ForMyGirls

The only person who ever told me I needed to stop was my Wife, and she probably was only aware of a quarter of what I really drank... Everyone else had no clue... She did tell me more than 50 times though...lol

Boylan

I only remember, maybe, 4 times by my husband. And, mostly, as I recall (lol!) it was more like, "you're drinking too much." But, never, "stop it!"

Even so...I've known the truth much longer than anyone else. Even before it became an issue for him.

bigsombrero

I was never told by anyone that I was drinking too much, except for my partner, who only said it once. She said it when she slammed the door on my face and she never came back.

I ended up in rehab and 2 years later I am now living a healthy, sober, single life.

courage2

When I told my mother that I thought I had to quit drinking, she suggested I switch to wine.

Mountainmanbob

Sounds like one of my old stories. Had a sweet little girlfriend back when I was around 38 years old. She told me that I had better stop drinking and doing some of the other things that I was doing. I didn't and she left in short time.

I hit a big bottom while crying in my beer and turned myself into rehab.

Stayed sober that time just short of 3 years.

For me the best life has proven to be the sober life.

Period

MM

Baileylove

No one ever told me either. I also kept it at home, by myself. Sometimes I think I wanted someone to yell at me....

mercurial me

None. Everyone who tried to love me never said anything because they probably knew they'd be in for a volatile rebuttal. Unless you count medical professionals I suppose. I admitted to family & my boss in early July of this year that I had an alcohol addiction. Off to treatment next Tues for the first time after being an alcoholic for at least x16 years. Toughest things I've ever done

Mountainmanbob

my grandmother and mother suggested that I stop drinking at the early age of a round 16 and continued to tell me I should stop for 40 more years

I wasn't one to take good advice.

Mountainman

glassdark

My husband, mom, and aunt told me to stop. My husband has said it the most, though. We were both heavy drinkers, but he didn't need to drink during the weeknights. I did, and of course me drinking made him want to, too. Funny enough, he has only drank 3 times since I quit altogether. So he went from drinking 3 or 4 times a week to just once a week. I don't think he is really an alcoholic like me. It didn't help that I began withdrawing from the alcohol, which was extremely unpleasant. As some others said, I guess that I hit an age where my body can't handle it anymore.

Vandermast

anyone who has known me both sober and drunk would much prefer me sober.

and yes it has been brought to my attention over the years by many sources I should stop.

I am thankful for the sober times I have had in my life

much happier and well adjusted.....

starting over


v

Mountainmanbob

Back when I was drinking

have many times were you told to stop drinking ?

Starting hearing that at a fairly early age (18 maybe) there were many times.

Haven't heard that for a long time now.
Of course I didn't drink yesterday and I won't drink today.

A Happy Queen Makes For A Happy King

Of all of the ones during my life that told me that I shouldn't drink
my wife was the last one to tell me that 8 years ago now.

If I would not have taken her advice
this would mark in time 8 years since the Queen left home.

Big difference between drinking and not drinking.

MM

Jsbodhi

This is the same as me
Xo

UKstudent

I've never been told by family members, as they are mostly unaware of how big of an issue alcohol is for me.
Various members of my family are incredibly difficult to talk to, judgemental and have often been dismissive or even laughed when I tried to talk about feelings of depression and sadness - so I've never even tried to talk about drinking issues.

Other family members potentially have issues with alcohol themselves and part of me wonders whether they know about my issues, but say nothing as it suits them if i sit and have a drink with them.

Gotta just be strong for yourself I suppose

advbike

My family never really thought I had a problem. They usually just suggested having one, lol. When I would quit, they respected my decision, however.

Che

It's really interesting to me that the vast majority of people have either never been told or were told less than 6 times. It shows what a lonely problem alcohol addiction can be. For introverted people, it is like a replacement for friends. Comfort you should be getting from relationships ends up being looked for in a drug. For such people, sometimes even when you stop the world does not become much less lonely.

Admittedly a good number of people who said almost never, could be coming from a situation where everyone drinks too much, or where other people don't know the extent to which they drink. But I think generally if no one is saying anything close to it, you're living alone, or you're living with people you don't get along with. It's also pretty likely, though, people are splitting hairs between awkward conversations where someone strongly implies you drink too much and should slow down / stop and getting to the point where things are extremely confrontational and they just tell you straight out because it's making their life hard.

For me, zero times being told to stop directly, but at least three awkward conversations which changed drinking from being a poor coping mechanism to being a humiliating habit. I like to think I stopped for better reasons, but I hate to be humiliated and looked down on, and that might really be the bigger half of it. Kind of revealing to me about my own personality. Once the secret was out, I couldn't enjoy it anymore.

Alphonse

Surprisingly, very few times. There is only one relation of mine, my wife, that knew how much I drank. She expressed concern a few times verbally and more than a few times with her demeanor. Everyone else in my life (e.g., family, coworkers, etc.) had no idea that I drank at all, let alone in excess.

Mountainmanbob

Oh yes, I saw the concern in my wife's face.
It's sad for them as they watch us slip away.
I would hate to be in those shoes.
A loved one who you wish to help, but you truly can't do much.
MB