Yes Leaf, keep trying. Keep signing on and posting to this discussion group, we can help you. We all have been through the humiliating experiences that alcohol can cause. That is one good reason to quit and I can give you 50 others as well. Alcohol is a crazy addiction and a difficult one to deal with because so many people in our society drink booze on a regular basis. Try joining our sober world. I think you will learn a lot from this discussion group and you will be among friends who understand what you are facing. Go for it Leaf!

It doesn't matter how many times you fall, it matters how many times you get up

Oh yeah like buck said we have all been there! I tried quitting on my own hundreds of times and I finally came to the conclusion that I couldn't do it alone, I needed help.

I told my doctor about my problem with alcohol and she put me right into detox and that started the wheels turning on my recovery. After 4 days of detox I went in to a 3 week out patient program. After I completed that, my couselors thought I needed additional treatment so I was refered to 3 months of once a week relapse prevention group counseling. I learned about AA and how to get the most out of it, while I was in treatment. This all took place about 8 years ago.

That was how I got sober but it's not the only way.

So just forget about the past and remember that today is the first day of the rest of your life!

God Bless!

Don't rely on your willpower. Get a program. Any variety of programs.

I humiliated and embarrassed myself repeatedly for 20 years. And many times I vowed to quit. Only AA has kept me sober for more than two years. I don't even think about alcohol anymore.

Welcome Leaf, glad you are here. I have struggled and I keep trying. It is worth it , you are worth it, to commit to sobriety and find something, anything, many things that will help you stay sober. Coming on DS is one of those things. Keep coming. You can do it. Many blessings.

What is Yoda's line from Star Wars? There is no try. There is only do. Do or do not.

Are you drinking right now? If you are, put it down. If you are not, then good. For this point in time you have stopped. You can make it through right now without drinking, so you can make it through the next "right now" without drinking. Forget one day at a time -- take it one moment at a time. Right now. Let the moments of not drinking add up so that you have a block of them. An hour, a day, a week, a month, piling up behind you to give you a foundation to stand on.

It gets easier over time, but some moments might be challenging. When you hit that challenging moment -- take a deep breath and say "I am not drinking RIGHT NOW."

In early sobriety I found it useful to time my bad cravings -- the one where it felt like I was being smacked on the side of the head with a 2X4 or that I was falling into an abyss the craving was so bad. I would time these cravings -- look at a clock and see how long the worst of it lasted. Most were less than 20 minutes, and I think the act of timing them made them shorter. You might want to try this, as well as looking into support systems or programs. I quit on my own, but that's because I figured that I was the one drinking and I was the one who had to put it down. For me it had to come from within.

You can do this.

Thanks for all of your comments. They help so much. I am in day 4 of not drinking. Your words all made my commitment stronger and me more hopeful. "Right now" may become my new mantra! Thank you

Keep coming back to us Leaf. Sign on every single day if you can. Participation in this group has really helped me and I believe it is a big part of the answer. You will have your good days and bad days, just like all people. Over time you will learn to deal with your bad times without turning to booze. You will become a stronger and happier person.

I am in your same boat Leaf. i have 'tried' before but i tried the "okay i drink 5 days a week lets slowly drop down to 3 days a week, then 2, then 1." That worked for a bit but i got back on the same train i was on and started drinking 5 days a week again. It was rough and not to mention expensive.

I have decided to make small goals of quitting. Dont say "im going to quit forever!" say something like 'im going to not drink this whole week" then move to a month, and so on. Make small goals so you can feel good about what your doing. I am only on day 3 but i feel great and its satisfying knowing that i havent had a drink. I admit the urges are strong and last night i really wanted a drink but you have to stay focused. Realize that your health is more important.

God speed my friend, and good luck. you can do it!

I quit a million times I just couldn't stay quit. I would get to feeling better, things were back ok with the fam and bam I'd be at the bar drunk and wondering wtf happened. See I couldn't stay sober until I found a group of other Alchies and joined. Now I have a support system and when I feel the urge , I can ask for help.

There is a sober you inside just waiting to be let out. Open the door
1is2many

Giday L7, at what point do we go from 'I am trying to stop' to 'I do not drink', from 'I am quitting' to 'I have quit'. I have found that being in the 'achieved' state of thinking has given me strength.

When others say to me do you want a beer, when I reply I do not drink it reinforces how I think about myself. If I reply I am trying to stop drinking it leaves the door open that I may drink, not to mention the normal questions around why, come on you can just have one etc, etc.

May I suggest trying to go from try to have done and see if that helps inside yourself.

Wishing you well G8

G8 -

That is excellent advice! And it is not "I can't drink" -- because you can, that is the problem. It is "I don't drink."

And don't worry about whether you have tried to quit before and failed or whether other people quit and fail. What matters is (right now) you have quit, you do not drink, and that's what it is about.