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 all! I wanted to introduce myself when I was already a month sober and could have some hindsight but...it's only Day 3 and I wanted to drink so bad today, I actually took an aspirin to stop myself from drinking later (since aspirin and alcohol do not mix).
Sooo...here I am. Day 3 of the 30 Day Sobriety Solution. My story in a nutshell: I come from a family of alcoholics. Several cousins went to prison for DUI. My dad almost died from his alcoholism and he didn't stop drinking. There is no rock bottom for him until death. So, the compulsion runs strong in the family.
I've tried to be careful in my life. And yet, almost two years ago I started having severe postpartum anxiety. I took Prozac to cope. And I also started to drink. You can imagine it snowballed from a few relaxing drinks with the husband to eventually isolating myself so I could drink 3/4 of a bottle of Kahlua almost every day. I gained seven pounds in half a year and I stopped doing activities with my family on the weekend. I claimed tiredness but really I was just hungover and wanted to drink alone.
Recently I lost my job (not due to alcoholism, thankfully). The job had sucked, but it's still humiliating. But I thought, "why not take this time to get sober? Why not turn something bad into something wonderful?"
So here I am. Day Three of no drinking and I want to drink so bad. But one day at a time right? I wanted to drink last night, but I didn't. And today I want to drink, but I took an aspirin instead, to scare myself from a drink. It's been hard but as they say, 99% is a bitch, 100% is a breeze. And I think what it means is, if you're fully committed to not drinking it's a lot easier than if you mentally give yourself wiggle room to drink again.
Sorry so long. Hi again!
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check out that smoke ring. It tasted really good. I smothered it with Maulls BBQ sauce which is Local to St. Louis and one of the best I ever had.....
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I was recently separated from my wife of 33 years and it's complicated. Anyway I rented a room about 15 minutes away and I see my kids about once a week. I see the people who own the house I live in once in a while but other than that I stay in my room where I do my cooking, wash dishes in the shower, read, color, and sleep. I get out at least once a day. I grocery shop and I attend 2 meetings...
Welcome to the DS forum and I wish you well on your journey.
It is important to keep all options open if you are serious about sobriety. I was fully committed to not drinking but would soon find a reason to have a few drinks, “just for today”. In the end, I gave up trying and drank for no reason at all. It was at that point that I knew I needed help and went to AA meetings.
Keep trying and stay positive. Do something today you wouldn't have been able to when you were drunk or hungover.
God Bless
The thing that's killing me about the cravings: I feel great right now. I have energy, appetite and no pounding headache. Instead of drinking I can go to the gym and have a workout that leaves me feeling energized and relaxed at the same time.
And yet...I want to grab a bottle and DRINK all day. Even though I know it's only a few hours of euphoria and a whole 24 hours of looking and feeling like SHIT. Ugh!! I wish I could get this stupid craving out of my system. I went through most of my adulthood not needing alcohol to cope, why now? *kicks self* Not literally, lol.
God Bless
If it can help I can send you the infos of the guy who helped me quit.
I find the book helpful because every day there's a "solution" that you have to work on -- a different exercise focused on sobriety. I guess you could say it's like DIY cognitive behavioral therapy. I definitely wouldn't call it some miracle solution, but it's an interesting read and got me motivated to get sober.
https://30xxu22g3ux917ca5732v7jk-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/30DaySobrietySolutionBook.png
I wish you luck on your road to recovery I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers.
God Bless
I think if it were as easy as reading a book and following a 30 days programme then programmes like AA, Anon and all drinkaware advice centres would be out of business and the Health service would simply prescribe the book instead of spending millions on alcohol related medication and therapy!
As you say it's not a miracle solution so of course follow the book if you find it useful but please also seek help from other sources - if you want permanent sobriety then you need a support network. X
Good luck and well done on your now 5 days x
-- Exercise and walks (seems like you already discovered this!). My cravings were worst in the evening so I would go for a walk then. The endorphins from exercise helps combat cravings.
-- Drinking water. Sometimes I had cravings because I was thirsty. Since most of what I drank before I quit was an alcoholic beverage, my body translated thirst to cravings. Drinking water helped a lot.
-- Mantra, meditation, and controlled breathing. I had a mantra I repeated to myself in the first few weeks. (I can not drink, I will not drink, I do not drink.) I also found breathing calmly (count four in, hold for three, exhale for 8 -- or whatever works for you) helped me over the rough spots
-- Timing cravings. In the beginning, there was a hum of desire to drink that was there much of the time that I could deal with and went away after a few weeks. There were also times when a craving would hit so hard that it was like being smacked across the head with a two-by-four. I started timing them with a watch. I think the act of timing them helps you get over them and makes them shorter.
-- Sleep and good food. You have to really take good care of yourself in a mindful way. Drinking does a number on your mind and your body and it takes time to heal.
BTW, for a lot of people it is as easy as reading a book. Try "The Easy Way to Stop Drinking" by Allen Carr. Read the Amazon reviews, too. Lots of people find this book to be incredibly helpful. I did, even though I read it after I quit, it still helped me immensely in the first few months.
Good luck -- you can do this!
1is2many