I was in a similar position as you and I knew I couldn't do it alone. I needed help!

I went to the ER and asked to be admitted to detox and of course, I was drunk at the time, so they admitted me. While there, I had a complete physical. After detox, I went into an IOP (Intensive Outpatient Program) where I was treated for the things that predisposed me to addiction such as depression, and ptsd.

After that, my counselor recommended 3 months of relapse prevention group counseling where I learned what my triggers were and how to handle them.

I am not sure if I could have stayed sober without all of the above and AA alone, but they both worked great together because throughout all the treatment I received, AA meetings were mandatory, we learned alot about AA and once a week during my 3 week IOP, we had a representative from AA speak to us. Now I am one who gives back, as a representative of AA and speaks to those in the IOP class, which I use to be a part of!

From my experience, I can tell you that if you continue drinking, it won't get any better. In fact, when I was a kid, I watch my mother die a slow death from alcoholic liver sirosis! It is not a pretty picture! I hope and pray, you don't put your kids through that trauma!!!

Please do something concrete now before it is too late, especially if you want your family to be proud of you once again!

Please, don't put them through what I went through as a kid! I took my mothers death so hard that her doctor prescribed valium to me, and that was my introduction to using a drug to numb my feelings! Years later, I became a drug addict and then an alcoholic when I could no longer find pills.

7 years ago, I started a journey...I chose to take a different road called the road to sobriety! Today, I live my life by the 12 steps and I have never been happier!

God Bless!

Thank you Bob.
I don't need a detox-physically. I am able to go several days with no issues. It's the mental detox.
I will get myself back to daily meetings beginning tomorrow morning.

Today I am staying home.there is no alcohol in the house and if I don't go out, i won't have any.
Besides, I feel horrible. Both mentally and physically.
I've got to face my husband when he gets home from work and I will most likely be told that he has had enough.
I am so scared to face this.

The only way you stop it is to stop drinking..I'm at the same point....it gets so much better...every symptom goes away....

Its just stopping is not easy.

Exactly "it's just stopping is that easy"


Wow.... If only it WAS that easy.
There is so much involved.
If we could "just stop" there wouldn't be any alcoholics in the world today...

Sigh.......

And I drink.

When will it end.....

Hello walkingtall,

I didnt know how either so I asked someone to show me the way. Going to AA meetings, listening and sharing is good up to a point but it does not address the issues that cause you to drink. There is a lot of good sharing at meetings, there is a lot more that is of very little value to someone who wishes to recover from alcoholism and then there is stuff that is downright wrong. The solution to the problem is in the Twelve Steps, done with the aid of a sponsor.

By learning how to practice the Steps you can go from just existing to living life to the full. You can learn how to deal with self-hate, self-pity, deep depression, and mental craving for that drink and so much more.

My suggestion to you is to focus you listening on people at the meetings who have what you would like to have. Listen for people who share about the programme of recovery rather than just their drinking stories and ask one of those people (preferably another lady) if she would become your sponsor.

You have a choice now and a decision to make. On the one hand you can keep doing what you have been doing and hope for the best but as you can see, that has not been working for you. The alternative is to take a chance on doing what has worked for other people.

Are you willing to ask someone to show you the way?

Thank you PJ.
I plan on talking to my sponsor after tomorrow's meeting and letting it allnout.

What have I got to lose, right? Just life.......

Actually, the "stopping" is easy. A couple of painful, miserable, anxious, stressful "detoxing" days.

The "staying stopped" was the difficult part for me. Until I found a bunch of people who were successful at staying stopped. I listened to what worked for them, gave that an honest effort. I have stayed stopped for almost 11 years.

FWIW, I was also diagnosed with bipolar disorder. After several years of sobriety, I was able to manage my BP without meds. It's amazing what can happen when you stop adding alcohol to an already mess-up mental state.

Don't bend your elbow works if nothing else!

Only when the pain was so great was I ready to get to a meeting and ask for help. See I was a stubborn mule and would never askid for help. That's part why I became alcoholic. I'm a selfish b stard.

It's a mental deal. You have to fix why you wNt to hide from yourself I wanted to hide from myself because I was me. That simple. I did not like myself. So I drank. And drank.

Only when I started to go to a meeting daily and get to god was I able to plug the jug. You can too

1is2many

I went to a great meeting today. My sponsor was not available to talk afterwards but I met with another lady who I also admire and we had a good heart to heart. It is wonderful to talk to another person who doesn't judge and who gets it.

Looking forward to tomorrow's meeting

its great to look forward to meetings...love it.
Thank you...God..for having a place for us drunks to go

You're telling my story WT. But for me, it was the desperation to stop that got me into recovery. I became willing to do anything to stay stopped. ANYTHING. Like another poster said "it was easy to stop....harder to stay stopped.

I stopped drinking when my kids were 8 & 11. Knowing they deserved a sober, present mother in their lives helped spur me on. I found me in the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. Today, son is almost 35 & daughter just turned 31. They are productive, loving people. My heroes.

More than anything, you deserve to be sober. Nothing worth having comes easily. There is pain involved but it is temporary. I wish you Godspeed on your journey.

Hugs, Dianna