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.
Hello everyone, I found this site today searching the Internet for help to curb my desire for alcohol. In the past 10 years, I would consider myself a social drinker and I probably drank 1 to 2 beers a month. Never really wanted to drink. This year has been different. I remember after the holidays and new year's celebration which included drinking mainly beer, I poured out the rest of the beers I had left and I told my family I was quitting. Well I'm embarrassed to say that I have not gone a full week since without drinking beer. Some weeks it would be 2 to 3 days, and others it would almost be every day. Because I'm a big muscular guy, it takes a lot of beers for me to feel buzzed and it takes even more for me to be drunk. Recently, I've noticed my energy level has gone down and it's taking me days to fully recover from a hangover. It bothers me that I'm not spending Quality time with my young children and I'm falling behind on my fitness goals. As indicated in my topic title I am a Christian man struggling with alcoholism. I take my faith seriously and am involved in music ministry. I have asked my awesome wife to help keep me accountable. Would love to hear from anyone who can relate toy struggle. Today will be my 3rd day without a drink. Can't wait to get passed 7 days.
It's the first drink that does the damage.
Another thing which has saved my sorry arse is to 'think the drink through', when I'm tempted to start again. When I feel like drinking, or in the obsession, I can only see the wonderful relief a few drinks would give me. I have to think it right through - what will happen as I CONTINUE to drink, get drunk and suicidal. What it will be like to come to in the morning in total desolation - losing my friends- and so on. This stops me picking up.
I also attend support meetings, but if you have church that's kind of similar.
GOOD LUCK, take it a day at a time!
I used to live a few doors down from the local church and right next to the curate...on the odd ocassion I would go ti church and see him all dressed up assisting with Mass...more commonly I saw him night after night over the garden fence. It was kind of funny, we were both on the same pattern...we would sit up drinking til 3 or 6 in the morning and sleep it off the next day. Every half hour we would both step in to the garden to have a smoke a urinate down the drain (upstairs toilet felt like too much of a journey if tou hear me!). It amused me, our bladders were so much in synch but we never acknowledged each other - he would pretend I wasn't there and I would pretend he wasn't there :)) Funny.
I admit I had a tendency to look down on him...acting holier than thou but his faith was no help when it came to his little problem, that only him and me knew about :) Funny how I always looked out and judged...couldn't see what was staring straight back at me in the mirror.
The truth as I see it today is me and him had the same problems...we just ran away from them in different ways. Faith of some kind is an important part of my life today but it was never going to help me or my friend until we admitted the problem was alcohol. The reason why I lost my tolerance wasn't that I was getting old, it was because I was mentally and physically tied to booze. The reason I couldn't meet my commitments in life was because booze had become more important to me...I wasn't a bad person I just had a larger commitment to meet...drinking enough to deal with the effects of yesterdays drinking.
God may well be the light but if I walk around all day with my head in a booze-fuelled fog I haven't got much chance of seeing him :)
I would say I was a little anti - religious in my drinking days but I man with high spiritual ideals. Stopping drinking was the first step for me in getting back in touch with that side of myself...today I have something in my life I choose to call God that helps me in my daily living. But I had to get free from booze first and that meant reaching out for help of a more practical nature...
Good luck in the journey my friend, stick around
P
A religious life and a life centred on spiritual principles are two different things. They're not incompatible but they're different.
And alcohol is a pretty effective wedge to keep me from either of them
P
Hugs,
Dennis
Your involvement in music ministry can probably help you through this. Music is so powerful -- I hope you can draw on it to find strength to stay true to yourself, and to God, by living a sober life.
On the practical side -- drink lots of water, especially when you crave a drink. Eat good meals and get light exercise. In the first couple of weeks you might feel anxious, joyous, angry or foggy brained. And this might change in a nano second. That's okay. It will pass. Stay focused and centered. And stay sober.
Hugs,
Dennis