Alcoholism Support Group
Alcoholism is the continued consumption of alcoholic beverages, even when it is negatively affecting your health, work, relationships and life. If you think alcohol is causing you to lose control, it's time to seek help. Our group is a safe place to vent, check in, get back up if you fall, and reach sobriety.
My Grandson told me last night , if you just get it out of your head, it will go away. We were talking about smoking, but I bet it will work with drinking also. Kids are BRILLIANT
You are very welcome to the forum. Your grandson is a wise lad and what he has said is true. The trouble is that once alcoholism takes a firm grip it is not so easy to get it out of your head. I know people who have quit smoking because they set their minds to it and were determined to do it. Some of the same people have applied equal determination to solving the alcohol problem but found that they could not succeed without help.
Your grandsons words of wisdom may be the only motivation that you will need and I sincerely hope that it works out for you. If you find that you cannot do it on your own dont be afraid to look for help.
It is good that you have recognised and accepted that drinking has become a problem in your life. You are dealing with something that can often be very difficult to overcome but no matter how bad it is, with the right approach you can succeed.
If alcoholism has taken a tight grip on you it may be necessary for you to find some outside help. Read through other threads here on DS and you will learn more about the problem and some possible solutions. You are also welcome to send me a private message if you have questions or if there are things you would rather not post on an open forum.
The bottom line is that while your grandchildren may inspire you to face the drinking problem, there is still a bit of work that you need to do and sometimes it is better if you do it for yourself.
When the urge hits I visualize two open open windows. I feel the urge, not fight it. I then envision a gentle breeze blowing through one window carrying the urge out the other window.
What is your goal? Your grandson can see that there is a problem, you have posted here about it and you have told your boss but have you decided that you are actually going to deal with the problem?
If you have lost the ability to control your drinking you may need to consider total abstinence from alcohol. Depending on how much of a grip alcohol has on you, that may be relatively easy or it may be very difficult but either way, you can do it. If you have tried to stay sober but have found that difficult or impossible then you need help. There is no shame in admitting that you cannot do it on your own and there are different ways of getting the necessary help. Alcoholics Anonymous has worked for me.
You're right. Telling your boss and then taking a shot is not good. Drinking at emotions or situations indicates that you may need some help in getting sober. It is best to contact your doctor , be honest about your drinking to see if a medically supervised detox is required...
After checking with your doctor there are several alcohol support groups you could take a look at. There is the most well known AA. There are others like SMART, SOS, and Women for Sobriety. There is also counseling. Each has its perspective and strong points and they can be used successfully alone or in any combination. Doing it on your own can work too. As long as one is motivated and persistent.
If your goal is to stop and you are finding it difficult to do so there are a couple of things that may help. The first step in fixing any problem is to find out the exact nature of the problem. Where alcoholism is concerned there are two components to the problem, one mental and the other physical.
You say that when you start drinking you dont know when to stop and that is the physical part of alcoholism. The reason an alcoholic cannot stop after taking the first drink is because the body has developed an abnormal reaction to alcohol which results in a craving for more once a drink is taken. You try to satisfy the craving by drinking more but each drink only increases the craving and you are trapped.
The good thing about the craving in the body is that it cannot develop if you can avoid taking the first drink. That puts the focus on the other component of alcoholism which is an obsession of the mind for alcohol. You may decide that you are not going to drink for the sake of your grandchildren or for any number of other reasons and you are genuine about your decision. Yet, within a short time you are drinking again and you cannot figure out why. The reason is that the obsession of the mind for alcohol is such a strong force that it often overcomes willpower and determination.
In order to recover and to live your life in freedom it is advised that you should find some means of removing that obsession that drives you to take the first drink. There are various ways of removing the obsession and one of them or a combination of several will work for you, providing that you have an honest desire to stop drinking. For me it has been and is Alcoholics Anonymous but there are other methods too and you will see them mentioned on various threads here on DS.
The bottom line is that you can overcome the drinking problem no matter how bad it may be. To get there will require some work on your part and today is a good time to start the journey. This forum may help you too so please keep posting.
Our kids have radar. My kids could always tell when I was emotionally absent. With the first drink, Calgon took me away. I was always going to make it up to them "tomorrow". Tomorrow didn't come for years.
As long as you "like" drinking, your kids will come last. I hope you stick around. Maybe try an open meeting of AA. Best wishes, Dianna
Day one is a good day and remember that you only have to stay sober for today. If one day seems too long break it down and stay sober for the next hour.
God will move mountains but you must bring the wheelbarrow. If the mountain is still troublesome you will find that God works through people and you will find people at AA meetings.