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.

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today step 1 finally admit i have a problem

beermanou812
beermanou812
I really don't know where to start, I'm 44 married for the 2nd time. This time to the right one. I have 2 of the best sons a 15yr old and a 3 yr old. I ruined Thanksgiving for everyone this yr, and now I ruined Christmas. by bein drunk. I can now admit I have a problem. desire the disconnect , not from the world now I realize I desire the disconnect from me. I can no longer be this person my family deserves better I deserve better. I just haven't figured out yet how to function long term sober. I usually can go months on end not drinking and be ok. Then snap I go on a bender, I wake up before everyone and do shots and smashed by 10. I really don't realize i'm doin it. I'm done bein this guy. you see I drive a beer truck for a living. I know ironic right. not really. I have no desire for beer, no desire to be in a bar. It's all liquer. Any tips?
donttread
donttread
Check out an AA meeting and do some reading about binge drinking
Community LeaderExJerseyGirl2
ExJerseyGirl2
"Then snap I go on a bender, I wake up before everyone and do shots and smashed by 10. I really don't realize i'm doin it. "

Which part do you not realize you are doing? Are you unaware of when you take that first shot? Or is that you say "the heck with it, I'm going to drink" and then you get smashed? You drank on Thanksgiving and Christmas -- did you feel entitled to drink because they were holidays?

Figuring out what you are doing and why you are doing it might help you stop doing it. A therapist might be able to help you with this.
DeliAnnem
DeliAnnem
How to function long term? Realize what causes your compulsion to drink.

You don't realize you drink before others are awake? Are you doing it in your sleep? (That does exist...)

Tips? Get into therapy.

Hugs.
1is2many
1is2many
Except for the beer truck driving part that was me a couple of years ago. I would be able to function, and then like steam building up i would blow it out. and yes it was usually on christmas and t giving. I found a few sober ppl and they taught me to learn to live and release the steam with out the booze.

I pray for you to just make a call and go to a meeting. I would not be alive if i didnt. And I must say that you have helped me much by reminding me of those s h ty times.

Go get sober my friend, be that guy that is proud of himself and carries his head high. C,mon!!!

1is2many
billwfriend
billwfriend
grab a copy of book AA sells called Living Sober....it has all kinds of helpful ideas on how to stay sober...
marioncooper1
marioncooper1
I am so happy To hear that you have admitted that you have a problem with alcohol.. The how of stopping and stay stopped can be bewildering.

I asked my dr the same question. His advice was to surround myself with people trying to do the same thing. Where could I find that? He said AA. So I followed his suggestion and got involved with AA and it saved my life.

Today there are more options than AA. Take your pick. Stick with the winners. Long time sobriety comes one day at a time.

Good luck
beermanou812
beermanou812
3 days in and still withdrawaling . When did I get this bad?
beermanou812
beermanou812
3 days in and still withdrawaling . When did I get this bad?
I really left my family down. Hopefully I can fully give them the life they deserve now, and hopefully it's not to late.
beermanou812
beermanou812
True I never got anything accomplished being drunk. And as far as meetings I can't find anything to fit my schedule. I work 2 jobs, yes 2 jobs and I still drank. That's why I doubted my addiction, cause I functioned very well. It was always fast and hard drinking not always everyday. I can't moderately drink it's all or none. I'm trying to fix this on my own, but I need to get these feelings out somehow and that's why I'm here
Zachary18
Zachary18
Probably don't feel like it now, but the last 3 days are some of the best you've had I bet. Well may be not yet, but looking backwards I assure you they will. You've gotten a lot of good suggestions...Every day has the same number of hours as the last 3...Your doing great!!!
FairiIse
FairiIse
See how you go with trying to fix it on your own. I tried that route too but found I did not fully appreciate the gravity of what I was dealing with.

I too was a "functional drunk" for a long time but I was not functioning well, I just spent my time fire fighting to try and avoid losing things.

Binge drinker, daily drinker, beer or spirits, it matters not - if you cannot control how much you drink when you start to drink, this is serious.

Are you still suffering the effects of withdrawal? Have you had a physical check or blood work done? It's always a good idea to do that.
beermanou812
beermanou812
Yes still having effects just down to the chapped feeling in my lips though and I've been in a haze.
1is2many
1is2many
I couldn't learn what I didn't know.

I tried a million times to quit, by myself... And drank a million times after I failed. See I didn't know what I didn't know. I drank for a reason. I never knew why. It took hearing from others what the deal was.

See I'm an alcoholic. I default to booze. Booze fixes me. I crave more once I start. More until it's gone. I also obsess about when the next one will be. See when I'm drinking I'm throttle to the floor and when I'm not I'm planning on throttling up. But I found that by doing a few things ea day I can live sober.

And that's a shame you can't fit a meeting in your schedule.

1is2many
Community LeaderExJerseyGirl2
ExJerseyGirl2
Don't be discouraged by other people's experiences into thinking that you cannot do this on your own or that you need to go to meetings. Many people quit without AA or other group -- about 10% of alcoholics do this every year. I quit on my own and my experience is not unusual or unique.

SMART Recovery has a website that includes a resources page with a toolkit of practical advice and worksheets to help you figure out why you drink and prevent relapses. You might want to check it out:
http://www.smartrecovery.org/

Your body is going to need a bit of time to get over your last drunk. Drinking lots of water, eating good food, and trying to get a good night's sleep should help. The haziness and feeling foggy should gradually lift.
beermanou812
beermanou812
Thank you all for your words of encouragement. You guys are wonderful. I'm not opposed at all to therapy. I have a very addictive personality so I've dealt with a lot of addictions all my life. Alone is the one that always works for me, but I guess we really are never truly alone. I'm just trying to figure everything out, just really realized what I've been hiding for many years. And it's very comforting finding out I'm not unique with my problem
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