Wish me all the best (page 2)

tiki

Reliance on alcohol is a type of self medication...and if it damages your systemic functions, that is part of the underlying emotional physiological illness....take the tests...follow your doctors advice...and if he feels that you need to quit booze altogether, get help to do it. If you don't mind taking your chances and can deal with possibility of stroke, cirrhosis, etc...then eschew the advice and live as is comfortable.....its your call...

OnTheWayOut

Level, you do need to see your doctor and have him run current tests on blood pressure or whatever, so that he can properly prescribe meds for you.

As to not drinking ANYMORE EVER, it may be a lofty goal. It's a good one, but I can tell you that, as an alcoholic, my goal is to refrain from alcohol TODAY. Tomorrow, I hope to have that same goal again, and again the next day, and so on. But to just say "now I am determined not to touch the bottle again" when you have touched it within the last half day of saying that- it's a goal where you are almost predicting your failure.

I was already sober for a long time when I learned TTATT and I also fell off the sobriety wagon at that time. So, I didn't reach my goal to refrain from alcohol several times. But then another morning came and I set my goal again to stay sober THAT DAY, and I have done so for each day since that day. Instead of lofty goals of years or "forever," I plan to stay sober today as I have done so for maybe 10 years now.

And that is not a sell-out, so I can fail and start again. Each daily goal has been important to me. I know that one day's failure could lead down the path of not setting that goal ever again. But I hope that is not the case. Just in case, I better try hard to stay sober today.

Be fully honest with a doctor. If you were only sober for a day or a week, tell him. If you won't take your meds or won't do what the doctor wants you to do, tell him. It's your money or your insurance paying him to help you the best he can to keep you alive under the conditions that you will abide by. Don't hide a "drinking problem" from him and don't skip seeing him because you haven't stayed away from drink.

breakfast of champions

Great to hear you're trying to turn things around LTPF. I do indeed wish you the best!

I don't think I've ever mentioned my "drinking history" here before. . . .

I really didn't drink much at all up until my early 30's, which I suppose was a good start. I'd buy a bottle of wine every now and then, and it would turn to vinegar before I ever finished it.

Then I became an elder. . . . .

It didn't start right away, but towards the end of my stint as an elder (right before I had a nervous breakdown), I went from not finishing a bottle of wine before it turned, to finishing half a bottle a night, to a bottle a night (not every night though).

After I stepped down, I was still an emotional wreck and used drinking to calm myself down quite frequently. Even so, it was certainly not a daily thing. Maybe 3-4 nights a week. There were also times I went for months without a drop to drink.

Pretty much stayed that way for years. Then a couple of years ago some major family stuff happened (I have not talked about this either here) and I started drinking every day.

Fortunately, I'm not on any medications, but even so, some of my most recent blood tests have showed elevated liver enzymes. . . . and even though they were just borderline, this has really freaked me out.

So, the other week I told my wife that I really need to cut WAY back, and to please remind me if it seems I'm falling back into this really bad pattern.

For the past week or so, I have had nothing to drink during weekdays, and I'll treat myself to a few pints of my favorite local craft beer on the weekends.

I've cut out hard liquor entirely (the daily vodka/gin martini ritual is done. Those were so tasty though .. . . . )

So, I guess what I'm saying is that you're not alone in this battle. Keep at it!

Pete Zahut

Thanks for sharing your situation LTPF I hope it helps you to let others know.

I think you got a good piece of advice from OTWO. Your doctor is required by your insurance to monitor your liver functions because any change could mean your life. Taking your wife's medication could do you irreversible damage. Tell your Dr. immediately what has been going on. He's heard it before and will know what to do.

I work with a woman who's husband has been playing this same game with his Dr. and now is on life support and all of his organs are shutting down. He continued to think he cold treat himself by cutting back, extending sobriety goals and postponing treatment, figuring that somehow his situation was different and not all that bad. They will be pulling the plug on him next week at 60. It didn't take long for the dominoes to start falling and there was no stopping them once the began.

You don't have to tough it out alone. Anxiety is hellish but it can be overcome. Until then your Dr. can prescribe medications that will deal with your anxiety and won't wreck your body like that solvent known as alcohol does. You must be honest with him or some other Dr. immediately so they can help you.

DesirousOfChange

Good luck! I know I should probably join you, but booze is my "drug of choice". I now find myself drinking most every day. As someone above mentioned, I find it easier to drink nothing than to drink that 1 or 2 drinks (moderation). It's a habit. Plus there is something about learning TTATT. The disillusion that resulted has resulted in me adopting a dontgivashit attitude about most things. . . . Doc

Iown Mylife

Hello dear,

I have the exact same problem except instead of drinking too much because of stress, I overeat.

I'm 5'4" and right at 300 lbs. Every time i try to improve my habits and lose weight, i just gain more so my plan now is never to think about being fat.

The chiropractor says the correct response to stress is physical activity, not eating. So now i have an ipod my daughter gave me so i can watch videos while i walk on the treadmill.

But stress is always coming at us. I'd love to be able to go to sleep when I feel stressed out but there's too much work to do.

Thank you so much for your post and love love love to you♥

LevelThePlayingField

Thank you all for your comments on helping me out in this situation. I will give it thought. I will also post again in two weeks to let you all know how I'm doing.

James Mixon

LevelThe: I stop drinking years ago but smoking, 3-19-2017 my last cigarette. The drinking was easy to stop but cigarettes a different story, it's been 2 weeks. Good luck my friend......

Wish me all the best

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