Want to take the first steps..

[russ32]

Hi all.

I'll give a little bit of info on myself. I'm 32 years old and i'm what you would call a classic binge drinker. Whilst i'll often have a few beers and or a bottle of wine during the working week, when it comes to the weekend i'll drink until I pass out. Often i'll **** myself when I sleep, but not always, this comes and goes in phases.

I'm stuck in this rut and have been for about 15 years.

I cant break up the routine of casually having a few during the week, then getting blindo at the weekends.

I have 6 brothers, all of them like s drink. Some are like me, some not as bad.

I lost one of my brothers to alcohol a few years back.

My dad is a alcoholic.

Most of mates are big drinkers, although my fiance is not, she rarely drinks.

My one saving grace is my job. Once a month I have to be on call, which means no drinking. By the end of a sober week, I always think to myself that i'll stay sober, but within a day i'll get the beers in after work, then back to my routine.

Where's a good place to start?

Thanks for reading.

[2granddaughters]

Russ, AA has worked for me for nearly 23 years. Might just be the ticket for you.

All the best.

Bob R

[Steve07]

Welcome, this is a good place to start. Here you will find support and encouragment from those who know what you are going through. I would next recommend looking into various programs such as AA and others and see which one seems right for you to help you stay sober and develop healthy habits that will keep you from needing to include alcohol in your life. Good luck, keep posting and let us know how you are coming along.

[Anna]

Welcome!

I'm glad you found us, and this is a good place to start.

It sounds like you are able to stay sober for a week, while working, so hopefully you can carry on beyond that. It's hard to do, but it's worth the effort. The best thing to do is to get rid of any alcohol in your house, and don't buy anymore. Try to stay away from people who are drinking, at least until you feel comfortable.

Take a look around this website and you will find lots of inspiring stories.

[Dee74]

Welcome Russ

The probably many of us had is that we were sometimes able to stop for whatever reason - work etc...that kinda convinces us we have no problem.

But I used to spend my weekends like you - and whether I liked to admit it or not it really was a problem - and my problem got a lot worse too...you're wise to be here now.

You'll find a lot of support here & ideas too - welcome

D

[hypochondriac]

Welcome to SR Russ

There are lots of place to start helping you get sober. Try looking into AVRT (Google the Crash Course), AA, SMART. I'm about to read Allen Carr's book Easyway to Stop Drinking for the second time and I know there's some good stuff in that. SR is a great place for support too and for keeping us accountable. Join the Class of July thread on this forum to get support from other people quitting at the same time

My best advice though would be to shake up your routine, at least for a bit until you get over the initial withdrawal period. So, if all your friends are big drinkers, don't go out for a bit. Maybe do something with the missus instead. If you usually go to the pub after work, maybe do something like bike home instead, say you're on a health kick. It amazing how the drink appears in our hands like magic if we just keep on trying to do the same stuff but just without the drink.

I hope you find the support you need here x

[Live2Run25]

welcome! I know for me, after a particularly horrid day in which I had almost 6 bottles of wine, I just simply stopped after that. I knew that I needed to do it, and I just did. I think it's worked so far for me, because I REALLY want to quit. At the moment, I'm not in AA or anything, but I am on this site every single day..

Best of luck to you

[Stevie1]

Hi Russ, good on ya for acknowledging there's a problem.

There are many places to start - here on this forum is a good one. I've tried so many times I can't even count and I know now that no way can I quit without help....AA is offering me hope and I'm an aetheist so don't let that scare ya. SMART Recovery, getting a counselor experienced with addictions (I'm doing that too), finding a reason or hobby that supercedes drinking...as you've figured out quitting isn't so hard. It's the staying quit that's hard, which is why IMHO it's important to have a long-term plan.

[Hevyn]

Welcome Russ! I wish I'd taken this step at 32. Instead, my binging led to daily drinking and all sorts of horror. This never has to happen to you. Keep reading and posting - you'll find many here who've had a similar drinking pattern. It helps to not be alone with this! You can do it, Russ - and have a new life.

[freshstart57]

For me it was a relief to realize that I didn't have to do this anymore if I didn't want to. I didn't have to be miserable in body, in mind, in my soul if I chose to stop. I realized that everything that I held dear was hanging in the balance, and I could have those things again, for good and for real. So I stopped. I bet you can too. Are you ready to make a plan for continuing to use alcohol?

[hector]

Welcome, Russ. Glad you're here. Keep coming back.

Lots of good things have been said here by lots of good people. No one else has commented on what you said about your family, so I will.

I believe that alcoholism (no one's used that word yet either) is a disease and that it's hereditary. If you have it, I believe you need to treat it or it will kill you.

Treatment is available. Complete abstinence combined with a spiritual program that results in a personality change is what works for me. I haven't had a drink in over two decades.

Keep reading, keep posting.

[auden67]

Good for you Russ! Your situation seems very similar to mine. I could *usually* hold it together during the week, but weekends could be a free for all. I actually had cut down quite a bit this winter but finally saw the writing on the wall. Alcohol was taking up so much mental and physical space in me it was exhausting, and I finally recognized I could be missing out on a lot of life, health and growth.

My recovery routine has been reading a lot of addiction stories, some recovery methods like AVRT, and reading this forum everyday. Most importantly, I reflect back on my former life and practice mindful gratitude for the positive changes. It keeps me very motivated. And don't be afraid to try new stuff, adapt and change as your mind heals. Very good luck to you, you won't regret it!

[russ32]

Wow, some amazing replies on this thread, I never expected such positive and encouraging remarks.

I only found this forum yesterday after the thought of doing something has been bugging me recently (the last 5 years lol), so i'll definately be looking around the site for a while.

I like the idea of reading, as i'm a big fan. So i'm going to have a look at the books mentioned, thanks.

Also thanks again to everyone that replied.

Russ

Ps is counscelling available on the NHS?

[MyTimeNow]

Morning Russ Good to see you hear.

Definitely have a word with your GP as they will likely refer you to you for counselling but the waiting lists can be quite lengthy depending on services and area.

I just did a quick google and found this for you there is some information on there Alcohol support - Live Well - NHS Choices

All the best, definitely come and join us in the Class of July, lots of us in the same boat!

[catlover17]

Hi Russ,

I am very new to sobriety but have been getting prepared by reading as much as possible, i feel a lot less hopeless.

I am in London and have counselling on the NHS (Cognitive behavioural therapy), not just for alcohol but also for depression. I had to wait about six months though. Go to your GP and they will refer you, you might not have to wait that long. If you can afford it, private sessions range from about £60 per session.

It's good that your spouse is not a drinker, this will make it a lot easier for you. I haven't yet, but i am going to go to an AA meeting, if only to meet people who don't drink.

All the best

[hypochondriac]

Hi again Russ.

For counselling you might want to check out if your area has any alcohol and dependency services. You can self refer for a lot of these things. That may cut the waiting time down a bit. If you have trouble locating any phone Drinkline 0800 917 8282, they should be able to help you fine your nearest one x

(After a lengthy wait I was eventually refused counselling on the NHS because of my drinking so you might want to address that first anyway. That may not happen to you though, I was a daily drinker. Just a heads up in case x)

[flutter]

Welcome! It was overwhelming for me at first to imagine addressing my drinking issues.. support is so important. Glad you're here

[nonblondechef]

Welcome, Russ - it's a pleasure to have you here. I encourage you to join the Class of July. I belong to the January class and find such strength and encouragement from my SR family. You've made a fantastic choice and I'm sure you will find amazing support here. Congratulations!!

[ttbp]

Hi Russ and welcome xx