Hi there, I tried many ways to stop drinking before I found AA so it's great that your counsellor has pointed you directly there. If you find it as wonderfully effective as I did you will be free of that nagging obsession to drink alcohol and free of that feeling you are being deprived of something. It takes commitment and work but there are all sorts of other benefits too that naturally come from living a spiritual and happy life.

AA meetings are great and that's where you can meet someone to guide you through AA's 12 Step programme of recovery which people like me (who diagnose themselves as alcoholic) find they need for long term sobriety. The programme, for me, was really effective to relieve that problem of feeling a need to drink as quickly as I was willing to commit and work through it. My efforts with spiritual growth are ongoing because I love how far it has brought me, so far, in improving my life.

In the very early days of recovery there's lots of practical advice to be had to keep yourself as safe as possible from drinking and also how to get your wellbeing improved from the start.

Do say when you are attending your first meeting as I am sure many here will be happy to help you with any questions you may have.

Hello angelight78,

There are various books and other mind-changing resources regularly mentioned here and one of those may work for you. Personally, I think that your psychiatrist has made a good suggestion regarding AA meetings and maybe that is where you should focus your attention.

Alcoholics develop an obsession of the mind where alcohol is concerned and an obsession is not easy to shift. As long as the obsession remains, drinking will always be justified in some way and as your post describes you have found many reasons to justify it to yourself. If you find that willpower is not enough or if you are feeling irritable when you go without alcohol then you probably do need help. Many people have been where you are now but they no longer have a problem with alcohol and you will find plenty of those people at AA meetings. Why not go along and copy what they have done.

That sounds just like me about 11 months ago. I couldnt go ONE day without a drink. I spiraled down and down until I finally hit my bottom on June 9,2012.

I found that talking to some other alchys helped me so much. I have a condition that when I put alcohol in me I crave more and more until I die. the only way I can stop this cycle is to not have the first one.

The alcohol is rat poison to me.

I found that I enjoy life so much now and dont want to die anymore.

Go and get some soberiety,

1is2

Yeah, buying wine instead of vodka or tequila sure isn't going to help you solve your drinking problem!

If you have a physical or mental dependence you will get irritable when you don't drink. I think it helps if you expect that it will be uncomfortable to stop and that it is okay to feel irritable and out of sorts as you break your addiction. You can get through it.

My suggestion?

Figure out what you want. Do you want to feel compelled to drink through good times and bad, and let that need to drink run your life?

AA is my suggestion. I wasnt able to change the way I viewed the world, and accept my alcoholic thinking until I got into recovery. with the help of a sponsor, the 12 steps, and a God of my understanding, I'm recovered from what was a hopeless state fueled by an obsession to drink.
You are talking about that obsession. For me it was/ is entirely removed by God, and I got to God through working a strong program of recovery directed by another sober woman.
others have achieved sobriety without AA so they'll have other suggestions that could work too!

I used to justify buying wine and not guzzling vodka like the *real* alcoholics. The problem is that alcoholism gets worse, never better. My obsessing and craving increased. My tolerance increased. I needed a quicker buzz and with more ferocity. All of a sudden I am chugging vodka at 6 am almost every day. And continuing all day. Then it gets worse from there. Good idea to get off the elevator here...it only goes down.

Check out AA - many ringing endorsements here, as you can see. I am one of them too :)

Knowing that you have a problem, is a great step. In my early drinking days I thought that I have problems with everything else, alcohol didn't even entered into my mind...till I got to the point that alcohol became my "candy", couldn't stop. Hated myself not being able to stop. It took a long time till I admitted that I have a big problem, alcohol. It didn't matter what, wine, spirit, beer, etc. I didn't even like the taste any of it, as long as I could put alcohol on the fire in me. I was going down and down, still not admitting that I am an alcoholic.
In AA I finally learned that alcoholism is a sickness, mental and physical allergy. Admitting that I am alcoholic and going to AA saved my life.
You're lucky that your therapist recommended AA to you. You'll be even more lucky if you consider your problem seriously. It is a serious problem, really.

Thank you all for your input. I highly appreciate it. Reading your posts I feel as if I'm not alone in this struggle. Last night was my first night in months without a drink. My anxiety was high and I was rather edgy. I managed to make it through the night. Thank you all for your support.

The first 3-5 days are the hardest, as your body goes through withdrawal. Irritability and anxiety are pretty common symptoms. After this initial period, it does get easier. There is still a bit of an emotional roller-coaster that takes place after the withdrawal, but if you can get through the first few days you will feel much better.

Pulling back on alcohol will easily make you feel edgy. Heck, DSM caffeine addiction and withdrawal were just added to DSM 5.

If you were using alcohol to "take the edge off" it will get better if you continue to not drink. Do today, then tomorrow and keep going. I've been sober now for 90 days and I will say it's not that bad at all.

I did AA for awhile and do attend some meetings here and there. I find it's helpful for anyone who has a desire to quit drinking.

Good for you. Now keep drinking TONS of liquid. Water, green tea, juice, whatever to keep you hydrated.
I went to bed as early as possible in the first few weeks. Evenings were the hardest for me so saw no reason to extend them out past 9 p.m.:-)
Like the others have said once you get through the initial physical stuff, the real healing can begin.

Being irritable for a while is hardly the issue here is it?? Why not just do what your psych told you to do and go to AA? If you want to be sober, that's the place!

I was the same way and it gets better over time. Once you get sober you start focusing on the things in life that really matter, things that you didn't see when you were drinking. Get a solid support group and get serious about sobriety if you truly want it. What you find through sobriety may surprise you, life is actually really awesome sober! Good luck!!!! :)

Are you still with us, Angelight?