I Have Decided to Let Alcohol Go Posted: 11-12-04 14:26pm
Hello folks,
this is my first post on this website but
I obviously found this site because of my
longing to free myself from alcohol. I
have noticed in recent months and recent
years, my intake of alcohol has increased
to a level that I do not feel comfortable
with. I used to drink a few beers and
that would be cool, with of course
partying harder on the weekends etc etc.
But then I fell into a 6 pack after work
level of drinking. Recently that level
has been as high as a 12 pack a day of
strong, high alcohol microbrews plus I
have become fond of drinking vodka drinks.
I have a loving wife, a happy home, and
a beautiful supporting family. Recently
it has dawned on me that I cannot control
the amount of alcohol that passes down my
throat. For instance, I will grab a beer
and go out on the deck and in like a split
second it seems, I am out and have to go
grab another. My tolerance is scaring me
so much that I felt compelled to just quit
drinking all together. It seems that
life would be easier if I did not have to
worry about where my next drink was coming
from or is 8 beers going to be enough for
the night.
The other night, my wife for the first
time, had a serious conversation with me
about my drinking. I told her that I
have been considering for sometime just
giving it up all together. She was proud
of me and happy that I was not defensive.
I told her that I was going to give it a
try.
I have always been healthy. I
commute to work on bicycle. I hike and
do a lot of outdoor activity. I am not
overweight and anyone who saw me would be
astounded to hear that I was an alcoholic.
But I am to interested in being healthy
and living a clean, clear and meaningful
life that I feel the time has come to drop
drinking altogether. I know that all of
you are going to say to go to aa meetings
etc etc. I do know that is good advice.
But I am confident that I can quit this
on my own and with my wife and family as
my backbone.
I plan on expanding my excercise from
just cycling, to adding running, and
strong cardio workouts and also adding
meditation and yoga(which my wife is
strongly involved in)
other than going to aa meetings, can
you all suggest any other beneficial
activity that will help me stay strong and
keep my focus. Oh, one torturous thing,
is that I am a manager at movie theater
that serves alcohol. But my theory on
that is... Alcohol is everywhere. You
cannot put your head in the sand and hide.
I want to take the bull by the horns and
be strong. Anyone who has every quit
something like smoking(which I did 7 years
ago) knows that you cannot hide from
smoking. You must overcome it and deal
with it and be stronger that it. I am
just going to take this one day at a time
and focus on my loving wife, our house and
the knowledge that alcohol could through
all that out the window. Please give me
feed back if you have anything
constructive to say. I need support. I
truely think if I could quit a pack a day
cigarrette habit, that I could also quit
this drinking problem.
Thanks for hearing me out,
yewlock
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shadowalker164
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 14 Jan 2005 Posts: 175 Location: Tampa, FL
Posted: 01-14-05 14:15pm
Yewlock…
good for you! As far as I can tell, you
are saying all the right things about
wanting to quit drinking. I wish you
luck. You do know of course that you are
facing a clever, tireless and powerful foe
in alcohol? I am a member of aa, have
been for years, but I ain’t gonna tell you
to find a meeting. I am going to tell you
a bit of aa heresy though.
Somewhere near 60% of people who do manage
to wrestle king alcohol to a draw, do so
without aa’s help. Now that 60% takes in
all other methods known to man to solve
the drink problem. And they run the
gambit from burying ones self in cults
like scientology to going cold turkey in
jail or just quitting like you are
planning, and everything in between. But
what most of them don’t do is perform this
herculean feat all by them selves. We get
sober together, we stay sick alone.
If quitting was easy, you would have just
quit long before you posted your message.
Maybe you can now, I hope so. But if
someday, somewhere down the line, someone
shoves a beer across the table at you and
you just pick it up and suck it down, you
will be right back where you left off.
Once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic.
We never learn to drink like normal men
again. If that sorry day arrives, and you
feel down for the count, beaten to your
knees by alcohol, remember aa is the last
house on the block. Our message seems to
be heard most clearly by the desperate,
the dying. This simple program has helped
more men than any other program in
existence.
Your friend
shadowalker164
|
shadowalker164
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 14 Jan 2005 Posts: 175 Location: Tampa, FL
Posted: 01-14-05 14:15pm
Yewlock…
good for you! As far as I can tell, you
are saying all the right things about
wanting to quit drinking. I wish you
luck. You do know of course that you are
facing a clever, tireless and powerful foe
in alcohol? I am a member of aa, have
been for years, but I ain’t gonna tell you
to find a meeting. I am going to tell you
a bit of aa heresy though.
Somewhere near 60% of people who do manage
to wrestle king alcohol to a draw, do so
without aa’s help. Now that 60% takes in
all other methods known to man to solve
the drink problem. And they run the
gambit from burying ones self in cults
like scientology to going cold turkey in
jail or just quitting like you are
planning, and everything in between. But
what most of them don’t do is perform this
herculean feat all by them selves. We get
sober together, we stay sick alone.
If quitting was easy, you would have just
quit long before you posted your message.
Maybe you can now, I hope so. But if
someday, somewhere down the line, someone
shoves a beer across the table at you and
you just pick it up and suck it down, you
will be right back where you left off.
Once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic.
We never learn to drink like normal men
again. If that sorry day arrives, and you
feel down for the count, beaten to your
knees by alcohol, remember aa is the last
house on the block. Our message seems to
be heard most clearly by the desperate,
the dying. This simple program has helped
more men than any other program in
existence.
Your friend
shadowalker164
|
steve_o_2
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 07 Feb 2005 Posts: 12 Location: md
Posted: 02-07-05 17:09pm
You might to also try smart recovery. My
counselor is suggesting it since I do not
like the aa tenents--one is not powerless
over alcohol, you have the will to win
over it. Www.Smartrecovery.Org
I think is their website. I will be oging
to my first meeting this week after being
in counseling for 6 weeks (and stopped
drinking 7 1/2 weeks ago).
|
Yewlock
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 12 Nov 2004 Posts: 3 Location: Portland
Posted: 02-17-05 15:14pm
Thanks for your support and kind words.
|
shadowalker164
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 14 Jan 2005 Posts: 175 Location: Tampa, FL
Posted: 05-12-05 12:42pm
Yewlock…
i was rereading your post, and was just
wondering how you are doing.
You still around?
Shadowalker
|
dutchman
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 19 May 2005 Posts: 44
Posted: 06-15-05 05:35am
Hi,
its great to know that you are determined
to give up alcohol. If you are totally
successfully in quitting alcohol, you'll
be an inspiration to others who wanna give
up but can't. I have an advice for you,
if you think that quitting is becoming
very difficult for you, then you may try
campral
this drug alongwith your determination
will work wonders in helping you quit
alcohol. However, its best to quit
without help of any drugs whatsoever.
|
SuziON
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 06 Sep 2005 Posts: 25 Location: Welland
Good For You! Posted: 09-08-05 09:20am
Hi, :d regardless if you have picked up a
drink after your above post it's great to
see how you've realized that you do have a
wonderful family and home, that you have
a problem and that you want to stop. Just
that is breaking the pattern.
Years ago I used to be a week-end drinker,
although I didn't drink daily I had to
have my week-ends and I too did not know
my limit. Almost 3 years ago, I decided
to stop drinking. Please keep in mind
that I am in no way comparing my week-end
alcohol use with your daily use but i've
also been dependant on pain meds from ages
17-28 and quit up until around about the
same time as when I quit drinking. Mind
you i've tried to quit after realizing I
was addicted around the age of 20 on and
off the whole time and even quit a few
times only to start up again thinking i'll
only have a couple. Ha!Ha right!
Counsilling, treatment, thearapy, aa/na
and rehab, wouldn't work for me but it may
for you.Some say acupuncture, i've never
tried it. For me, something inside me
change, my thoughts, my feelings or maybe
it was the guilt that did it, all I know
is that I just didn't like who I was
becoming and that my children were growing
up, my family and friends were starting to
worry, and although I was always home
physically I felt as though I was missing
everything.
They say that your thoughts change I
believe it was, every 26 seconds, so if
you get a craving for alcohol hang in
there, it'll pass. I know the craving
will come back but the longer you go
without it the longer the spaces in
between cravings and the cravings will
become milder. A really good idea is to
take up jogging, at times I throw on my
running shoes and fly out the front door
"going for a jog" I also joined my local
ymca, but what would be better is to have
a weight set at home to work out when ever
you need to channel any frustration into
something possitive or need to kill some
time. Anything to keep busy, stay
postive and feel good about yourself.
They also say watch out for the 3's, the
3rd day, the 3rd week, the 3rd month.
Personally on the 3rd week, I felt so good
physically and mentally I didn't want to
alter my thoughts and feelings so that had
a big part in keeping me from slipping.
I'm not saying it's all fun and easy from
there but for me when the 3rd month came
the worst was definitely over, with the
first week being the hardest.
Now on the week-ends I enjoy talking to
and spending my time with my children and
I still keep very busy throughout the week
and week-ends. Yes, unfortunately alcohol
is everywhere and since it's legal it's
all too accessable so it'll be tough but
nip it in the bud, no thanx I don't drink
and that's that. Be sure to make a rule
that there is no alcohol allowed in your
home and keep to it. Everyone will come
to realize that you do not drink as they
do me and they will respect that, if not
who cares. As for smoking, I am going on
my sixth month!
Best wishes and good luck I know you can
do it! If at first you don't succeed try
try again! :wink:
suzion
