Me neither. I actually was blessed with a loving family. But I have a thing when booze is introduced. I will just not stop when I start. I have a compulsion to drink. Always I was getting too much. I saw booze as a great answer to no problem. I did, then get into bad shape after lots of abuse years. I mean bottle a night /12 pack , bad. Today I just work on getting thru today w/out a drink. I joined this site three yrs ago and then a few weeks later I found a meeting saved my life. I was killing myself. You don't have to today. Ditch the sauce! It is possible. Go get sober starting today
1is2many

Congratulations on Day 1.

I had a good upbringing and have a good life now and, like you, am risking it all when I drink because I too can't stop once I start.

I've tried and failed many times but I'm here and trying again.

We're all here for each other.

Rich

Hello NVRTHOT,

There is probably nobody who starts off drinking with the intention of developing a problem with alcohol or becoming an alcoholic but unfortunately it does happen. However, having such a difficulty is not at all as gloomy as it seems at the moment of realisation and with the right attitude it is possible to have a great life without alcohol.

For some people all it takes is strong willpower, reading inspirational books, support from internet sites such as DS etc. For others, those things may help but the experience of many has proven that willpower alone is not always enough and indeed, some of the most strong-willed people in the world have found that they could not win in the fight against alcoholism. An alternative approach is to accept that you cannot drink and to then learn ways of changing your thinking so that alcohol is no longer in the equation. This is the solution that is offered by Alcoholics Anonymous.

I have not had a hard life and although my family were far from rich we never wanted for anything. I worked in the same job all of my working life, built my own house and paid off the mortgage, paid for my children to go through college, never had a DUI conviction (that is a miracle) and am still married to the same good lady after 34 years. Yet, I am without a shadow of doubt an alcoholic and by the time that I stopped drinking I had lost all hope. Therefore, you are not a fool but on the contrary, you are very wise in recognising that drinking has become a problem for you.

You have stated that you have no excuse for drinking and that is exactly how it is. You have probably become obsessed with alcohol and someone who has gone into that state of mind will always drink. Some will come up with seemingly valid excuses but they are only fooling themselves. You may also have developed an abnormal reaction in the body to alcohol and this is why you cannot control it. Each drink will lead to a craving for more and you will probably feel that no matter how much you drink, it is not enough.

If you have developed this mental obsession and physical craving for alcohol your only safe option is not to drink at all - trying to control it will be a futile exercise because of the physical craving. Therefore, stop beating yourself up as that achieves nothing, take an honest look at the problem and decide on what your solution is going to be.

Great advice on this thread. iIwould add: Welcome to the board, it's good that you are reaching out. That's the first step to getting the help that you need.

Here's another website the may be helpful to you in getting more information about recovery: https://www.thefix.com

I think alcoholism can happen to anyone. In the rooms and in my life I've seen it happen to people from all walks of life. Sometimes we come to it from horrible strife and other times from boredom but either way the result is the same: a dangerous dependency.

I wish you the best in your recovery journey. The first day is the hardest. Just take it day by day. You can do it. I have 1 3/4 years sober and hope to have many more. There are people you will meet here and in AA with much more sobriety who will reassure you that lasting sobriety is possible and holds much happiness for you.

You are taking the first steps by posting here.

Some good stuff here. Welcome to day one. You've come to the right place. oxox

Welcome. Glad you're here. Hugs

Welcome Nvrthot and congratulations on making one of the most important decisions of your life!

At this support group we come from different cultures, life experiences faiths (or not) and walks of life, but we do share one common goal: supporting one another in leading sober lives. To that end, we learn from and nurture one other.

You said that you felt like a fool today. Let me assure you that we have all had that day of reckoning when we felt the fool. It's when we reached the bottom that we finally decided to make a change. I hope you have made that decision today and look forward hearing more from you in the future as you work through the early days of recovery.

Wish you great success and will always be here for you!

Sounds like boredom may be your biggest trigger. I think it might help you to adopt some type of treatment plan. Of course it is totally up to you but the important thing is to not beat yourself up. We all made the same mistakes with alcohol that you did and holding onto all that guilt and shame may hurt you more then help.

I found that i could not do it alone, I needed help after trying to quit on my `own, hundreds of times and failing miserably!. I tried AA and the support I received in AA through the 12 steps, saved my life and gave me a quality of life, I never thought possible! As a result, I have never been happier!

God Bless!

Glad you found us. You will get many opinions on what is the best approach to dealing with alcohol addiction. My suggestion is to read all you can find and use this forum to bounce ideas, concerns etc. off of us. Make no mistake about it, you are starting a new life, a much better natural and sober life. Big challenge but well worth the effort.

Alcoholism was the hardest addiction for me to break. I was a daily drinker at the end, and it was extremely difficult to get those first couple of days under my belt.
I could not imagine life being fun without alcohol either. But then I had gotten to that point where when I used to drink to feel good, I had to drink to stop feeling bad. Its a fine line and can be very subtle as many do not know they've crossed it til its too late.
You can do it but it will take some resolve and maybe some prayer to get through it. You will find good support here and people that are in your corner. Peace and good wishes to you.

Hey everyone,

Just to follow up, first of all, thank you for the warm welcome. Good to know there's a place with "others" like me to chat with.

I made it through Day 1! Whoot Whoot! I even had to attend a birthday party where there were cocktails being served last night, I stuck with a diet pop. I am now on day two and going good. I have managed to keep myself pretty busy so far today. Just want to stay distracted. Not saying the thought didn't cross my mind for a bloody Mary this morning while out shopping though lol. My toughest days are coming, usually days 3 and 4. Not to mention it's Halloween tomorrow night as well, a temptation in itself to partake. However, for today, at this very moment of time, I'm good. Gonna hang onto this mindset as long as possible ;). Thanks for all the cheers and yes I have to say BobinMaine hit the nail on the head. Boredom my biggest trigger. I worked very hard and graduated with a Law Enforcement degree in 2008 at the age of 36 with a brand new newborn. Served as a Corrections Officer in a male facility and a few years ago ended up on disability, not job related, but chronic illness. So for the last few years, the boredom has set in, struggling to find a content spot at staying home all the time. Anyway, thanks for the ear guys!

Welcome. Glad you found us.

Boredom was my thing too. My drinking and drugging got so out of hand. I'm grateful to be sober now. Welcome to the forum.

Welcome!! So glad you are here. I too had no real strife or horrendous upbringing or trauma that I could use as an "excuse" to start drinking or to keep drinking. I just liked to drink and that simple "like" got stronger and stronger over the past 5-6 years until I was drinking 14-15 beers every day and still somehow holding down a job. (Having a home office is really a strong enabler for an alcoholic and I have one.) Keep coming back and sharing and find a local AA meeting or two if you can and check that out. I was blessed to find a good group. I am not religious at all and one of the misconceptions about AA is that it is a "religious group" Those meetings have literally helped to save me and help me save myself every day so far by not drinking.

Alcohol knows no prejudice.
You came here seeking support to help you on your path to sobriety, and that is commendable. We aren't so different.
Peace, love, sobriety,

Sosa xx