StuckInTheRain

Hey all, found this site through google while looking up getting started tips on how to stop drinking, long story short I'm a binge drinker and tired of the blackouts, hangovers, regrets and shame (I love how people consider this a good time lol), I drank every week for 2 days in a row each week on my days off, but now on my third day sober after finally detoxing and feeling pretty positive so far, my worry is once Monday (my day off) comes around how I'm gonna fight the urge and kinda have to ignore the phone calls from my drinking buddies. My birthday is next Sunday and I'll be celebrating my 24th birthday alcohol free. I'm not doing AA or meetings (not the higher power type and I know some people are gonna insist to give it a shot) but I really liked how open, honest, and understanding this forum appears to be, and I think with some good conversation and just saying no to the booze, I will make it.

I decided to quit because I nearly lost the greatest person in my life right now, my boyfriend of almost 3 years, a person I would never want to hurt and he and my brother have both been trying to get me to slow down for a while now, and I never listened, it sucks it takes something horrendous to make you realize what your doing to yourself but I'm happy it did happen and now I'm on my way to a happier healthier life.

Sorry my post is a little jumbled together, going through brain fog right now, I'm determined to quit so I don't ever have to feel this again.

MycoolFitz

Hey, welcome to SR. It is a great site full of caring and supportive people. Whatever, method you choose or develop for supporting your sobriety, if it works, it's right. My best to you. Keep reading and posting.

StuckInTheRain

Thanks and will do, so far this site has been very insightful and its nice to hear stories that sound exactly like my own and see people overcoming this.

CarolD

Welcome...

All my best as you begin a sober future....

Beebizzy

Welcome! Congrats on your decision and I wish you all the best. Give a shout when Monday comes around if it gets hairy.

BB

Zebra1275

Welcome!

Hevyn

It wasn't jumbled at all, Stuck! Great to have you with us - welcome to SR. You'll find so much comfort and help here.

I wish at 24 I'd had the sense to reach out for help and face what needed to be done. I kept trying to recreate the old euphoria I used to get from drinking. It was long gone, but I insisted I could find it again. I learned willpower doesn't work for us - but not before I lost everything. This won't happen to you.

Please keep talking to us - it'll help see you through some rough moments. Congratulations on wanting a better life. You can do this.

nandm

to SR

StuckInTheRain

Thank you all for your kindness and support, I love this place already. I began drinking when I was 16 but started getting bad around 18-20, I lost my mom at 14 and defenitely realize I used alcohol to cope. I had quit once before for a year when my father passed before getting involved with the wrong crowd again, and I did quit solely on the basis of being sick of being sick, but like everyone says it just takes one, and just because your ok with one doesn't mean that won't turn into 2, 3, and so on. At the time I quit before I was also heavy into drugs as well, and what brought my need for a better future this time around is because I was plastered and did coke after 3 years of not touching it, which was my boyfriends golden rule, and I've always said no before with out a second thought.

I do have a great family and a loving partner who don't drink and will be my rocks through this journey and now that I found you guys, I'm confident this time I can stick with it, my problem has always been bottling up my emotions and drinking to forget, and that system has defenitely not been working well for me. I'm just taking things one day at a time and telling the demon to shut up and just saying no thanks!

youngun

Hiya!

I'm new as well and this forum has really helped me already so hopefully it can do the same for you :-) I completely understand how you feel about the blackouts, hangovers, regrets and shame. It's pretty awful thing to go through every week.

Good luck with everything and keep us updated.

sugarbear1

Just don't pick up a drink. Your withdrawl should be nil as you don't drink daily. Get a hobby incompatible with drinking. At your age, this should be a breeze. If it's not, go to rehab and get educated. There are outpatient places and if you can't afford it, they often reduce the cost or fit you in. Depends on how badly you want to stay stopped. Best wishes.

StuckInTheRain

Well so far so good, haven't touched anything yet, feels good to have even a week off and finally discussed the situation with my drinking buddies and we all agreed its gone on long enough but we all work in areas where we are constantly surrounded by alcohol. After careful consideration, I'd like to really try moderation as I realize its not that I'm powerless to alcohol but I have definitely mishandled it and I'm coining the term "used up my drink tickets" for now. I am liking not drinking but going on decades without a drop is a hard concept to handle. I'm still sticking with staying sober for a while until I get my head together because I know its the anxiety and depression thats feeding my bad habits into overdrive but I'd love to see the day that I can have a few beers and be fine with that. Having no alcohol in my system this week made me realize I hate being drunk, and now I'm working out and want to get in shape and don't want alcohol to set me back on that goal. I know a lot of people are against moderation but I don't want to look at alcohol as an enemy when it was my misuse that put me in this predicament. If I can manage alcohol in the way that I wasn't drinking everyday then I can teach myself when to walk away before I've had one too many. Moderation is an even harder road than quitting altogether but I'm determined to get my s*** together as I have a huge job opportunity coming up that would require me to work in a bar and I'm not letting anything ruin what could be my saving grace, as my current job is constantly stressful and I don't get paid enough for what I do and constantly berated by customers and coworkers. Yes I know its very dangerous to use this logic after one week and what I've been through but I have a lot of support and everyone has been awesome about it, and after my last 3 day hangover, I never want to go through that ever again.

***I also like to thank everyone on this site for your kind words, motivation, and opening yourselves up and sharing your stories, it has opened my eyes to what I need to do to better myself and not to go down the path that I've seen some people go down. I have been lucky enough not to have had such bad experiences yet in my own life, but I do realize its a slippery slope and I have to watch what I am doing from this day forward. I wish everyone the best of luck in their recovery and hope you all find happiness wherever your path may take you

sugarbear1

I did that for 25 years! It worked out perfectly for me. Not. Best Wishes!

Artoro

Coming up with excuses to keep drinking is easy. There are a lot of people that can drink "normally" and I think they never have to worry about things like trying moderation.

Dee74

Welcome to SR stuck

I wish you well with the moderation - most of us tried it, and most failed with it.

You did say in your initial post tho

I don't know you - and I hope you'll take this in the spirit of someone who's 'been there' - but don't you think you're putting a lot on the line here?

D

StuckInTheRain

yes i know and i do plan to not drink for my 90 days at minimum and ive discussed this idea with him and he is supporting me in whatever decision i make but im on a strike system so my actions will be speaking for me and if i mess up again then i understand i brought that upon myself. I have read the stories of posts sounding identical to mine and people winding up back at square one and I do not want that to happen which is why I am not drinking now. I've known alcoholics all my life and seen what the bottle can do and when I saw that in myself I knew it was time to change. Who knows I may not go through with it and never drink again, but thats something I may have to learn the hard way. All I know is today I feel great and have no desire to drink and I'm on a good path. All I can do is take everything one day at a time and keep fighting. I know everyone here has heard and probably said it themselves before but I got too much to lose and I am actually loving life right now. I know I'm in the baby stages and its gonna get much harder with time, but I am learning slowly to deal with my emotions in a honest and sober manner as they come. People will have their opinions and I appreciate the input and I know this subject alone invokes strong emotions in all of us, but for myself personally I have never stopped to think whether I was truly doing anything wrong but now that I have seen the consequences and finally got in my head how much damage my partying caused I am on a mission to find inner peace without the use of substances for artificial happiness. I am happy with this change of lifestyle and dont know why it took me so long to see it, other than being drunk. Sorry for the drawn out posts but I will keep posting and reading because I have found great resources and motivation that I didn't have before and its has opened my eyes and is keeping me from falling back right now. I want nothing more than my health and a happier life and I've always been the first to say that if you can't handle a substance you shouldnt do it and since I'm in no place to drink I'm not going to. I would like to moderate in theory but I am more than aware now is not the time

sugarbear1

After a two day binge, you aren't necessarily detoxed on day 3. Talk to a medical professional first.

recoverywfaith

Hevyn

Hi stuck - thankyou for the updates. I'm glad you're feeling good & doing alot of thinking.

I'm afraid I have to agree with the others & say that moderation failed miserably for me. I understand exactly what you mean about the long road ahead without it, and that's the same way I felt. So I kept going, and almost lost my life clinging to the idea that willpower could actually work for an alcoholic. Please be careful, and let us know how you're doing.

iwritethesongs

good luck to you!