for starters i think you've come to a good starting place. a lot of wisdom and experience on this forum. i guess im curious what u did for 28yrs?

something started you drinking....alcoholism....admit your innermost self that you are alcoholic and put the plug in jug and start working on staying sober with the same things you used for 28yrs....

i know for me its progressive. my tolerance for alcohol will never change. i could sit and drink many people under the table right now and i aint had a drop in 8yrs. or i could drink one drink today and stop but i know it wont b long before im drunk every day. maybe every day for the rest of my life. once i get drunk once its drunk everyday. ive done it many times. cant take the first drink. if i dont take the first drink i cant get drunk. and as long as i have Faith in something bigger than myself i can skip that first drink.

28 years is impressive but however you managed those years is obviously not working now and so further action is required.

Alcoholism is progressive as you probably know, and therefore I found my recovery should be progressive too. I have proved that to myself at least, having time away from alcohol and then going back to it in the past. I had lost the power of choice and control when it came to alcohol.

I found my solution in a spiritual awakening as the result of the 12 step programme of Alcoholics Anonymous and it's my God who removed the drinking problem, not me. I was not capable of staying sober long term on my own power, spent the better part of 30 years proving that to myself. Then, like too many others,I thought sitting in AA meetings was the solution, it was not. Only that spiritual journey could make the difference for me and as long as I grow spiritually, so will my sobriety.

If you have not made that journey yet I can recommend it as it literally saved my life. I was a chronic alcoholic, a low bottom drunk, and for some years now I am a recovered alcoholic - happy, sober and free.

28 years,,,,wow! So, you do have the power to do this! For starters, look over the post "good reminder"..............yeah, that should make you a little stronger before you start your fight again. You need to retrain yourself in sober living after you've abstained long enough to get it out of your system. Look at the "good reminder" photo everyday, then make sobriety your number one....no, it's, ands, or buts about it! Hugs. Keep us updated!

Rooting for the texans every game will help too lol. Go texans!!!!

This shows the power of this illness, and how no matter how long we are away from the drink, our alcoholism can find it's way back to putting a drink in our hands. As mentioned, what did you do for those 28 years? Was it pure abstinence? Were you working a program of some kind? Were you using therapy / support groups? Regardless, to go that long, something started to fall apart a while back. No one wakes up after 28 years and drinks. The wheels started to come off some time ago...our emotional sobriety starts to leave us, and the old thoughts and ideas come back, old behaviours start to take root again, and though it might seem like it suddenly happened, these things have been building for some time.

It's never, ever too late to get back to where you were. :)

Please share more, and perhaps others here can help more

Paul

This is a tough one. I was sober for 24 years when I started again. I drank on and off for 7 years before I could quit. For me it was that old running away for emotions. My fiance died, 6 moths later my father, and son died a week apart. The dumbest thing that I ever did was take that first drink on the plane to my son's funeral. It revives that old habit of using alcohol to escape unpleasant emotions. It was so convenient rather than facing reality. I lasted sometimes 6 months, once 18 months during that period but in back of my head, when I quit was the idea that that if something bad happens I will drink it away. It was only when I quit without reservations that I stopped. I got back into my 24 year habit of facing difficult times and going through it without drinking. It got easier as time went on.

I stayed in AA for 10 years "dry" and drank again. Trying to get sober the second time was infinitely harder than the first. I went to alot of meetings and managed to stay dry for 10 yrs. but never really accepted my powerlessness over the disease. I tried to work the steps in AA program but never could get out of my head and into my heart. I had alot of other underlying issues i had to deal with. Anxiety/depression Abusive childhood. Lots and lots of stuffed emotions. I had to get serious that alcoholism could kill me but that is hard to do when you are a depressive and don't care if I die. My bottom was the threat of being committed to a nut house. Everybody's bottom is different- sure hope you don't have to kill yourself or someone else before you find yours. If you went to AA go back no matter how humiliating or embarrassing. Swallowing our pride is always a good first step. May God be with you. It can be done but reach out to God for he is the only strength that works.

I would say you need some serious help right now. Like others have said-it is a progressive disease, and it could kill you quickly.

Are you alone? Can you go get help? Go to an AA meeting (don't drive drunk though) and find someone to help you. Just speak up-no one can read minds.

If it was me-if I started drinking again after a long sobriety, I would get myself into inpatient treatment. That is just me though-I know that that would be the only thing that could stop me.

Just don't be alone-go get help.