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.
Hi All,
Im new here just thought Id introduce myself :)
Ive never really considered myself an alcoholic, just someone who likes a drink.
In the last year or two Ive conceded Im a binge drinker, and more recently I've come to the realisation Ive spent the last 15 years in a beer and gin fuelled stupor.
I got my first taste of beer at 15 and haven't really looked back, by the time I was 17 I was going out and drinking till I was absolutely w@nkered. This continued until Uni when I (and a lot of people with me) really embraced that life style, problem is I've never moved on - I've spent my entire 20's getting wrecked at least 3 or 4 times a week.
Over that time I have suffered many indignities and embarrassments all caused by alcohol - fights, coming on to women I really shouldn't, saying countless embarrassing things to people / sending texts I later regretted and last year I woke up in a hotel bed saturated in my own piss (and I can tell you, sorting that out with the owners wasn't the most pleasant experience of my life!)
I show up to work at least twice a week with a crippling hangover, falling asleep and barley able to move - I'm amazed by this point someone hasn't at least commented on it, let alone anything official happening.
I've had a load of failed and disastrous relationships, all of whom at one time or another commented on my boozing, some ended the relationship because of it.
You'd think after all these problems I would say to myself, enough is enough stop drinking, but I just carried on. After the hotel incident last year I told myself I would quit, and I did... for about a week, then it was back to "Oh well, I'll just have one or two as my mates are..." and as I'm sure we all know, once you have allowed yourself to drink again, after the first couple of nights, there is no such thing as moderation.
All my friends know about me, I think I'm somehow well liked enough that they just let it go. But I've noticed comments creeping in like "Are you working tomorrow?" When I'm just starting the 8th pint of the evening.
And so after all this something in my head has just clicked. You have to stop drinking, now. I think part of the reason is, I've recently started getting a nagging pain in my stomach, particularly when I have a drink - this could of course be the old liver waving a white flag. I'm a hypochondriac at the best of times, and liver failure is not something I want to add to the list of symptoms.
A big problem is, a large part of my social life involves meeting in places where alcohol is available, I'm not too worried about buying a soft drink and having people ask questions, I've done it before and they don't. The main thing is I don't trust myself not to say "Can I have a diet co.. a pint of Fosters please mate" to the bar man.
Anyway last time I had a drink was Friday night (couple of pints, sat alone in the corner of a pub - something which I've found myself doing more and more lately) when I came to the realisation I needed to stop. I kept to myself all of the bank holiday weekend, and managed not to drink, and have been fine after work just making a meal, watching telly with a cup of tea and going to bed.
First real challange is tonight as I'm off out - usually I would go right to the pub from work and down a couple alone before getting to the meeting place. Tonight I'm going home for a meal first, and am going to arrive fashionably on time!
If I can do it tonight I can always do it, so wish me luck :D
Im new here just thought Id introduce myself :)
Ive never really considered myself an alcoholic, just someone who likes a drink.
In the last year or two Ive conceded Im a binge drinker, and more recently I've come to the realisation Ive spent the last 15 years in a beer and gin fuelled stupor.
I got my first taste of beer at 15 and haven't really looked back, by the time I was 17 I was going out and drinking till I was absolutely w@nkered. This continued until Uni when I (and a lot of people with me) really embraced that life style, problem is I've never moved on - I've spent my entire 20's getting wrecked at least 3 or 4 times a week.
Over that time I have suffered many indignities and embarrassments all caused by alcohol - fights, coming on to women I really shouldn't, saying countless embarrassing things to people / sending texts I later regretted and last year I woke up in a hotel bed saturated in my own piss (and I can tell you, sorting that out with the owners wasn't the most pleasant experience of my life!)
I show up to work at least twice a week with a crippling hangover, falling asleep and barley able to move - I'm amazed by this point someone hasn't at least commented on it, let alone anything official happening.
I've had a load of failed and disastrous relationships, all of whom at one time or another commented on my boozing, some ended the relationship because of it.
You'd think after all these problems I would say to myself, enough is enough stop drinking, but I just carried on. After the hotel incident last year I told myself I would quit, and I did... for about a week, then it was back to "Oh well, I'll just have one or two as my mates are..." and as I'm sure we all know, once you have allowed yourself to drink again, after the first couple of nights, there is no such thing as moderation.
All my friends know about me, I think I'm somehow well liked enough that they just let it go. But I've noticed comments creeping in like "Are you working tomorrow?" When I'm just starting the 8th pint of the evening.
And so after all this something in my head has just clicked. You have to stop drinking, now. I think part of the reason is, I've recently started getting a nagging pain in my stomach, particularly when I have a drink - this could of course be the old liver waving a white flag. I'm a hypochondriac at the best of times, and liver failure is not something I want to add to the list of symptoms.
A big problem is, a large part of my social life involves meeting in places where alcohol is available, I'm not too worried about buying a soft drink and having people ask questions, I've done it before and they don't. The main thing is I don't trust myself not to say "Can I have a diet co.. a pint of Fosters please mate" to the bar man.
Anyway last time I had a drink was Friday night (couple of pints, sat alone in the corner of a pub - something which I've found myself doing more and more lately) when I came to the realisation I needed to stop. I kept to myself all of the bank holiday weekend, and managed not to drink, and have been fine after work just making a meal, watching telly with a cup of tea and going to bed.
First real challange is tonight as I'm off out - usually I would go right to the pub from work and down a couple alone before getting to the meeting place. Tonight I'm going home for a meal first, and am going to arrive fashionably on time!
If I can do it tonight I can always do it, so wish me luck :D
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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...
If I were in your shoes, first place I would go to is my doctor and get the liver checked out. If something is beginning to go wrong then it might be more motivation for you to stay sober but you won't know unless you get things tested. Your doctor should also know of your problem with drinking and of your desire to quit because he/she will be the first to give you the support you so desparately need.
It also might be a good idea to find a different place to go instead of the bars. Just being inside one is a huge trigger! Thing of another place to go where alcohol is not served.
Good luck and I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers,
God Bless!
Your liver pain would be on your right side under your rib cage.
I agree with bob...Dr and blood work.
But so GREAT that you have realized you have a problem..that is the first step. Its a great time to stop before "official" stuff does start to happen at work because eventually they HAVE to do what is right for the company.
When we drink we can quickly go from being an asset to a liability.
I was well liked as well and got away with it for many years....my advice is...thou..do not TELL them it is drinking that is affecting you because once I did that...they were more conscious of realizing that as much as they liked me they had a business to run and they weren't really watching me...but the atmosphere did change in subtle ways.
Keep on NOT drinking and your life and thoughts will improve....your symptoms will quickly disappear.....and you can live a long happy life :).
Ah pain is on my lower left side, so hopefully I am okay! But yes I will go and see the Dr, if anything I may need help keeping off drink in the long term.
I'm an alcoholic and kept "functioning" while drinking for quite some time but I wasn't living well, just going through the motions trying to limit the damage in each important area of my life. It always got worse and then the jobs went, the family went, the friends went and I was drinking for oblivion and then alcohol didn't do anything for me but make me more seriously sick, I didn't even get an initial "lift" from it anymore but I needed it physically.
It's not at all like that today I'm happy to report but I had to find a way to effect huge changes once I detoxed because the biggest challenge was learning stay sober long term, more than worth the effort though!
Glad you joined us.
Towards the end of my drinking I experienced many strange pains and other unusual symptoms and that was one of several factors that forced me to face reality. I did not consider myself to be an alcoholic but then how could I since I did not know what an alcoholic was?
When there was no other option I decided to stop drinking and then found that I could not. I had my pride and believed that I could fix the problem on my own but every effort was met with failure. Finally, I admitted that I needed help and went to an AA meeting. It was there that I learned that I was fully qualified to be an alcoholic. I could also see why my self-help efforts ended in failure and that I needed to ask for outside help.
I often heard it said at AA meetings that if you sit in a barbershop for long enough you will get a haircut. A wise old-timer also used to say that it was better to leave that old life behind. For those reasons I avoided going to bars and such places, unless I had some business there. My whole existence revolved around drinking and bars so it was not easy. I had to draw a line under that part of my life and move on. Today, I have so many interests that the day is not long enough and instead of drinking buddies, I have real friends.
That is my story and it may or may not be relevant to your situation. I wish you the best and above all, I would urge you to keep an open mind and to avail of whatever help you may need.
I'm not sure you've decided to quit for good or if you are trying it out. I hope you stay with it. Living sober is amazing -- there is so much more to life when you don't spend night after night in bars, excruciating hangovers, and regretting drunken stupidity.