Djlee

Hello everyone
I just joined as a friend reccomended the site to me. I have been an alcoholic for 10 years. Quit over and over. I have done private rehab and that did not work as well as AA. I'm more of a binge drinker I guess. Usually 1 to 2 weeks at a time heavy drinking then stop a few days dry out and start over. I recently read of kindleling and that scared me! About 3 weeks ago I had a terrible detox. I am 96 hours clean and feeling okay but the first 48 hours were just brutal. I'm not sure how many more I have in me. I'm blessed enough to not have had a seizure during my detoxes but I know that won't last. So I'm trying again. One thing I refuse to do is give up.

Northeast69

4 days is great Djlee. I am new here also; several months. You will find all the help and support you need from many people who gave gone through the same thing or worse than you are going through. Many were able to stop drinking because of this blog. Hang in thete!

calvin86

Keep going buddy! You can do this!

theVman31

Hello DJ. Well done on signing up. Step by step...
Keep posting.

RapidMan

I'm new to this forum too, although not new to alcoholism and attempting sobriety.
Over 30 years I've 'stopped' multiple times, but could never make it stick. Couple of months, couple of years once, but one drink and it starts all over.
I also tried AA, but it just didn't work for me, traveling extensively for work didn't help, but the whole AA thing just never seemed to take hold in my head.
I've found reading this forum and other peoples experiences much more therapeutic.

So maybe this time, for both of us, we're finished for good

Dee74

Welcome djLee - great to have you join us

D

FBL

Welcome DJlee! Yep, the first few days/weeks can be tough. Stay strong. It WILL get better as time goes on.

MrMcTell

I'm new to recovery myself (54 days) and managed to claw myself back from destructive everyday drinking to "only" bingeing at the weekends. I thought I was managing my problem by "drying out" during the week.

I was very slow to realize the extent to which I was maintaining a physical dependency on alcohol and that drying out takes much, much longer than a few days. I only say this because whenever I did quit, I struggled to get past a few days. I thought this was because I was "an alcoholic" (i.e. preprogramed to drink all the time) but I now feel this was because I was actively addicted to alcohol even when I thought I had "dried out." [I am an alcoholic, and freely admit as much, but understand it in a different way now.]

I'm amazed at how the cravings have subsided and the 24 hour-an-day obsession with drink has subsided after 7+ weeks.

I only say this because you used the expression "drying out" and this was something I deluded myself over for many, many years.

thomas11

Welcome to SR Djlee. Others around here can tell you how serious withdrawals can get, they are potentially dangerous, even deadly. Like you, I was not sure how many more I had left. So I quit. I hope you can too. It has been one of the best decisions of my life.