t-seem-to-have-any-behavioral/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“So, we’ve got a problem,” I said. “What?” Lend yelled. “We’ve got a problem!” I shouted. “No, I heard that. I mean, what’s the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiersten-white/so-we-ve-got-a-problem-i-said-what-lend-yelled-we-ve-got-a-problem-i/) [Kiersten White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiersten-white/) > [“It quickly became apparent that to Mr. K, there was no such thing as an untalented kid—just a kid who didn’t work hard enough.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-quickly-became-apparent-that-to-mr-k-there-was-no-such-thing-as-an/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [So, we’ve got a problem,” I said. “What?” Lend yelled. “We’ve got a problem!” I shouted. “No, I heard that. I mean, what’s the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiersten-white/so-we-ve-got-a-problem-i-said-what-lend-yelled-we-ve-got-a-problem-i-2/) [Kiersten White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiersten-white/) > [If you owe the bank $10,000 you have a problem. If you owe the bank $10,000,000 they have a problem. After all is said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/if-you-owe-the-bank-10-000-you-have-a-problem-if-you-owe-the-bank-10/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [“I know he says it’s a mind upload problem,” said Aideen. “But we won’t know that for sure until we get there. And maybe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-decker/i-know-he-says-it-s-a-mind-upload-problem-said-aideen-but-we-won-t/) [Steven Decker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-decker/) > [“The real problem, said Mary, was not women, but how men wanted women to be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-gordon/the-real-problem-said-mary-was-not-women-but-how-men-wanted-women-to/) [Charlotte Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-gordon/) ## More by G.M. Ford > [“Our memories are filled with the hundreds of people who have walked through our lives, touched us in some way, and then seemingly disappeared…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-m-ford/our-memories-are-filled-with-the-hundreds-of-people-who-have-walked/) [G.M. Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-m-ford/) > [“Where’s Nadine?” “She went out for a walk the other day and didn’t come back.” “Really.” I tried to sound surprised. “No sweat,” he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-m-ford/where-s-nadine-she-went-out-for-a-walk-the-other-day-and-didn-t-come/) [G.M. Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-m-ford/) > [“Buddy eyed me closely. His eyes were filigreed with red. I watched as he went through one of those instantaneous mood swings that only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-m-ford/buddy-eyed-me-closely-his-eyes-were-filigreed-with-red-i-watched-as/) [G.M. Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-m-ford/) > [“These guys had names for every conceivable drinking situation. They liked to have a little eye-opener to get themselves going in the morning, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-m-ford/these-guys-had-names-for-every-conceivable-drinking-situation-they/) [G.M. Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-m-ford/) > [“Living in Seattle is like being married to a beautiful woman who's sick all the time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-m-ford/living-in-seattle-is-like-being-married-to-a-beautiful-woman-who-s/) [G.M. Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-m-ford/) > [“When I was younger, I used to drive like this all the time. Today I expected to be pulled over, pummeled, and summarily arrested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-m-ford/when-i-was-younger-i-used-to-drive-like-this-all-the-time-today-i/) [G.M. Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-m-ford/) > [“I sat staring at the carpet for the longest time, trying to put everything I’d learned into some sort of meaningful order, but it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-m-ford/i-sat-staring-at-the-carpet-for-the-longest-time-trying-to-put/) [G.M. Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-m-ford/) > [“His longterm aspirations were not a subject upon which he allowed himself to dwell. Not because they were in any way bad or bizarre,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-m-ford/his-longterm-aspirations-were-not-a-subject-upon-which-he-allowed/) [G.M. Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-m-ford/) [Explore all 9 G.M. Ford quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-m-ford/) ## More Drinking quotes > [I'm Catholic and I can't commit suicide, but I plan to drink myself to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/i-m-catholic-and-i-can-t-commit-suicide-but-i-plan-to-drink-myself-to/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [There is no sweeter sound than the crumbling of one's fellow man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/there-is-no-sweeter-sound-than-the-crumbling-of-one-s-fellow-man/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [You owe me a drink, you're so ugly I dropped mine when I saw you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-owe-me-a-drink-you-re-so-ugly-i-dropped-mine-when-i-saw-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“We were still twirling around the tiny parking lot when the neighbors screamed 'Happy New Year'. Unfortunately we weren't sober enough to realize that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaitlin-scott/we-were-still-twirling-around-the-tiny-parking-lot-when-the-neighbors/) [Kaitlin Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaitlin-scott/) > [I'm drinking away the exam results that don't take me anywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-herrick/i-m-drinking-away-the-exam-results-that-don-t-take-me-anywhere/) [Steven Herrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-herrick/) > [There is an idea that you can take the spiritual teachings of a religion outside of a religion and practice them; these ideas are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seyyed-hossein-nasr/there-is-an-idea-that-you-can-take-the-spiritual-teachings-of-a/) [Seyyed Hossein Nasr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seyyed-hossein-nasr/) > [I wasn’t like, boo hoo, Bin Laden’s dead, but I wasn’t jumping. America’s a very nationalistic country, and in episodes like that of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-scahill/i-wasn-t-like-boo-hoo-bin-laden-s-dead-but-i-wasn-t-jumping-america-s/) [Jeremy Scahill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-scahill/) > [I guess that's the point of drinking, to take all the feelings and thoughts and morals away until you are just a body doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-shreve/i-guess-that-s-the-point-of-drinking-to-take-all-the-feelings-and/) [Anita Shreve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-shreve/) > [This is not really currency that circulates. It's like the old joke about expensive vintage wine. Wine prices will go up and once in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hudson/this-is-not-really-currency-that-circulates-it-s-like-the-old-joke/) [Michael Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hudson/) > [And it´s so different for a lot of people I´ve known. One partner doesn´t love the other enough to stop drinking, or gambling, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alma-katsu/and-it-s-so-different-for-a-lot-of-people-i-ve-known-one-partner/) [Alma Katsu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alma-katsu/) > [Drinking champagne after making love is like taking a bath in chilled pearls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anistatia-r-miller/drinking-champagne-after-making-love-is-like-taking-a-bath-in-chilled/) [Anistatia R. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anistatia-r-miller/) > [I was so drunk last night I fell down and missed the floor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-martin/i-was-so-drunk-last-night-i-fell-down-and-missed-the-floor/) [Dean Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-martin/) > [Design is all about relationships. Unfortunately, many designers don’t fully appreciate this. Some of the best design work I’ve ever done was drinking coffee…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-burka/design-is-all-about-relationships-unfortunately-many-designers-don-t/) [Daniel Burka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-burka/) > [In 1969, I gave up women and alcohol - it was the worst 20 minutes of my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-best/in-1969-i-gave-up-women-and-alcohol-it-was-the-worst-20-minutes-of-my/) [George Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-best/) > [I like to change liquor stores frequently because the clerks got to know your habits if you went in night and day and bought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/i-like-to-change-liquor-stores-frequently-because-the-clerks-got-to/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) [Browse all 2,711 Drinking quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drinking/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I don’t have a drinking problem,” I said. “I have a stopping problem.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "G.M. Ford" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-m-ford/i-don-t-have-a-drinking-problem-i-said-i-have-a-stopping-problem/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Drinking" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-m-ford/i-don-t-have-a-drinking-problem-i-said-i-have-a-stopping-problem/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95c/g-m-ford-43613_drinking-problem_i-don-t-have-a-drinking-problem-i-said-i_2174953.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95c/g-m-ford-43613_drinking-problem_i-don-t-have-a-drinking-problem-i-said-i_2174953.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95c/g-m-ford-43613_drinking-problem_i-don-t-have-a-drinking-problem-i-said-i_2174953.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I don’t have a drinking problem,” I said. “I have a stopping problem.” — G.M. Ford", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "G.M. Ford", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-m-ford/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“I don’t have a drinking problem,”...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-m-ford/i-don-t-have-a-drinking-problem-i-said-i-have-a-stopping-problem/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-m-ford/i-don-t-have-a-drinking-problem-i-said-i-have-a-stopping-problem/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```