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Old 08-25-2014, 05:30 PM
  # 19 (permalink)  
whalebelow
Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Melbourne, Victoria
Posts: 215
I'm here to help you although it might not seem like it.

Your here, looking for help and that's fantastic, I sincerely wish you all the best.

One thing I heard might help and that is this.

If a mechanic is going to fix a car, first they have to find the actual problem. It wouldn't help much if they simply prescribed a "new set of tyres" for each car that came in, because in 95% of cases, that won't be what is required to fix each and every car.

You might be a "problem drinker" or in other words, you drink when you have lots of problems OR, you may be the real deal alcoholic who drinks whether or not they have problems.

If you can ask yourself deep down, do I drink whether I'm sad, glad, anxious, celebrating, commiserating, or in pretty much any other state of emotion.

If you drink to excess only when your problems are piled up and getting too much, then learning to solve your problems in a healthier manner or with a safe amount of alcohol is the most likely course of action.

If you drink to excess regardless of your external circumstances, then I would say you are probably the real deal alcoholic. If any state of emotion or any external circumstances would in your way of thinking be "better with a drink" then you have an established pattern of "thinking drinking"

It might help to know that alcoholism is something that appears to be a pre-disposed condition.
Just like you can be born with an allergy to peanuts or seafood, alcoholic drinkers seem to have been born with a body that processes alcohol differently to that of a normal controlled or social drinker.

The alcoholic is nott a failure or weak willed or a bad person. They have a body that craves alcohol and that is not normal. They also have a brain that tells them that one day they will control their drinking or that the next time they pick up a drink, it will be different.

Personally, when I realised my drinking was causing me trouble, in terms of family, work, health etc, I would quit for months at a time. But the last thoughts I would have before picking up again would be... Well it's been 3 months, I've proved I'm not "alcoholic " so let's give it another go. Things will be better / different this time.

That's an obsession with alcohol, despite years and years of evidence that booze got me into trouble, both emotional and circumstantial, I would give it another go.

Then, because my body processes alcohol differently, the cravings for more and more would kick in and I'd drink till I passed out, blacked out or ran out (of booze)

Sometimes I'd do stupid stuff whilst drunk, but mostly I didn't, I just started, drank too much and woke up next morning thinking "but I only wanted to have 3-4 drinks"

Any ways.... I hope that is more helpful. Sorry I was a complete grump with that first post and that I caused you anxiety.

By replying you've shown you mean business and that's fantastic. Don't get drunk tonight, but also don't spend the night "fighting " the urge.

Just surrender, throw in the towel, give up..... If you touch a hot element on a stove once (or twice if your a slow learner like me) you soon learn that it's not a good idea to touch it again.... Right?
But despite booze having "burnt" you so many times, you keep touching it right?

Anyone who kept touching a stove, thinking, it won't burn me this time, you would start to think they might be a bit nuts.

So stop thinking booze won't burn you again.... Make a sane and rational decision.

There is no cheese down that tunnel anyone
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