Alcoholic's Compulsion to Drink? - SoberRecovery : Alcoholism Drug Addiction Help and Information

Sadie12 · 07-06-2005, 04:06 PM

I'm sitting here thinking (again) about the compulsion to drink once started.

I used to think i wasn't an alcoholic because even with that compulsion coming on, I'de drink maybe 7 at the most....that was then and this is now. I can easily put away 10 beers in one sitting. Anything over 2 I think is too much drinking for one sitting.

The compulsion that comes over me after that second drink is a mystery to me and is hard to explain....and then i have to have 4 more or so!

Can someone explain whre that "compulsion" to drink comes from after taking the first couple drinks????

**51anna** · 07-06-2005, 04:14 PM

In my opinion Sadie, I think it's something that we addicts are predisposed to and I think it has to do with brain chemicals being slightly off. What sets it off may be a combination of things, including stress. It is the obsession of the mind which makes us act compulsively, I think.

Love, Anna

lulu70 · 07-06-2005, 04:27 PM

Hi Sadie. My name is Laura and I am a recovering alcoholic/pothead with a precious 16 months clean and sober. I have been following your posts for some time now, but haven't responded for a number of reasons, which I don't think I will try to get into right now. However, please know that I have been thinking about you and praying for you to find the power that can help you leave the alcohol behind for good.

As far as your question, I don't know where the compulsion to drink comes from, but I am VERY familiar with it. I am lucky I didn't completely destroy my life because of it. There are a lot of different theories regarding the alcoholic compulsion to drink. Some believe it is like an allergy, and some of us simply react to drinking differently than others. Some believe it is a disease, where the outcome is again, that we react to alcohol in a completely different way than normal people. I don't know what I believe, but I know that whatever it is, I have it. I will NEVER be able to drink like a normal person. When I finally accepted that fact, I stopped fighting and started recovering. Unfortunately, it took alot for me to accept that.

I could not do it on my own. I tried. Many, many times. Not only could I not do it on my own, I had to change everything about my life and the way I was thinking. I started going to AA, among other things, and so far, it has worked. I would highly suggest finding some kind of face to face support for yourself. Even if AA is not for you, there are other options.

You are not alone, Sadie. I have been where you are right now. You can do this, but you have to be willing to go to any lengths.

Keep posting and keep working. One of these days you will stop "trying" and start recovering.

Sadie12 · 07-06-2005, 06:08 PM

I know Laura.
I feel like perhaps I shouldn't post until I get a month or so of sobriety under my belt.
Sadie

tyler · 07-06-2005, 06:21 PM

Sadie, you dont' have to stop posting, sharing is one of the most important things you can do. Please dont' stop posting.

**51anna** · 07-06-2005, 06:28 PM

Sadie, we're here to offer support and encouragement to help you stop drinking. Posting here is good for you and good for the rest of us, so please keep posting and reading.

Love, Anna

In memory of miracle · 07-06-2005, 06:33 PM

Don't you dare stop posting! We are here to give and get help.If you have questions ask away. I believe the obsession to drink is in the mind and the compulsion is awakened when we put the drink in our body. It is called an "insane compulsion" in the BB of Alcoholic's Anonymous. The book explains it very well. I suggest you pick up a copy.It will teach you a great deal about alcoholism. When I think of compulsion the saying "one is too many, and a thousand never enough" comes to mind.

Sadie, don't be afraid of AA if you desire to get sober. I have met many warm and wonderful people there, people who are also waiting to help you. Stick around. I am pulling for you.
Bless, Trish

lulu70 · 07-06-2005, 06:57 PM

(((((((((Sadie))))))))))) Please don't go away. I am sorry if my post came off as harsh. I have been in kind of a funk lately, and I just wanted to help. I wasted so much of my life and sometimes I wish someone had just kicked me in the butt and told me how it was. I read posts like yours and it makes me so angry at this disease. Not at YOU--but at the disease of alcoholism. I can see how much you have to offer. Again, please don't go away. We need you here. I need you here.

Hugs--

perbear · 07-06-2005, 07:18 PM

hi all I have always heard is the old saying of "One is too many and a thousands not enough" that has also been my experience!

2dayzmuse · 07-06-2005, 07:28 PM

Quote:

Can someone explain whre that "compulsion" to drink comes from after taking the first couple drinks????

I think there are a number of reason we are compelled to drink. Different people drink for different reasons. I think I drank out of boredom, habit and for entertainment. I thought it was fun. It is so socially accceptable. It is everywhere. Then it quit being fun and became a mental crutch. I felt I couldn't accomplish any task without a few drinks in me. I believe in the allergy theory. I believe my body is allergic to alcohol. I react differently then people who are not allergic. I break out in red blotches and hives after just a few drinks of alcohol. The whole nine yards. It just seems to make sense that I would react physically in other ways as well. Such as: insane.

JWill · 07-06-2005, 09:57 PM

i wonder what the reasoning is too. my wife told me that she was going to limit herself to 1-2 and then turned around and said that once she has a couple, she just wants more. she said that she likes the feeling of being drunk. her intentions are good but then the alcohol gets ahold of her.

tenK · 07-07-2005, 06:28 AM

gosh... I've thought about this one many times. All I could figure out was that my judgement was compromised by the alcohol after 1 or 2. All of a sudden, reasonable thoughts turned into WTF...

I could write myself a note before drinking that said "Don't drink more than 2. No matter what. This is you talking. Don't drink too much!" And, after two I would say screw it and chuck the note. The reward was immediate, and the penalty was far enough away to ignore.

Andygirl · 07-07-2005, 07:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tenK

The reward was immediate, and the penalty was far enough away to ignore.

You sure said it there. That verbalizes what I've thought so many times. I guess finally that penalty started getting closer and closer.

michaelj · 07-07-2005, 09:41 AM

Sadie,

I must repeat what others have said above and urge you not to even think about not posting here. You have every right to post as often as you care to.
As to the compulsion to drink, I think it is summed up in the saying "one's enough, two's too many, three's not half enough".
I believe that I am addicted to the first hit from an alcoholic drink, my brain and my body enjoy that initial buzz and want to experience it again. Now for most people, normal drinkers if you like, they too enjoy the buzz but are content to accept it in small irregular doses. We addicts want it to hit us again and again. Of course the law of diminishing returns begins to kick in and no matter how much more we drink we can never gain access to the initial buzz.
The normal drinker recognises that he / she is in a no win situation but the addict fails to recognise it and piles in to the bottle.
I realised that to defeat the urge to keep drinking I had to avoid the first drink. If I can keep away from the first drink I am safe.
I hope that this helps.
All the best
Michael

idunavailable · 07-07-2005, 10:08 AM

sadie keep posting , It helps to see this especialy for the people that are thinking the same thing and do not post.

like the saying goes " its the first beer that "gets" YOU DRUNK". I relate to you if I have that first one its all over and theres no comming back, thats the beauty (or rather beast) of alcoholism. From my side I will never know what moderation is, I wished I did but I just dont. Once again keep posting It does help me to know that someone else is thinking about the same thing.
good luck

BroTrouble · 07-07-2005, 10:29 AM

Hiddy Ho Sadie...

Dammm, I was sober for almost a week. I'm back to day one again too!!!.

Wish I had the answers. If only I was stronger.

If "IF'S" and "BUT'S" were candy and nuts, we all would have a merry Christmas.

NoMoBeer · 07-07-2005, 10:49 AM

Sadie:
Well, first off -- posting and reading here may help you get to that one or two months sober, so stay close!

My view on the "compulsion" -- I personally believe the 'allergy' theory presented in the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous. The BB tells me I have a compulsion of the mind, and an allergy of the body. My compulsion tells me it's OK to drink, or I can control my drinking, or whatever -- somehow it makes me WANT to drink. When I am just separated from alcohol, with no program to deal with that compulsion, it will always be there and the switch will always be on. With my program, I can be 'spiritually fit,' and let the complusion kind of lay at rest. For me that's the only way it works. Now, if things were to go awry, and the compulsion should get the best of me and I take that first drink -- I believe that's where the abnormal make up of my body takes over, and the phenomenon of craving is activated. Once I get alcohol into my body, I don't process it like 'normal' people. I want more and more and more. For me, I used to drink until I passed out. Period. It's the only way I knew how to...

Hope that helps, even just to know that there are others who experience the same thing... I believe this is why we need a recovery program. If we didn't need to actively recover, than just separating from alcohol would be enough. Most of the times it's not.

Ken

jeremy · 07-07-2005, 11:52 AM

hello. i think after taking the first drink or second drink the feeling i get satisfaction i gain the relief i get the sensatiom triggers something in my mind it tells me i want more i need more more is better.obsession kicks in and takes over my thoughts my clear thinking wich is also being distorted by the alcohol, so now the obsession has taken over and the alcohol has to my thoughts are not being controlled by me my addiction has now gained the upper hand CUNNING, BAFFLING AND POWERFULL. I also can start to obsess on trying to figure out my addiction i try to accept that i just have the compulsiveness i have and obsession you remind me that im just like you an alcoholic addict all

07-06-2005, 04:06 PM	#1 (permalink)
Sadie12 Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: USA Posts: 35	Alcoholic's Compulsion to Drink? I'm sitting here thinking (again) about the compulsion to drink once started. I used to think i wasn't an alcoholic because even with that compulsion coming on, I'de drink maybe 7 at the most....that was then and this is now. I can easily put away 10 beers in one sitting. Anything over 2 I think is too much drinking for one sitting. The compulsion that comes over me after that second drink is a mystery to me and is hard to explain....and then i have to have 4 more or so! Can someone explain whre that "compulsion" to drink comes from after taking the first couple drinks????

07-06-2005, 04:14 PM	#2 (permalink)
51anna Forum Leader Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Dancing in the Light Posts: 10,602	In my opinion Sadie, I think it's something that we addicts are predisposed to and I think it has to do with brain chemicals being slightly off. What sets it off may be a combination of things, including stress. It is the obsession of the mind which makes us act compulsively, I think. Love, Anna
	__________________ Anna "I don't know what the future is holding in store I don't know where Im going, Im not sure where Ive been Theres a spirit that guides me, a light that shines for me My life is worth the living, I don't need to see the end." John Denver

07-06-2005, 04:27 PM	#3 (permalink)
lulu70 We all need each other. Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: The road of happy destiny. Posts: 2,223	Hi Sadie. My name is Laura and I am a recovering alcoholic/pothead with a precious 16 months clean and sober. I have been following your posts for some time now, but haven't responded for a number of reasons, which I don't think I will try to get into right now. However, please know that I have been thinking about you and praying for you to find the power that can help you leave the alcohol behind for good. As far as your question, I don't know where the compulsion to drink comes from, but I am VERY familiar with it. I am lucky I didn't completely destroy my life because of it. There are a lot of different theories regarding the alcoholic compulsion to drink. Some believe it is like an allergy, and some of us simply react to drinking differently than others. Some believe it is a disease, where the outcome is again, that we react to alcohol in a completely different way than normal people. I don't know what I believe, but I know that whatever it is, I have it. I will NEVER be able to drink like a normal person. When I finally accepted that fact, I stopped fighting and started recovering. Unfortunately, it took alot for me to accept that. I could not do it on my own. I tried. Many, many times. Not only could I not do it on my own, I had to change everything about my life and the way I was thinking. I started going to AA, among other things, and so far, it has worked. I would highly suggest finding some kind of face to face support for yourself. Even if AA is not for you, there are other options. You are not alone, Sadie. I have been where you are right now. You can do this, but you have to be willing to go to any lengths. Keep posting and keep working. One of these days you will stop "trying" and start recovering.
	__________________ "You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face.....do the thing you think you cannot do." ~Eleanor Roosevelt

07-06-2005, 06:21 PM	#5 (permalink)
tyler Not all better, getting better Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Getting back to the beach!!!!!! :-) Posts: 780	Sadie, you dont' have to stop posting, sharing is one of the most important things you can do. Please dont' stop posting.
	__________________ Peace and Love, Tyler Heck is where people go who don't believe in Gosh "Protest is the highest form of democracy." Gen. Wesley Clark "Meat is food, veggies are food's food!" -pedagogue

07-06-2005, 06:28 PM	#6 (permalink)
51anna Forum Leader Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Dancing in the Light Posts: 10,602	Sadie, we're here to offer support and encouragement to help you stop drinking. Posting here is good for you and good for the rest of us, so please keep posting and reading. Love, Anna
	__________________ Anna "I don't know what the future is holding in store I don't know where Im going, Im not sure where Ive been Theres a spirit that guides me, a light that shines for me My life is worth the living, I don't need to see the end." John Denver

07-06-2005, 06:08 PM	#4 (permalink)
Sadie12 Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: USA Posts: 35	I know Laura. I feel like perhaps I shouldn't post until I get a month or so of sobriety under my belt. Sadie

07-06-2005, 06:33 PM	#7 (permalink)
In memory of miracle In Memory Of Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Connecticut. Posts: 3,740	(( Sadie )) Don't you dare stop posting! We are here to give and get help.If you have questions ask away. I believe the obsession to drink is in the mind and the compulsion is awakened when we put the drink in our body. It is called an "insane compulsion" in the BB of Alcoholic's Anonymous. The book explains it very well. I suggest you pick up a copy.It will teach you a great deal about alcoholism. When I think of compulsion the saying "one is too many, and a thousand never enough" comes to mind. Sadie, don't be afraid of AA if you desire to get sober. I have met many warm and wonderful people there, people who are also waiting to help you. Stick around. I am pulling for you. Bless, Trish
	__________________ In Memory Of Teach only love...

07-06-2005, 06:57 PM	#8 (permalink)
lulu70 We all need each other. Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: The road of happy destiny. Posts: 2,223	(((((((((Sadie))))))))))) Please don't go away. I am sorry if my post came off as harsh. I have been in kind of a funk lately, and I just wanted to help. I wasted so much of my life and sometimes I wish someone had just kicked me in the butt and told me how it was. I read posts like yours and it makes me so angry at this disease. Not at YOU--but at the disease of alcoholism. I can see how much you have to offer. Again, please don't go away. We need you here. I need you here. Hugs--
	__________________ "You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face.....do the thing you think you cannot do." ~Eleanor Roosevelt

07-06-2005, 07:18 PM	#9 (permalink)
perbear perbear Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Saskatoon Saskatchewan Posts: 19	hi all I have always heard is the old saying of "One is too many and a thousands not enough" that has also been my experience!
	__________________ There is know problem today that a drink won't make worse!

07-06-2005, 09:57 PM	#11 (permalink)
JWill Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: US Posts: 3	i wonder what the reasoning is too. my wife told me that she was going to limit herself to 1-2 and then turned around and said that once she has a couple, she just wants more. she said that she likes the feeling of being drunk. her intentions are good but then the alcohol gets ahold of her.
JWill Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: US Posts: 3

07-07-2005, 06:28 AM	#12 (permalink)
tenK 9:40 5K Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: yellow brick road Posts: 84	gosh... I've thought about this one many times. All I could figure out was that my judgement was compromised by the alcohol after 1 or 2. All of a sudden, reasonable thoughts turned into WTF... I could write myself a note before drinking that said "Don't drink more than 2. No matter what. This is you talking. Don't drink too much!" And, after two I would say screw it and chuck the note. The reward was immediate, and the penalty was far enough away to ignore.

07-07-2005, 09:41 AM	#14 (permalink)
michaelj Michael Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: London England Posts: 292	Sadie, I must repeat what others have said above and urge you not to even think about not posting here. You have every right to post as often as you care to. As to the compulsion to drink, I think it is summed up in the saying "one's enough, two's too many, three's not half enough". I believe that I am addicted to the first hit from an alcoholic drink, my brain and my body enjoy that initial buzz and want to experience it again. Now for most people, normal drinkers if you like, they too enjoy the buzz but are content to accept it in small irregular doses. We addicts want it to hit us again and again. Of course the law of diminishing returns begins to kick in and no matter how much more we drink we can never gain access to the initial buzz. The normal drinker recognises that he / she is in a no win situation but the addict fails to recognise it and piles in to the bottle. I realised that to defeat the urge to keep drinking I had to avoid the first drink. If I can keep away from the first drink I am safe. I hope that this helps. All the best Michael

07-07-2005, 10:08 AM	#15 (permalink)
idunavailable Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: GEORGIA Posts: 7	sadie keep posting , It helps to see this especialy for the people that are thinking the same thing and do not post. like the saying goes " its the first beer that "gets" YOU DRUNK". I relate to you if I have that first one its all over and theres no comming back, thats the beauty (or rather beast) of alcoholism. From my side I will never know what moderation is, I wished I did but I just dont. Once again keep posting It does help me to know that someone else is thinking about the same thing. good luck

07-07-2005, 10:29 AM	#16 (permalink)
BroTrouble X Brain & Body Destroyer Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: In the O.C. Posts: 14	Hiddy Ho Sadie... Dammm, I was sober for almost a week. I'm back to day one again too!!!. Wish I had the answers. If only I was stronger. If "IF'S" and "BUT'S" were candy and nuts, we all would have a merry Christmas.
	__________________ Cinthia "I thought I knew everything, until I woke up one day... drunk, childless, homeless, broke and old"

07-07-2005, 10:49 AM	#17 (permalink)
NoMoBeer Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Arizona Posts: 812	Sadie: Well, first off -- posting and reading here may help you get to that one or two months sober, so stay close! My view on the "compulsion" -- I personally believe the 'allergy' theory presented in the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous. The BB tells me I have a compulsion of the mind, and an allergy of the body. My compulsion tells me it's OK to drink, or I can control my drinking, or whatever -- somehow it makes me WANT to drink. When I am just separated from alcohol, with no program to deal with that compulsion, it will always be there and the switch will always be on. With my program, I can be 'spiritually fit,' and let the complusion kind of lay at rest. For me that's the only way it works. Now, if things were to go awry, and the compulsion should get the best of me and I take that first drink -- I believe that's where the abnormal make up of my body takes over, and the phenomenon of craving is activated. Once I get alcohol into my body, I don't process it like 'normal' people. I want more and more and more. For me, I used to drink until I passed out. Period. It's the only way I knew how to... Hope that helps, even just to know that there are others who experience the same thing... I believe this is why we need a recovery program. If we didn't need to actively recover, than just separating from alcohol would be enough. Most of the times it's not. Ken
	__________________ "Run with endurance the race God has set out before you..." -- Hebrews 12