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.
I have struggled with alcohol. I went a whole year of not drinking alone and only drinking at social gatherings. This worked for me. However, after a year, I started buying alcohol and drinking again thinking I could control it. Recently I decided to only drink socially again, and it hasn't been a problem. However, one way my older brother and I connect is through a common interest in craft beer. I am afraid to tell him that I've struggled with an addiction of alcohol because of a fear that we won't have as much in common. He gave me some new beers he has found, and I don't know how to tell him this is a struggle for me. When he gives these to me, I drink and I can't stop myself from drinking an acceptable amount, and I struggle with depression when I've had too much to drink. Any advice from anyone in a similar situation would be appreciated!
Sometimes it can be hard to make a decision after weighing up both sides of a situation. However, in this case, once you know the facts about alcoholism, it should be easy enough to arrive at the correct outcome. If you keep drinking, it is likely that you will slide further and further down until your life is a complete mess and I am sure that your brother would not want that. Why not look at other activities that you can take up that would help you to connect with your brother.
Be aware too that even social drinking could become a problem and that your best option may be to quit drinking entirely. You ask about how to let others know? Well, most people don’t need to know as it is none of their business so you can make any kind of excuse or simply say that you don’t drink. When telling more important people such as your brother, honesty is the best policy.
Your older brother will love you no matter what. If you tell him about your struggle with alcohol he will no doubt be shocked but I bet he'll respect you so much for being honest with him and he will be able to help you with this addiction.
Many of us alcoholics have been able to stop drinking for periods of time and that only encourages our thought process to think that we can handle drinking on social occasions. What we need to look at is how we drank/drink on those occasions - could one drink be enough? The answer for me was and is NO. From that first sip my body craved more and I wouldn't stop until I couldn't walk or had blacked out. I managed to binge drink like this for some time until soon enough an odd glass mid week would creep in ..........
What I see is that you are just about keeping one side of a thin line at the moment - convincing yourself that social drinking is a better option than drinking all the time but how long will you be strong enough to keep on that road = if you think you have a problem then you most probably do.
I worried about what others thought at the start of my journey but now I don't care. I'm sober and my anxiety levels have dropped. I've reduced my anti depressant dosage and I see things much clearer. My group of friends are all big drinkers so socially alcohol is at the core - have I lost any friends? No I haven't. Some understand my choice not to drink more than others. Those that don't understand are those that are the ones now drawing focus to their own drinking behaviours. I did for a while distance myself from my drinking friends and declined invitations to all events and social functions etc purely because I felt uncomfortable in those surroundings. Now I just pick and choose which functions I want to attend and no longer feel that I have to go just to make everyone happy. If I do go, after the first hour or so my friends are well on the way to being so drunk that they wouldn't remember if I was there or not which allows me to leave without making any excuses.
I love my sober life - I hope you find the strength to be honest with your brother and then hopefully you will feel comfortable in making a decision to commit to a sober journey before you cross that thin line.
Much love.