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-   -   Dry drunk (https://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/alcoholism/403343-dry-drunk.html)

120degrees0ut 01-13-2017 10:24 AM

Dry drunk
 
I guess im what they call a Dry Drunk. cuz im only staying sober cuz i have zero money for alcohol. and no friends here in this empty desert where i live. if i had pals id try to drink up their supply or we could buy more. i know im not doing a good job with attempting sobriety. my brain is still the same, my thinking. all i know is i wish i had a big bottle of booze. i feel unhappy without alcohol.....My thinking is TRULY messed up!

entropy1964 01-13-2017 10:28 AM

Well you're honest, that's not a bad thing. But feeling like you do is. And yeah, just wanting friends so you can drink their booze probably isn't the foundation for a good relationship :)

Have you thought of AA or another program that can help you learn a new way of living?

120degrees0ut 01-13-2017 10:35 AM

Thanx Frick a Flip.....and what a cool user name u thought up! lol. i was gonna go to AA meeting very near me here i found online. but i have no ride there. theres nothing here, like a bus. i saw online they have AA meeting once every wk. and im sure id meet fellow people there. it is a good idea for me if i could get there. too far to attempt to walk...

Fly N Buy 01-13-2017 10:40 AM

Hey 120 - consider calling central office in your area for AA . They may put someone at a nearby group in touch with you that can help get you to meetings.

Showing willingness to go to a meeting is a good first step! I know I use to go any lengths to get alcohol. Meetings can be the same way - you can make this happen>
About SRI ? Salt River Intergroup of Alcoholics Anonymous ? Serving the Phoenix & Scottsdale Arizona Area

keep coming back and posting

entropy1964 01-13-2017 10:44 AM

AA is also online....but I think trying to get to a meeting is a better idea, if you can. Phoenix is a huge city. No bus system? And like Fly said, many people are willing to give rides to meetings.

ScottFromWI 01-13-2017 10:50 AM

Welcome back 120 degrees. You will find a lot of support here but as others have mentioned face to face meetings/support can be very helpful too. From your message I get the sense that you'd like to have a local form of support too no?

In addition to literally dozens of AA meetings there appear to be Smart Recovery, Celebrate Recovery and other group meetings as well. If you google "recovery meetings phoenix" you'll find literally hundreds of options. I wish you the best in finding the help you need.

zjw 01-13-2017 11:16 AM

i quit willingly tho one could argue i could no longer afford it fincially or health wise. but i willingly quit to see if it would keep my panic attacks away. I remained a pretty miserably anxious depressed wreck for many many many more months after i quit. One could argue that my thinking was effed up and that i did not put forth the proper effort and taht is why i was a dry drunk etc.. Now in my case I think looking back say going to AA right away might have been helpful but i did not go becuase I did not feel I i had a drinking problem yet. I did not feel I was an alcholic till i had about a years sobriety.

But had i gone to AA sooner would that have fixed my depression and anxiety and made the paws go away? Would it have made me a happier person instead of a typical miserable dry drunk who wished he could have a drink but was unable to becuase of the horrible panic attacks?

I dont think it would have. I dont think it would have brought me happieness and peace any sooner then I did find it. But I do think it would have been helpful in explaining to me all the insanity that iw as going through. I thought i was wacked and I probably was But I had no idea what I was going through was typical for the alcholic trying to dry out.

I guess if you totally dry out you'll realize you have no need for booze. in time you'd probably find your a lot happier without it then with it.

120degrees0ut 01-15-2017 06:49 PM

Thanks Everybody! I actually live 20 miles away from Phoenix...out in the desert.

lostyouth 02-06-2017 03:50 PM

Hey,

I'm new to Sober Recovery and yeah I kinda consider myself a "dry drunk" as well. I don't drink as much as I used to, mostly because I can't afford it. But I've also had some bad drinking days. Specifically I got a DUI five years ago and haven't driven since.

I definitely still have issues, though. I just recently started seeking professional help.

MsCooterBrown 02-06-2017 06:16 PM

Hi lostyouth. Glad you found us. Lots of help and good advice! Welcome.

Dee74 02-06-2017 07:11 PM

Glad to have you join us lost youth - you'll find a lot of support here :)

D

D122y 02-06-2017 07:32 PM

120,

The reason you are currently only happy w booze in your system is science.

Booze has altered your brain. Your brain is damaged. It currently does not produce enough dopamine to keep you satisfied. Dopamine is a naturally occurring contentment producing product in your brain.

In time, it returns. But only if you quit drinking. We drunks want the instant euphoria booze offers. We get used to the hang over.

So when we quit, we get angry. The way we get happy again is through the following.

Eating foods we love.
Sleeping.
Exercise.
Self Care (massages etc).
Warm Baths.
Etc etc.

In time, the dopamine production returns to an acceptable level.

For me, it took a solid year of all of the above.

Now I get happy all the time. Every day. Sometimes for no reason.

Find things that make you happy. Do nice things for people.

Clean your house. Things that make you happy.

That is how to stay clean.

Otherwise, relapse, and the cycle resets.

Thanks.


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