Hi, bethmach!!!! Welcome to the board!!!
I'm sorry that you're struggling with drinking, but glad that you ended up here!!! I hope that you will find all the support and info that you want and need!!
I don't know a lot about the treatment for OCD. Do you take meds for it? Or receive other treatment? Is it the OCD symptoms that are prompting you to drink that much? If so, then I think it's just as important to make sure you're doing everything possible to treat your OCD.
That's how much I was drinking every night, too!!! Usually 8 beers, sometimes more. And it wasn't even any fun, after a while. Id' physically be clumsy and staggering a little bit, but inside, I still felt just as miserable as when I was sober. That behavior went on for longer than I care to remember and I finally got so sick and disgusted with myself that I quit.
I don't know what it will take to make you choose sobriety, but your in the right place!! Many people here will let you know that you're not alone, that there is hope and they will tell you what works for them!!!
I hope you find your way!! Your life can be good!!! (((((Hugs)))))

Thank you Carla. It means so much to hear from someone who has been there. The drinking initially started with OCD symptoms but now feels like a habit. Like I don't know what to do with myself after work other than drink. I get other things and lots of things accomplished actually but all the while I am drinking. If I don't drink I do feel anxious and don't know what to do with myself. I have never had physical withdrawals but I know that doesn't mean I don't have a problem.

BTW, I am in treatment for my OCD and for generalized anxiety and depression. I am on medication for all of the above and received intensive therapy in the past for all as well. I am not with a therapist currently.

I didn't have physical withdrawals, either And I didn't have hangovers except for rarely. If I had, maybe I would have been motivated sooner.
But one thing I did notice is that the next day, after drinking, my anxiety would be much worse! I suffer from generalized Anxiety. If the same is true for you, it could be a vicious circle.
I know what you mean about it being a habit!! It was for me, too.

Is a "habit" different than alcohlism though? My cousin who is currently in treatment has told me she is diagnosed as "alca-habit", not alcoholic. I don't know if I buy this. Are you in treatment? How long sober?

Hi Bethmach,

I'm not familiar with OCD but anxiety is what finally pushed me over the edge to get help with my drinking. After a traumatic loss, I got in the habit of self medicating with alcohol. I used to consider drinking four beers in a day's time excessive. That habit turned into a bottle of booze (whiskey, rum, brandy) a day up until recently.
I drank to deal with anxiety, then woke up the next day feeling like crap and no progress on the anxiety.

In counseling, I wasn't honest about my drinking at first. That really limited progress. It took an eye opening experience at an AA meeting to really make me assess what's going on in my life and come up with some solid plans to deal with it.

I'm fairly new to this, so I don't feel like I'm a good source of advice. If there's anything that's ever been helpful to me, it's the notion that if you want sobriety, find someone who's achieved it and follow their lead.

Good luck to you!

It can be a habit for some beth. For many it doesn't go past a few drinks a night. But for others the patterns change. Sips turn to gulps and then one day you might wake and not recall what you did after a certain time the night before. Where this was a rare occasion, it becomes more frequent and that can be a danger sign towards alcoholism.

It's a brave first step to reach out beth, even if your not an alcoholic, you've noticed a change in drinking habits and kudos to you for seeking support. I'd encourage you to educate and raise your awareness about alcohol abuse and alcoholism. Even pop along to an AA meeting and listen for any similarities. See if you can relate. Welcome to the group :}

Hello, Beth. I've been here only a few weeks, but I've found many to connect with and I think you will, too. It's a good group.

You feel that drinking is a problem for you, whether or not you are an alcoholic, and I think you will find comments and stories here and in an AA meeting that you will easily relate to.

Hope you return often.

Augusta

Welcome, Beth!! It is progressive. Habit or not, if it's causing you problems, better to nip it in the bud.

~Chris

Welcome Beth. Good to reach out on issues like this.

Sounds like you are self medicating-figuring out your own treatment here for OCD. Booze usually does not work in the long run for these types of issues-as I am sure you are discovering.

I noticed you said you are on meds. I hope you realize mixing meds and booze can be deadly. Please talk to doc about this. Or, if you choose not to-and you are not suppose to drink on your meds-you NEED to stop one of the two, or you may wind up with devatstating consequences.