Drinking For Almost 40 Years...
 

Been lurking here - trying to see what can be done...

Drinking (evenings only - wine) for me is tied up with so many emotional issues, don't know where to start unraveling it all. Lots of grief, exhaustion, sadness and terror. Always been the person to get things done for others. Long-time care-giver and lost 2 of those family members last year.

Not able to travel to 'treatment' or meetings, so will try to do this by myself.

Been high-functioning for years, but now just old tired and hollowed-out...

Thank you all for posting - it is helping me learn what is possible...

Begin at the beginning
 

Try to get to an AA meeting, and see if you get anything out of it.

See your doctor.

and pour it down the sink.

Kelly

FroggyDay,

There are some ways around your dilemma. AA online has several daily meetings:
The Lamplighters Group of Alcoholics Anonymous is the oldest and largest of the email-based AA groups:
SMART Recovery has Online Meetings:
SoberRecovery has online chat meetings:
If you really want to go it alone, and I'm talking no groups, no support - nothing - there is Rational Recovery's Addictive Voice Recognition Technique, which is explained in the following book:

Thank you for that suggestion...

It's time for you now Froggy. I can sure relate to caring for others until there was nothing left for myself but exhaustion, and emptiness. Please try and get some support and learn to love yourself again. Find out what YOU enjoy and start your recovery. Your worth it!

:welcome
Best Wishes To You!

Just by posting and reading you're not doing it all alone. Resources are allways available for the resourceful. Best to a fellow old timer with over 45 years on the bottle.

I too was a long time drinker before the final 5 years of my drinking turned me into a woman I detested.....depression was daily at that point...
and depression is why I decided to quit and joined AA at 52...:yup:

Please do keep posting with us...many here are winning over alcohol useing all sorts of methods.
Welcome.....:wave:

Hi Froggy and welcome, I have been a long time drinker too approx 35 years I live in an isolated area so meetings are not on the cards for me so I am doing this alone. Coming to SR has been a life saver, some days I have spent hours here reading . I want to wish you well in getting sober.

Welcome to SR FroggyDay

D

Welcome! I drunk for @ 25 years, mostly wine in the evenings like you. I stopped over 4 months ago on my own and using this site. I feel sooo good. My mild depression has gone, I wake up every morning fresh, calm and happy. It wasn't like that when I was drinking. I have now lost my desire to drink alcohol. If you told me this six months ago I wouldn't of believed it.
In the beginning I read as much as I could about this condition including lots of biographies by alcoholics. Reading around here really helps as well.
Seeing myself in what other people share helped me feel felt less alone with it. We are all here for you :-)

Hi

When you said just "old tired and hollowed-out," I can relate to this in my own way physically and mentally. I didn't lose anyone but i felt like i was losing myself down a well of darkness making a fool of myself the whole way down.

It seems like in the early stages of alcoholism the body can endure the pain and carry on in everyday life. And at the time it seems repeatable over and over again. But that don't last long as we all know.

I know people have a hard time quitting because boredom sets in. A good way to understand how using boredom isn't wise at all as a gage of good living is to look at the results of being sober after 6-12 months vs drunk. Look at the accomplishments of the recently sober time vs the drunk time.

The transition period between the last drink and 6 months is a mind trip and can be a little scary and confusing. But it must be traversed through. And after it's over you'll realize it wasn't so bad after all.

Good luck.

Tooling:


So right! Alcoholism is a full time job and the time freed up with sobriety is a bit disconcerting. I'm looking forward to tackling the things that "I didn't have time for" in the past.

Hi FD,

You may find some useful information here;

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...d-edition.html

I drank for around 35 years. I've stayed sober for over a year on my first try, without face to face meetings or any help other than this website.

It can be done :)

BurnsCarpenter....:wavey:
Welcome to our SR Alcoholism Forum ...glad you decided to post here too..:yup: