Notices

Hopelessness

Old 05-27-2016, 07:24 AM
  # 21 (permalink)  
Member
 
Dave42001's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Colorado
Posts: 3,781
Originally Posted by brach123 View Post
I'm really losing hope, I'm runnung out of ideas, I had been attending AA but in the end I still can't seem to stay sober..

I slipped so many times I can't count!! get back in a meeting! Kudos on 2 months!! It's not about falling, it's about getting up and moving forward!! It's that first drink that gets us!!

Don't beat yourself up!! Get back in the saddle and keep trying!!
Dave42001 is offline  
Old 05-27-2016, 07:26 AM
  # 22 (permalink)  
Forum Leader
 
ScottFromWI's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Wisconsin, USA
Posts: 16,945
Originally Posted by brach123 View Post
how do i know if i'm an alcolohic what does it mean?
To me it means I cannot control my drinking and that it causes problems in my life. From what I've read so far on this thread you seem to have the same problem, and in a major way. You need to decide for yourself, but can tell you for a fact that you'll regret this binge and the sooner you stop it the better.
ScottFromWI is offline  
Old 05-27-2016, 10:44 AM
  # 23 (permalink)  
A Day at a Time
 
MIRecovery's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Grand Rapids MI
Posts: 6,435
Originally Posted by brach123 View Post
how do i know if i'm an alcolohic what does it mean?
For me when I drank when I didn't want to puts me in the 100% sure range that I'm an alcoholic
MIRecovery is offline  
Old 05-27-2016, 11:00 AM
  # 24 (permalink)  
bona fido dog-lover
 
least's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: SF Bay area, CA
Posts: 99,673
Being an alcoholic means that drinking has bad consequences for you, whether it's legal trouble, relationship trouble, or just bad for your health. Best thing is to stop drinking before something really bad happens.

I disagree with the "first few tries" line of thinking. It took me many tries before I was finally able to get sober for good. I got to the point where I wanted to be sober more than I wanted to drink.
least is offline  
Old 05-27-2016, 11:46 AM
  # 25 (permalink)  
Member
 
RedManc7's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Thailand
Posts: 824
My life's better and keeps getting when I don't use/drink etc (relationships, work, health, friends, family etc)
And it gets worse - discernibly worse - when I do.

Is the drink helping or hindering you in life right now?
RedManc7 is offline  
Old 05-27-2016, 03:45 PM
  # 26 (permalink)  
Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: New York, NY
Posts: 167
Originally Posted by RedManc7 View Post
My life's better and keeps getting when I don't use/drink etc (relationships, work, health, friends, family etc) And it gets worse - discernibly worse - when I do. Is the drink helping or hindering you in life right now?
This.

I have a lot of great things going on in my life right now, I could connect these to a lot of reasons, but it's all because today I am sober.

When I was drinking, my life was a mess. I had a job where I would miss days off every week, and when I went to work I would be hung over and unable to concentrate on the tasks. I was isolating and just spending weekends at home drinking by myself. I quit the job but I believe if this kept going, they would have fired me sooner and later. I was a terrible employee. My mind was foggy, disoriented, bad memory, and very emotional. I couldnt show up for people I cared about. I couldnt be there emotionally or physically for people. I would make plans to go to a brunch, for example, with people I havent seen in a long time, I would tell them Im coming for sure. But when the time came, I was either drunk, hung over or sleeping. I would get drunk and say embarrassing, private things to people. I would put myself in extremely dangerous situations with strangers. I would be black out drunk not remembering what I did or said the night before. I was constantly in a state of distress, anxiety, shame, guilt, embarrassment. My life was truly a mess.

I was unemployed, unemployable, all I cared about was to drink. Other stuff I believed I care so much about, like my family, significant other, dog, career, job... all of these came second to my drinking. I knew deep down inside that if I didnt drink as much, or if I didnt drink at all, my career and personal relationships would be in a much better state... But I simply could not stop drinking.

Now that everything in my life is so much better, it is because Im sober. Everything I have right now depends on me staying sober. One day at a time.
ilovedogs666 is offline  
Old 05-27-2016, 06:54 PM
  # 27 (permalink)  
12 Step Recovered Alcoholic
 
Gottalife's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 6,613
Originally Posted by brach123 View Post
how do i know if i'm an alcolohic what does it mean?
If, when you honestly want to, you find you can't stop entirely or if when you drink you have little or no control over the amount you take, you could be alcoholic. It is about control and choice.

I reached a point where I had lost control and lost the power of choice. I joined AA took the steps and recovered. We take the steps to recover not the other way around.

How long do you have to get started on the steps? As long as you can stay sober on your own power, which for me was about 3 weeks max.
Gottalife is offline  
Old 05-28-2016, 12:12 AM
  # 28 (permalink)  
Member
 
Berrybean's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: UK
Posts: 6,902
Originally Posted by brach123 View Post
I'll tell you guys a truth I feel... That I'm not that bad, because I've managed to stop for a period.... I sometimes feel like i'm a phony in AA and that I need to convince them I'm an alcoholic, but really I think I'm trying to convince my self.
That is exactly how I felt. I convinced myself that I wasn't SO bad that I needed to get a sponsor and work the program. For six months I put myself through white knuckling even though I was going to meetings. Almost killed me, and I certainly got to the stage I didn't want to live. That all changed with the step work. It helped me address my alcoholic thinking . Please give it a go.
Berrybean is offline  
Old 06-03-2016, 08:50 PM
  # 29 (permalink)  
Member
 
kittycat3's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 2,308
How are you doing brach?
kittycat3 is offline  

Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are Off




All times are GMT -7. The time now is 06:09 AM.