PurpleReign

UncleE,
Yeah man, I know the type - when I told my buddy I was going to rehab...

Let me backtrack first. This buddy of mine was the one who introduced me to pain killers of all sorts, alcohol, and sleeping pills. So, while his life had already been in shambles I asked him to come with me to rehab. His response? "Dude, I don't have a problem, you have the problem." It was funny, because he was homeless, paying child support, just lost his job and was using - but yet I was the only one with the problem with my solid credit, house, job, and car paid up and accounted for. Speaking of accounting...

Accountability is a real bitch! But it's the only way to peel away the layers of what is really the issue. I wish he would have gone to rehab with me, now he is faking hospital visits to get shots of pain medicine and a script "to go."

Thanks Earl!

CarolD

Choose wisely PR...the life you save will be your own.

Of the former friends I mentioned earlier..
most died from unchecked alcoholism by 55.
Heart or liver gave out..Accidents..Sucides
DEAD.

Take care of your health
it's the most valuable asset you will ever have.

leviathon

HI and welcome to SR. Glad you found us.

YOu are at ground zero, from here where you go really is up to you. You know you have a problem, you've admitted it, that is the first step. Now the issue is what are you going to do about it?

When I hit ground zero, I had lost my job, my dad had committed suicide and my niece had called the cops to come to my house b/c she thought I was gonna commit suicide. Three uniforms showed up and had a long talk with me. Not a pleasant experience... but one I obviously needed.

Three years later, I am sober, happy and moving forward in my life. My career is back on track and I love getting up in the morning. I no longer feel hung over, out of sorts and in pain everyday. Life is wonderful.

Peace, Levi

PurpleReign

Levi,
Please excuse the loaded question...How did you do it? You don't have to go into great detail but what are some of the things that gave you the strength, wisdom, and courage to press on and stay clean?

Thanks in advance.

PR

hope3

Welcome, sounds like you are making yourself right to home.

Keep doing what works, and if it stops working, do something else, anything except drink, Best wishes, hope3.

PurpleReign

Well thank you Hope! As far as making myself at home, I really don't see any other option, I'm just thankful all of you didn't get mad at me for walking right into your house and not taking my shoes off!

PR

PurpleReign

Hey guys,
I'm Catholic and, for those that don't know, we drink wine as the blood of Chirst during the ceremony.

I hadn't been to church in months, nor have I tried to quit drinking in months - so now that both are on my agenda I was curious to see what your thoughts are.

The amount is just a sip, but at this point - a sip is too much. Do I just wait it out until I'm strong enough to take a sip, accept the fact that I can never drink the blood of Christ, or talk with a priest about the issue?

Thanks in advance, I'm obviously coming up with new questions because I'm trying to do things differently this time.

GlassPrisoner

All the Churches I've been to it's been grape juice. And remember, it's symbolic anyway.

If I didn't know better, I'd think that was a very innovative way to get around the drinking issue

PurpleReign

Thanks Glass,
Yeah I'm going through the anxiety part of giving up alcohol, finally facing reality and trying to rebuild what I "broke" at work in an effort to keep my job.

Any advice on trying to ignore what other people think of you...for example, they don't know I have a problem with alcohol, but know I have a problem with something (hence not getting things done on time, being late, etc.)

This would be the time I reach for a beer to calm down, but I won't and reality is flooding my mind right now. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks.

CarolD

Some churches offer grape juice in tiny glasses
on a table as you near the altar
and wine from a chalice at the altar.

I would ask your priest.

As I understand the ritual of communion...
the wafer and the wine/juice are turned into the
flesh and blood of Christ by a mystical happening.

LOL I can't remember the name of this trans????

I have never heard of an alcoholic being triggered
into a relapse from taking communion...

Father Bill O is a long time sober friend of mine
who mever had a problem receiving the Host.

In my church...not RC....we use juice...so it is a non issue.

AngelMagic7

Hi PurpleReign.
Wow that's scary, As In your story sounds very similar to mine In lots of ways. I love what TazMan53 and UncleEarl have posted and all is very helpful 4 me to and I hope this helps In some way.

I meet this girl who I thought once to be close to, till I realised she was using me as much as possible and didn't want to be an addict on her own. She was already using but was trying to hock me on to crack. Then 1 day she really upset me, I started 2 think back and never contacted her again. I was hurt and angry as she knew about my drink problem but then I guess I didn't really know her that long. On and off about a year.

People I get on with in the pub when I think about it are Acquaintances.
when I was around them last I realized I could never talk to them as all they did was gossip about other people all day long and it was a lot of people I knew to as at 1 point I was also addicted to being around people who were drinking. I made a point of knowing people were ever I would end up so I always felt comfortable. In my head I'd think I'm meeting knew people.

I have 2 true friends and that's all I need. Wendy and my lover Danny.
I nearly lost everything too and as I have bad depression I pretty much try to kill myself every time I drink so I've got to try really hard now.
I couldn't work or even leave my flat at 1 point so all the bills where piling up, My new car was going to be taken off me and If It wasn't 4 Danny selling a couple of things we would have been homeless with all of my poor Animals so Danny toke me 2 my mum's for 3 months as he was finding It to hard 2 cope with on his own. I even tried to run away so I could have a drink. They'd let me have 1 Drink when I was really really bad to control me or If I was In bad pain.

I'm now so much better, still finding It really hard some days and slip up but every 1 is keeping watch even my boss so I'm a hell of a lot better then I was and I'm nearly on top of my bills again. I went 2 Turning point on Friday as the other place really let me down, there even trying Ear Acupuncture on me soon, said to help people with addition and Drink problems.

The worst thing about it is I didn't realise I had a problem till I was trapped in it.
If you can escape it before it gets any worse then don't wait trust all of us here we know so please go for it girl give it all you've got and don't give up as it will only be harder later.

All my love and best wishes xXx Angel xXx

PurpleReign

Thanks for the reply Carol. As far as causing relapse, it IS wine so the same triggers are associated with it (color, aroma, taste, etc.) and at this point in my life I'm trying to avoid as many triggers as possible in these beginning stages.

The grape juice idea is a pretty good one, I might be able to bring some or ask if this is possible (perhaps due to other alcoholic/health issues) to use grape juice. I'm sure the priest will know.

Thanks C!

PurpleReign

You're right Angel, most time we don't realize it until it's already gotten its claws in us so far that we had no clue, and often don't know where to go from here.

Thank you for sharing your story and the words of wisdom, I'm here for you too should you need it.

overcomer32

My church uses tiny little plastic cups (like 1 inch!) with grape juice.
I dont know how your church is set up, very large, if everyone gets a pre-filled glass, etc, but surely talk to your priest about this? Also, God knows your heart, and He knows and understands your problem with alcohol. If theres any way u could skip this part of it (the wine with Communion), God will not be mad! If youre worried what others might think of u not partaking... again, perhaps u can talk to your priest...? Pretend to drink it...?
Or for now, leave church early, just at Communion time til something can be worked out?

I also was worried about this very issue, til I came to know my pastors always always use grape juice. That sure made things easier for me!

And as someone else pointed out, it is symbolic.... I bet u cant be the only person in your church to have or ever have had a problem with alcohol, and some cant drink even a drop due to health reasons, medications theyre on, etc. Perhaps your priest could be convinced to change it to grape juice, all of the time.... so those of us with these sorts of issues need not be concerned....

Just some thoughts.

AngelMagic7

Oops sorry. Replay, Go for It dude.
How are you feeling today ?
xXx Angel xXx

Tazman53

Purple when I quit drinking I did it for me, I let my entire family know and any one else who asked. I am an alcoholic and if some one can not deal with that, that is thier problem and obviously they were never a real friend to start with. If some one ask if I would like a drink I simply say no thanks, if they insist I simply ask them if they have a problem with drinking and need to share it with some one else? This quiets them down real quick.

The most important thing one discovers once they quit drinking is who your drinking buddies are and who your friends are.

Here is a good one to try some time, walk into a bar and tell them you need help with a problem and see how many people help you, then walk into an AA meeting and say "Hi my name is PurpleRein an alcoholic and I need some help with a problem and see how many people are willing to help you.

I am not willing to gamble on that one drink myself when it comes to communion, I always ask if it is wine or juice, if they tell me wine I tell them flat out I am an alcoholic and thank them for telling me it is wine.

When I went into detox I knew I had a problem, I did not see one person there who did not feel they had a problem either with drugs or alcohol.

Why in the world would I question if I needed or wanted to stop drinking if I put myself into detox?

Why in the world would I post on this board if I did not need to stop or stay stopped?

PurpleReign

Thanks for the advice guys.

To answer your question Angel, I've been having the typical ups and downs - as it turns out when I'm not consciously thinking about drinking, now I'm dreaming about it - if it weren't so troublesome I'd find it funny.

Taz,
That's a great way to spin it back to them when pressured to drink, and I have already seen the friends that treat me like a different person when I tell them I don't want to drink but we can still hang out...that doesn't go over well - especially when you were the drunken life of the party.

At this point in time, I'm just going to call it like I see it...it just plain sucks.

Tazman53

Staying sober was miserable as hell when I was doing it by myself, the only way I have found to stay sober is AA, lots of great friendly, fun loving, caring sober alcoholics, I have far more real friends then I ever had before I quit drinking. It didn't happen over night, but the more I kept coming back the more friends I have made. It no longer sucks for me, heck one of my friends owns 3 auto garages, it is great having work done on my truck and car and knowing I am not getting ripped off.

PurpleReign

You're right Taz, there is not other way around it, I just have to suck it up and drag my ass to a meeting - damn I hate those things My goal will be to keep going until I start to like them.

Taz (or anyone who wishes to answer),
Did you feel like so many of the people there weren't your "type" of people...of course I'm aware of the whole "the disease knows no boundaries, races, religions, classes, etc." Man, I'm really trying - I am, at least I'm not sugar coating me efforts.

Tazman53

Purplereign what I found helped me the most in feeling like I belonged in AA was to focus not on the differences between me and every one else there, but in what we had in common!

Focus on what you have in common with others. When I started to do that suddenly I realized that there was no age, beleif, race, or gender differences, we all were alcoholics who were there to stay sober and be happy doing it. One thing that made a huge difference for me was a sponsor, the other was a network of folks to just call and BS with.