Wake up call - SoberRecovery : Alcoholism Drug Addiction Help and Information

Virch · 09-27-2009, 06:30 PM

55 years old, drank for 40 of them. Was a 'functioning alcoholic' for most of those years. I drink to forget, when a problem or crisis arises, into the bottle I go. Well this year has been a dandy and I've really hit the bottle hard. Recently went through two serious binges because of some very serious personal situations

Tonight my wife announced she'd had enough, we're through. The house goes on the market very soon. I have been sober for a week. The first time in those 40 years. Moderation?....I wish. Now I start a life alone.

Don't just consider what you're doing to yourself, look how it devastates other people. It robs you of life's pleasure's. You often make a fool of yourself. Low self esteem...the list goes on.

Alcohol does not make a problem go away. It only masks it for a short while. Now look at the problems I have thanks to my good buddy alcohol. I've had enough. On to a sober clean life, I pray I'll get there. Good luck to all going through the same hell I am.

chrisinaustin · 09-27-2009, 07:26 PM

Congrats on a week. Hope it physically wasn't too hard and you're feeling at least OK. Sorry about what you may have lost. The future is unknowable, but in the time I've been sober weird things have happened, and some people I thought I had lost forever have been returned to me.

sailorjohn · 09-27-2009, 07:34 PM

Welcome!!!

Keep coming back, you'll find a lot of support here.

tjhook · 09-27-2009, 09:50 PM

Virch,

Sounds like you have been through a lot. I really wish you the best and hope that you find the peace and sobriety you are searching for.

I hope you don't take this as a negative...but thank you for posting your story being a 55 year old person. I am 33 and your words hit me hard...I don't want to lose that many years of my life, and I hope others read your words and learn from them.

Thank you and I wish you success!

**CarolD** · 09-27-2009, 10:41 PM

Welcome to SR and our Alcoholism Forum

I did finally quit drinking at 52....like you I had been drinking
for years. By the time I quit...all my fun bottles were empty.

For the past 20 years of AA recovery....I've been enjoying a
fantastic new life. I certainly hope you will continue your
new resolve to find sobriety....

Well done on your first week.

All my best to you and your wife

penny74 · 09-28-2009, 12:25 AM

Stay sober and things will look different in a while.
The things you will have to go through now you will have to go through with a clear head.
Sometimes things just have to happen.
Wish you well.

Sikkisirus · 09-28-2009, 03:09 AM

Alcohol is terrible at solving problems.

tommyk · 09-28-2009, 06:04 AM

Welcome to the first week of the rest of your life!

Keep coming back.

Mark75 · 09-28-2009, 06:29 AM

Welcome

Mark

Wolfchild · 09-28-2009, 08:19 AM

rjmano · 09-28-2009, 06:54 PM

Virch, congrats on the clean time and welcome to SR. Sobriety can give all of us a second chance at a whole new life imo.

Virch · 09-30-2009, 09:08 PM

thanks to all the kind words and well wishes...still dry and feeling better everyday....I had no idea....in reflection I think it's been years of depression, when a problem would arise, alcohol would dull the pain temporarily...but it was still there...now I deal with life issues with a clear head, accept that there will be obstacles. Man what a difference being sober!

again thank you so much.....John

NewBeginning010 · 09-30-2009, 09:11 PM

Hi John, Glad you are with us, we understand what you are going through.

Take Care,

NB

least · 10-01-2009, 04:32 AM

Welcome to SR John! I'm glad you joined the family. Lots of support and experience here to help you thru hard times. Congrats on your first week of a new sober life. Being sober won't make your problems go away but it will become easier dealing with life when you're sober. No more regrets, no more negative possibilities due to drinking. You can do it!

Gypsy Feet · 10-01-2009, 07:17 AM

Welcome!

I am 9 months sober after 28 years of drinking and drugging. I have found the best part of recovery for me is all of the self work I am doing. Learning to cope with life on its own terms and finding true joy in daily life has improved my life dramatically and wondrously!

sickofthewaste · 10-01-2009, 07:42 AM

Man I empathise so much. 55 drunk for as long as you recently seperated after 23 years marriage. So called functioning alcoholic. Just spiralling down and down. Together we can both make it sober. Drinking days are gone. If not I am gone.

One day at a time and never ever pick up.

mariechi · 10-01-2009, 07:55 AM

I'm day 10 here. Putting life back together after the devastation is - well... Being sober helps, and as Chrisinaustin said, I've experienced some unexpected help. Have faith. This is a good place to be.

bjork · 10-01-2009, 12:43 PM

Glad you're here Virch! Congratulations on your sober time.

smacked · 10-01-2009, 02:27 PM

I'm glad you found us

Welcome!!

09-27-2009, 06:30 PM	#1 (permalink)
Virch Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Oakville, Ontario Posts: 13	Wake up call 55 years old, drank for 40 of them. Was a 'functioning alcoholic' for most of those years. I drink to forget, when a problem or crisis arises, into the bottle I go. Well this year has been a dandy and I've really hit the bottle hard. Recently went through two serious binges because of some very serious personal situations Tonight my wife announced she'd had enough, we're through. The house goes on the market very soon. I have been sober for a week. The first time in those 40 years. Moderation?....I wish. Now I start a life alone. Don't just consider what you're doing to yourself, look how it devastates other people. It robs you of life's pleasure's. You often make a fool of yourself. Low self esteem...the list goes on. Alcohol does not make a problem go away. It only masks it for a short while. Now look at the problems I have thanks to my good buddy alcohol. I've had enough. On to a sober clean life, I pray I'll get there. Good luck to all going through the same hell I am.

09-27-2009, 07:34 PM	#3 (permalink)
sailorjohn Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Baghdad Posts: 2,828	Welcome!!! Keep coming back, you'll find a lot of support here. __________________ Always remember that you are unique. Just like everybody else.

09-27-2009, 10:41 PM	#5 (permalink)
CarolD Forum Leader Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Serene In Dixie Posts: 34,835	Welcome to SR and our Alcoholism Forum I did finally quit drinking at 52....like you I had been drinking for years. By the time I quit...all my fun bottles were empty. For the past 20 years of AA recovery....I've been enjoying a fantastic new life. I certainly hope you will continue your new resolve to find sobriety.... Well done on your first week. All my best to you and your wife __________________ Each Day Sober Is A Victory!! Joy In AA Recovery!

09-28-2009, 03:09 AM	#7 (permalink)
Sikkisirus Rockstar Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Wales, UK Posts: 631	Alcohol is terrible at solving problems. __________________ Standing in a church makes you no more of a Christian than standing in a garage makes you a car. The past is a strange place. They do things differently there.

09-28-2009, 06:29 AM	#9 (permalink)
Mark75 Friend of Bill W. Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Looking for snow Posts: 5,608	Welcome Mark __________________ "Be Kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle."....Philo of Alexandria "Your fear of the future is your greatest mistake." .... Stephen Kellogg

09-27-2009, 07:26 PM	#2 (permalink)
chrisinaustin Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 161	Congrats on a week. Hope it physically wasn't too hard and you're feeling at least OK. Sorry about what you may have lost. The future is unknowable, but in the time I've been sober weird things have happened, and some people I thought I had lost forever have been returned to me.

09-27-2009, 09:50 PM	#4 (permalink)
tjhook Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: ca Posts: 103	Virch, Sounds like you have been through a lot. I really wish you the best and hope that you find the peace and sobriety you are searching for. I hope you don't take this as a negative...but thank you for posting your story being a 55 year old person. I am 33 and your words hit me hard...I don't want to lose that many years of my life, and I hope others read your words and learn from them. Thank you and I wish you success!

09-28-2009, 12:25 AM	#6 (permalink)
penny74 Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 494	Stay sober and things will look different in a while. The things you will have to go through now you will have to go through with a clear head. Sometimes things just have to happen. Wish you well.

09-28-2009, 06:04 AM	#8 (permalink)
tommyk Awaiting Email Confirmation Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 2,942	Welcome to the first week of the rest of your life! Keep coming back.

09-28-2009, 08:19 AM	#10 (permalink)
Wolfchild Disposable Hero Tournaments Won: 3 Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Being, ME Posts: 3,758 Blog Entries: 3	__________________ Any clean addict is a miracle and keeping the miracle alive is an ongoing process of awareness, surrender, and growth

09-28-2009, 06:54 PM	#11 (permalink)
rjmano Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: West of the big smoke, Ontario Posts: 10	Virch, congrats on the clean time and welcome to SR. Sobriety can give all of us a second chance at a whole new life imo.

09-30-2009, 09:08 PM	#12 (permalink)
Virch Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Oakville, Ontario Posts: 13	thanks to all the kind words and well wishes...still dry and feeling better everyday....I had no idea....in reflection I think it's been years of depression, when a problem would arise, alcohol would dull the pain temporarily...but it was still there...now I deal with life issues with a clear head, accept that there will be obstacles. Man what a difference being sober! again thank you so much.....John

09-30-2009, 09:11 PM	#13 (permalink)
NewBeginning010 Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 1,932	Hi John, Glad you are with us, we understand what you are going through. Take Care, NB __________________ "Today is the first day of the rest of your life"

10-01-2009, 04:32 AM	#14 (permalink)
least bona fido dog-lover Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: eastern USA Posts: 23,531 Blog Entries: 31	Welcome to SR John! I'm glad you joined the family. Lots of support and experience here to help you thru hard times. Congrats on your first week of a new sober life. Being sober won't make your problems go away but it will become easier dealing with life when you're sober. No more regrets, no more negative possibilities due to drinking. You can do it! __________________ I'd rather live in my car with my dogs than live in a castle without them. Dogs may not be our whole lives, but they make our lives whole. Don't wait for the Last Judgement. It takes place every day. -Albert Camus Find the good and praise it. - Alex Haley

10-01-2009, 07:17 AM	#15 (permalink)
Gypsy Feet mergirl Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Paradise Posts: 3,784 Blog Entries: 4	Welcome! I am 9 months sober after 28 years of drinking and drugging. I have found the best part of recovery for me is all of the self work I am doing. Learning to cope with life on its own terms and finding true joy in daily life has improved my life dramatically and wondrously! __________________ ~Lisa~ ban the deed, not the breed~ three years of continuous sobriety and counting <3 (its a sideways heart!)

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10-01-2009, 07:42 AM	#16 (permalink)
sickofthewaste Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Sydney, NSW Posts: 25	Man I empathise so much. 55 drunk for as long as you recently seperated after 23 years marriage. So called functioning alcoholic. Just spiralling down and down. Together we can both make it sober. Drinking days are gone. If not I am gone. One day at a time and never ever pick up.

10-01-2009, 07:55 AM	#17 (permalink)
mariechi Well, I'm on my way Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: El Paso, Texas Posts: 277 Blog Entries: 1	I'm day 10 here. Putting life back together after the devastation is - well... Being sober helps, and as Chrisinaustin said, I've experienced some unexpected help. Have faith. This is a good place to be. __________________ One foot in front of the other; one step at a time "Anne stopped drinking and never looked back." That's my story. I read it every morning, and I'm sticking to it.

10-01-2009, 12:43 PM	#18 (permalink)
bjork Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 257	Glad you're here Virch! Congratulations on your sober time.

10-01-2009, 02:27 PM	#19 (permalink)
smacked Heathen Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: La La Land, USA Posts: 2,349	I'm glad you found us Welcome!!

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