Binge Drinker

[Hardway]

I am new to this whole arena, I am a binge drinker, last week I drank myself stupid, can't remember anything, and feel like crap. this week I have 6 days sober and still feel horrible about myself, I want to admit that I am an alcoholic, but have reservations, because I only binge every so often, but when I do, I do

any one have help for me?

P.S. I am going to my first AA meeting this weekend

[best]

Welcome Hardway

For now... don't worry about admiting if you are an alcoholic or not.
You have the same problem I have... have a drink and you don't stop till the night is over or the money runs out. I was told I am an alcoholic but a different kind then what I thought was an alcoholic. Still no matter what I called myself... I had a problem with what alcohol did when it crossed my lips.
Meetings will gain you a better understanding, some support, and answers.
We do find the answers and we can get past the problems alcohol brings into our lives. I am proof of that. Been sober for a bit and enjoying life even without the alcohol.
If I can do it, you can also.

[Tazman53]

Hardway I really like that name because that is how I learned that I could not stay sober on my own..... the Hardway!!! LOL

Do a little research on alcoholism, you will find that it is a progressive disease, it never gets better, as long as you keep drinking it will get worse, the only way to arrest alcoholisms progression is to totally abstain from drinking. I am not sure what your history of drinking is, but you say you are a binge drinker, do you find your self binge drinking more then you did 2-3 years ago? If you are an alcoholic you will progress from a binge drinker to a daily drinker.

I reached the point at the end of 40 years of drinking of having to drink every day, I had no choice.

When you go to your first AA meeting go a little bit early, maybe you can talk to someone to where you will understand kind of what is going on. When people share do not listen for differences, listen for things that are similar to you and your drinking, if you are an alcoholic you will quickly learn that you are not alone.

[queenteree]

I'm getting mixed definitions. What is the difference between a binge drinker and a daily drinker? I always considered my husband a binge drinker, but when I say that I mean he can drink for weeks on end, daily, sun up to sun up, then stop for a week or two then start up again. What would that be (daily or binge)? Either way, I do know he is an alcoholic, I just wanted to know this for clarification purposes. Thanks.

PS Hardway - six days sober is great! Keep up the good work, you'll be glad you did.

[DGG]

I was amazed after my first meeting and getting my desire to stop drinking chip. I had this sense of calm, and relief. I thought I was going to be scared and anxious after getting up and getting a chip but it was the opposite. Go to the meeting and you may be surpirzed what you get out of it.

[lanie67]

The first step of AA is that we admitted we were powerless over alcohol and our lives had become unmanageable, so it really doesn't matter if we are unmanageable in spurts or in even intervals. It's like a compulsive gambler who blows $10,000 in one night of poker vs. one who blows a couple thousand 5 nights in a row; in the end they are still equally in the hole. I was powerless over alcohol because I couldn't stay quit, and because I couldn't control what happened when I was under the influence, i.e. I couldn't live with it and couldn't live without it. Baskin Robbins has 32 flavors but in the end it is all ice cream, that is how most AA meetings are; there are people who drank like me, out of control from day one, people who drank socially for 20 or 30 years until an 'invisible switch' was thrown and they became alcoholic, people who drank daily, people who only drank on weekends, people who could go weeks or months without it, people who couldn't go a day without it, people who still had jobs and cars and houses, and people who had nothing. Where I lived when I got sober they always used to say "We don't care if you are from Yale or jail." Great to hear you are going to an AA meeting.

[Hardway]

Thank you all how have replyed, it helps to chat with others and hear your support. My drinking started years ago when I was in the military, daily!!!!!, then I quit, started then quit, Now I just binge. I am planning to have coffee with a closed mouth friend this evening and discuss my weekend, as I have been sober for quite sometime before my lapse. I really need all the support that I can get to fight this internal battle, before I become my father (who is in a nursing home with Korsakoff's disease. I do have today

[Peter]

Welcome Hardway. I am glad to hear you will be giving AA a try.It worked for me and may work for you too.Please keep in touch and let us know how it works out.

[CarolD]

Hi an Welcome to SR!

Here is a link that is full of info....

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...influence.html (Excerpts "Under The Influence")

Sad to know of your Dad's situation....Hugs

Glad to seee a new member...

[Tazman53]

Hardway as others have said, if you are an alcoholic you will feel a connection with the folks in the meeting like you have never felt before, you will see there is Experience, Hope, & Strength in the rooms of AA.