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.
In simple terms my problem with alcohol can be defined in terms of powerlessness. I couldnt stop drinking entirely no matter how much I wanted to (no effective mental defense against the first drink) and when I drank I had little control over the amount I drank.
If I hadnt have been powerless and therefore had some control/choice in my drinking I wouldnt have had a drinking problem. I would either have controlled the amount I drank or chosen not to drink at all.
I understand from reading many peoples experience on DS that this is not the case for everyone and that some people have control/choice in regard to drinking.
I am not in much of a position to help those people as they do not have the same problem as me therefore my experience and the solution I have found are of little help to them.
However I would like to understand more about the nature of drinking problems where powerlessness is not the problem and people have a drinking problem despite the fact that they have control/choice.
Would anyone be able to share their experience on this so that I can understand a little better?
Many thanks.
If I hadnt have been powerless and therefore had some control/choice in my drinking I wouldnt have had a drinking problem. I would either have controlled the amount I drank or chosen not to drink at all.
I understand from reading many peoples experience on DS that this is not the case for everyone and that some people have control/choice in regard to drinking.
I am not in much of a position to help those people as they do not have the same problem as me therefore my experience and the solution I have found are of little help to them.
However I would like to understand more about the nature of drinking problems where powerlessness is not the problem and people have a drinking problem despite the fact that they have control/choice.
Would anyone be able to share their experience on this so that I can understand a little better?
Many thanks.
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I gave my 2 week notice last Friday 13th. Now to join you fine people in a life of leisure and nothing else to do but to look out for myself....is it just me or does that sound pretty boring? My goal was to live to retire and I guess having to take early retirement because of health reasons wasn't exactly the way I had planned things. I just can't stay in that building that is reeking mildew...
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I'm trying to exercise daily. I was doing fairly well until I sprained my ankle 2 weeks ago but now I'm getting back on the horse. Today I walked over a mile with my arm weights that are about 22lbs total. I was out of shape and it was hard on my arms. I also did my 30 situps. I'm also going to drink a lot of water and try to eat healthy. I do tend to have a sweet tooth but I'm cutting...
I would control it during the week. 4 beers average.
Sometimes less, sometimes more.
I would just go to bed whether I was tired or not when they were done with.
Pretty sad.
Over fifteen years ago my doctor told me to cut down on salt, and I did. Now I happen to love salt, but I did it without joining Saltaholics Anonymous, Rationsalt Recovery or SMALT. I didn't attend meetings or classes, read books or articles, visit websites, listen to tapes, adopt a philosophy or enter into debate about methods of abstaining with other salt eaters who also needed to quit and had succeeded.
If I could have done the same with alcohol, I assure you that I would have. But my craving for it was at a different level altogether, so the means of maintaining abstinence had to be something that works at that level. Am I making any sense here?
And if I had gone looking for any support group whatsoever for saltaholics, right then & there I would have shifted the locus of control over to those whose experience, advice and example I sought. So I have to ask, what exactly is the difference between that and saying that I am powerless over alcohol when left to my own devices? I would have been de facto admitting that I couldn't cut down on salt with my own rational resources, that I needed outside help in order to achieve the desired modification of my behavior, and was willing to follow whatever suggestions or guidelines they offered.
How is going to Rational Recovery, DS or SMART for advice, support and mutual backlslapping any different from AA in that respect? And why are there literally hundreds of programs, websites, books, treatment centers, rehabs, etc. to help people kick drugs & alcohol, and none at all for salt users?
I LOVE coffee. LOVE it! Crave it.
But it makes my heart race and I don't like that. Brings on anxiety.
I can go years and years and years without drinking it. I can have one cup, regret it, and not touch it for another ten years.
Alcohol? Nope. I mean really,,,,what's the point of having just one? That's just silly!
Powerless, indeed.
But powerless to an extent. If I wanna paycheck I'm certainly not going to drink 18 beers a night whether I want to or not.
That is why I asked the question as I was hoping that someone who had posted on the choice thread would explain something of how that works.
I'm agreeing.
I know I am powerless and sobriety is the only answer.
I guess what I was saying was that I can be powerless yet able to function cuz I would have no choice but to function.
So as much as I was out of control I was in forced control mode.
I suppose that doesn't make sense, uh?
There were many instances where I could have made the "choice" to stop 2-3, or 4 years after I started drinking. After 6 or 7 years, the choice was really gone, and I was powerless over it because I was addicted to my daily dose.
Now to flip that around, you can make the choice to stop when you are addicted. BUT you will likely be powerless if you pick up the bottle again.
I to have stated that if you go to a meeting or you end up on this site, most likely you have already done your first step. If you had the power , I am sure you wouldn't wind up at a alcoholic chat line.
I used to be in the stage of "functional alcoholic". Worked all of the time and took care of my responsibilities. I actually believed I deserved it as a reward for years..
Then I couldn't function anymore without it. Got to where I HAD to drink. I never imagined it could get so bad.
They were folks just like us, yet they found something within themselves to crawl out of the hell they were in. Not all can, but some do.
Why do you think there is such a debate around here about this topic? It's because there are some that can't make it without help, and others that have proven they can make it on their own.
I am NOT powerless over the FIRST drink,
I am , however, powerless over the second, third, fourth, etc.
We have the only disease that tells us we are ok. I could not control it once I picked up that first one.
My thinking is that the people who choose not to drink under their own will power may not be alcoholic. Maybe they stopped before they crossed that invisible line that many of us cross over.
i think the how much is the key to if you have the gene....but i am not sure...