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.
hi!
It's been here in a while but I have a little bit of good news! I didn't drink beer in 4 days now. I went cold turkey and so far, the only withdrawal I've had was a little bit of nausea and a little bit of trouble falling asleep. I do notice I get out of bed much faster and easier now. With much hope it won't be too bad for too long. My only question is what should I be cautious about and what are some good coping techniques to have in terms of staying off alcohol in the long run?
That is indeed good news so well done and continued success to you.
Required coping skills and what you should be cautious about will depend very much on how much of a grip alcohol has had on you. If you have been a heavy drinker but have not crossed the line into alcoholism, it should be easy enough to make a decision not to drink and to stick to it. Many normal drinkers stop drinking for a variety of reasons and will usually have no trouble in doing that.
If on the other hand, you have become an alcoholic, while the above process may work for you, it is usually a bit more difficult and may require a different approach. The two important facts to remember about alcoholism are that the first drink leads to many more and that an active alcoholic will have become obsessed with drinking.
It is this mental obsession for alcohol that you need to guard against as if you are an alcoholic, your subconscious mind will sometimes come up with reasons to drink. This can happen at times of stress but also at the most unexpected of times when life is going good. One way of dealing with this danger is through the Twelve Step programme of Alcoholics Anonymous, which results in the obsession for alcohol being removed. This programme is based on developing new coping skills for dealing with all sorts of life problems.
There is also a little book that is available from AA, called “Living Sober” and it is full of short pieces of advice that will help people in dealing with different situations and I would suggest getting a copy of the booklet. You can download an electronic copy for about $6.
PJ54: For a while I'd drink two 24oz cans of bud light at night to fall asleep. The past year I cut it down to just one 24oz can a night. My only rule is never drink during the day (only when I plan on going to sleep) so we'll see if I can continue. I've never been to AA meetings or tried the 12 step programme but I will definitely give it a try.
Gr8tful2be: I'll have to look for a support system since I do not know any in my town at the moment. I'll find one eventually
I find that the mental challenge is a bit of a challenge. For me it's a habitual thing that I'd say gives me a challenge %50 of the time. I can't count how many times half of myself says that quitting alcohol isn't a bad thing. But the other half is so used to the habit, it feels like a tug of war that ends in stalemate.
I will say a coping skill is to have a circle of friends can uphold you and walk you alongside will be good. Do you have a care group that you are in right now? I will say trying to overcome by yourself whether whatever degree of addiction will be extremely difficult. When you are able to carry the load and have accountability in a circle of people you can trust, that is the way to go.
I hope that’s helpful! Keep on the good start and praying for your recovery on this journey.