Any luck kicking the bottle?

by Ignoranceisbliss 14 Replies latest jw friends

  • Ignoranceisbliss
    Ignoranceisbliss

    I knew the forum wouldn't let me down!      That was a lot of great advice.      Thanks!    Getting alchohol out of my house seems like a good first step.         I will do that.     

    Digeridoo.       Am I an alchoholic.     That is a question that I have thought a lot about.      And I really don't know the answer.     I definitly share some of the traits though.    I suppose that if I am then really truly admitting that to myself is an important First step.        That is a difficult thing to come to terms with.     

    Billy.      I agree with you.     Getting in good shape is a great goal to put as my objective.     Booze always destroys my workout routine.   

    Breakfast.      It sounds like we are much the same.      Thanks for sharing.     

    JeffT.     Congrats on your success.      I have always been a little turned off of AA due to its religious nature.      But I also know that it can be successfull.     

    Lisa.       I really don't know how to meditate like that.    It sounds interesting though.   

    Iggy

  • DJS
    DJS

    Ignoranceisbliss,

    I'm not an expert in this area, but I have had a lot of experience dealing with friends, family and loved ones with this problem.

    You've shown the first step by humbly asking for guidance. You have a drinking problem; whether you attach the scarlet letter to it is irrelevant. Your ability to manage your life, at least during the week, is silently misleading you into thinking you got this covered. You don't. You may not be collecting DUIs or work related penalties, but it is almost a certainly that your liver and the rest of your body has already paid a heavy price.

    Can you manage drinking at all? You say you have struggled for 20 years to control weekend binges but with no success. I believe it was Einstein who stated that continuing to do the same thing expecting different results is a definition of insanity, or something to that effect.

    LisaRose is spot on (as usual). If you can limit your drinking to 1 - 2 drinks per day, try it. Even if you can your liver would probably ask you to stop completely. I doubt that you can to be honest. You need to stop drinking completely, IMHO. I doubt that a professional would tell you anything different.

    I would suggest seeking professional help. Does your workplace have an employee assistance program? If so go immediately and find support. Good luck.

  • KateWild
    KateWild

    I have the odd drink now and again....but I can go months without a drink.

    When I do drink, I only have one or two, then water.

    Iggy, you need to stop drinking, you are an excessive drinker and you are worried about it, so you need to act.

    Kate xx

  • digderidoo
    digderidoo

    Digeridoo.       Am I an alchoholic.     That is a question that I have thought a lot about.      And I really don't know the answer.     I definitly share some of the traits though.    I suppose that if I am then really truly admitting that to myself is an important First step.        That is a difficult thing to come to terms with.     


    If you've thought about whether or not you are an alcoholic then my suggestion would be to find your local AA meetings, every city has a number of meetings and you don't have to be an alcoholic to attend, 'the only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking' is what is often stated. You'll not find the stereotypical park bench types of alcoholics, I was surprised to find 'normal' every day people, all of whom had a drink problem.

    Nobody will call you an alcoholic, as it's self diagnosing. There is no commitment, nobody asks for your surname and you don't have to speak if you don't want to, just listen. If you approach with an open mind and try one meeting, or possibly two or three and you don't like it nobody is ever going to chase you up. If you decide that it isn't for you then try alternatives for those who haven't crossed that line into alcoholism.

    You may get some identification and it may help you to decide whether you are an alcoholic or not.

    It is difficult to come to terms with, at the same time once I finally accepted what I was it became more of a release as suddenly there was an explanation for my drinking years.

    For me the only way to solve the drink problem was to surround myself with people who had solved the drink problem, to find out how they had done it and copy them. It involved action, I couldn't find those people by sitting at home and continuing to drink.

    Alcoholic or problem drinker I wish you well, my advice would be just to approach either with an open mind free from the stigma, which is something that you have started to do by posting here.

  • hotchocolate
    hotchocolate

    I think it's very normal to want an escape when you've been dealing with the fallout of leaving this religion. It lessens naturally as your own coping mechanisms kick in. Go to the doc and get some Campral (Aussie name, google) a great drug with few side effects. I used to just pop a couple with lunch on the days I wanted to curb my drinks. They take the cravings away. Regular dose is three times a day but it worked fine taken occasionally. 

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