Thinking of having a drink tomorrow
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 8
Thinking of having a drink tomorrow
I have been sober for 36 days and this is my first post. I am not a "classic" alcoholic (to the extent that there is such a thing). I don't binge drink or drink and drive. My drinking has not interfered with my work, but I think that it has had an impact on my relationships and has affected my motivation and state of mind.
I currently have many cases of wine and beer in my home, as well as several bottles of liquor, and I am easily able to resist. I did not experience any symptoms of withdrawal. However, I have been a daily drinker for many, many years. I love the taste of wine and other drinks and I look forward to the buzz. I really enjoy drinking alone although I am happy to drink with others.
I rarely get drunk and I have been hungover just a handful of times in the past 10 years, but drinking makes me maudlin, depressed, mean and spectacularly unproductive. And the most telling fact is that I generally do it every single day.
I have felt much better physically and emotionally during these 36 days. Tomorrow morning, I have my annual blood work scheduled (which is what precipitated ny abstinence) and I know that I will be tempted to have a drink in the evening. The rational part of me wants to continue down the sober path and see where it leads.
I would appreciate your thoughts and encouragement about continuing what I started.
Thank you!
I currently have many cases of wine and beer in my home, as well as several bottles of liquor, and I am easily able to resist. I did not experience any symptoms of withdrawal. However, I have been a daily drinker for many, many years. I love the taste of wine and other drinks and I look forward to the buzz. I really enjoy drinking alone although I am happy to drink with others.
I rarely get drunk and I have been hungover just a handful of times in the past 10 years, but drinking makes me maudlin, depressed, mean and spectacularly unproductive. And the most telling fact is that I generally do it every single day.
I have felt much better physically and emotionally during these 36 days. Tomorrow morning, I have my annual blood work scheduled (which is what precipitated ny abstinence) and I know that I will be tempted to have a drink in the evening. The rational part of me wants to continue down the sober path and see where it leads.
I would appreciate your thoughts and encouragement about continuing what I started.
Thank you!
2/2016
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Texas
Posts: 582
Another poster said "I did not want drinking to be my main hobby". That fits really well for me, as drinking daily had become my only hobby. I too became depressed by alcohol, and considered myself a loser with a lot of shame and guilt. My one big flaw, my inability to quit drinking, and when I did drink, I drank to get drunk. No one glass of wine for me. No one or two beers. Drank till I got tired and went to bed, felt horrible everyday, but got up and went to work. It was a terrible cycle.
Fast forward a year. No depression, tons of energy, no shame, no guilt, top of my game at work. Feel fantastic! Now lots of hobbies and not enough time. I was so bored at first sober. Ha, not anymore.
You have made it this far, why not go a while longer, say 6 months. It will still be there later, your cases of wine are not going anywhere, but if you start drinking again, you are not going anywhere either. Same old same old, same old rut. You deserve more.
Fast forward a year. No depression, tons of energy, no shame, no guilt, top of my game at work. Feel fantastic! Now lots of hobbies and not enough time. I was so bored at first sober. Ha, not anymore.
You have made it this far, why not go a while longer, say 6 months. It will still be there later, your cases of wine are not going anywhere, but if you start drinking again, you are not going anywhere either. Same old same old, same old rut. You deserve more.
Member
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: North East, USA
Posts: 704
I didn't drink and drive.
I never had a hangover.
Drinking never effected my work.
I didn't Withdrawl the first few times I got sober.
I am without a doubt a full fledged alcoholic. It only gets worse. And much harder to get well. Withdrawl is AWFUL not to mention potentially deadly.
If you drink daily, obstain to get decent blood work (which kind of defeats the purpose of checking into your health, in addition to the fact you can't undo liver enzymes being elevated/damage in a months time) and are debating the pros and cons to drinking but reminding yourself you feel better sober? If you recognize your relationships are suffering? If you're planning a drink in advance? To me? You are seemingly an alcoholic.
Do you want permission to drink again? Encouragement to stay healthy?
If it's the latter, this is an excellent place to be! These people are wonderful! Smart, experienced and convicted about sobriety.
In the end I couldn't find a reason to *not drink...and a million reasons why I should just black out/pass out and deal with it tomorrow. Tomorrow came and went and I resolved nothing. No forward movement was made. Wait...no...I moved further into the abyss. That was the only progress I made; getting sicker. That misery is what I think of if in the event that I consider a drink.
I hope you'll stay.
Good luck,
J
I never had a hangover.
Drinking never effected my work.
I didn't Withdrawl the first few times I got sober.
I am without a doubt a full fledged alcoholic. It only gets worse. And much harder to get well. Withdrawl is AWFUL not to mention potentially deadly.
If you drink daily, obstain to get decent blood work (which kind of defeats the purpose of checking into your health, in addition to the fact you can't undo liver enzymes being elevated/damage in a months time) and are debating the pros and cons to drinking but reminding yourself you feel better sober? If you recognize your relationships are suffering? If you're planning a drink in advance? To me? You are seemingly an alcoholic.
Do you want permission to drink again? Encouragement to stay healthy?
If it's the latter, this is an excellent place to be! These people are wonderful! Smart, experienced and convicted about sobriety.
In the end I couldn't find a reason to *not drink...and a million reasons why I should just black out/pass out and deal with it tomorrow. Tomorrow came and went and I resolved nothing. No forward movement was made. Wait...no...I moved further into the abyss. That was the only progress I made; getting sicker. That misery is what I think of if in the event that I consider a drink.
I hope you'll stay.
Good luck,
J
Member
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Norway
Posts: 179
You say that you're not a classic alcoholic, and you don't drink and drive. Yet. Alcohol hasn't interfered with your work. Yet. Sweetie, stop drinking. Get rid of what you have in your house. Don't think that you are strong enough to manage with temptation in your vicinity. Be strong!
12 Step Recovered Alcoholic
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 6,613
I guess the classic alcoholic would be one who has lost both control and choice. You seem to have control, but will you have choice, as in the ability to make a sane rational choice?
Alcoholism is very subtle. Often there is not much of a battle over whether to take a drink or not. One can be travelling along quite well, life is good, no particular desire to drink, the someone says "would you like a drink" and without any thought at all one answers "yes please", and it is all on again.
I had very good reasons for not drinking, but they did not crowd into my mind to deter me.
You also have very good reasons for not drinking. Whether you are alcoholic or not, alcohol causes much damage to the health. It is in the same class of carcinogen as cigarettes. It causes many types of cancer, heart disease, mental illness, diabetes. Would it be a sane and rational choice to start again?
Alcoholism is very subtle. Often there is not much of a battle over whether to take a drink or not. One can be travelling along quite well, life is good, no particular desire to drink, the someone says "would you like a drink" and without any thought at all one answers "yes please", and it is all on again.
I had very good reasons for not drinking, but they did not crowd into my mind to deter me.
You also have very good reasons for not drinking. Whether you are alcoholic or not, alcohol causes much damage to the health. It is in the same class of carcinogen as cigarettes. It causes many types of cancer, heart disease, mental illness, diabetes. Would it be a sane and rational choice to start again?
Forum Leader
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Wisconsin, USA
Posts: 16,945
To me it sound a lot like you are asking us to help you rationalize something you already know is bad idea. I did it many times too when I was still drinking and not really ready to give it up for good. It's a very common trait of addiction.
Why not write down a load of what you would gain by drinking again vs the bad things that will likely happen. It sounds obvious but actually writing it down on paper gives it more gravity sometimes.
Why not write down a load of what you would gain by drinking again vs the bad things that will likely happen. It sounds obvious but actually writing it down on paper gives it more gravity sometimes.
Member
Join Date: May 2012
Location: canada
Posts: 7,242
Ls,
welcome.
the rational part of me was overrun by irrational actions around drinking. again and again, despite de cisions and commitments not to drink again.
have you ever tried before to quit and stay that way?
what happened?
the secretive and hidden part (evidenced in cleaning up for annual bloodwork) of doing this in order to have good test results speaks to me of a certain desperation, but i could be just projecting what i myself experienced back then, and how i wanted to keep the drinking option open, and how a good health checkout would accommodate that.
only one way to find out where the sober path leads.
welcome.
the rational part of me was overrun by irrational actions around drinking. again and again, despite de cisions and commitments not to drink again.
have you ever tried before to quit and stay that way?
what happened?
the secretive and hidden part (evidenced in cleaning up for annual bloodwork) of doing this in order to have good test results speaks to me of a certain desperation, but i could be just projecting what i myself experienced back then, and how i wanted to keep the drinking option open, and how a good health checkout would accommodate that.
only one way to find out where the sober path leads.
Member
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: East Coast USA
Posts: 120,872
Originally Posted by Ls45 
I have been sober for 36 days and this is my first post. I am not a "classic" alcoholic (to the extent that there is such a thing). I don't binge drink or drink and drive. My drinking has not interfered with my work, but I think that it has had an impact on my relationships and has affected my motivation and state of mind.
I currently have many cases of wine and beer in my home, as well as several bottles of liquor, and I am easily able to resist. I did not experience any symptoms of withdrawal. However, I have been a daily drinker for many, many years. I love the taste of wine and other drinks and I look forward to the buzz. I really enjoy drinking alone although I am happy to drink with others.
I rarely get drunk and I have been hungover just a handful of times in the past 10 years, but drinking makes me maudlin, depressed, mean and spectacularly unproductive. And the most telling fact is that I generally do it every single day.
I have felt much better physically and emotionally during these 36 days. Tomorrow morning, I have my annual blood work scheduled (which is what precipitated ny abstinence) and I know that I will be tempted to have a drink in the evening. The rational part of me wants to continue down the sober path and see where it leads.
I would appreciate your thoughts and encouragement about continuing what I started.
Thank you!
I currently have many cases of wine and beer in my home, as well as several bottles of liquor, and I am easily able to resist. I did not experience any symptoms of withdrawal. However, I have been a daily drinker for many, many years. I love the taste of wine and other drinks and I look forward to the buzz. I really enjoy drinking alone although I am happy to drink with others.
I rarely get drunk and I have been hungover just a handful of times in the past 10 years, but drinking makes me maudlin, depressed, mean and spectacularly unproductive. And the most telling fact is that I generally do it every single day.
I have felt much better physically and emotionally during these 36 days. Tomorrow morning, I have my annual blood work scheduled (which is what precipitated ny abstinence) and I know that I will be tempted to have a drink in the evening. The rational part of me wants to continue down the sober path and see where it leads.
I would appreciate your thoughts and encouragement about continuing what I started.
Thank you!
Fantastic!!!! Could your body and mind be sending you a message?
If your body and mind could vote on your decision to drink tomorrow or not, how would they vote?
Member
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 2,578
It's an important decision.
My drinking pattern was a lot like yours -- wine every evening, but rarely to the point of a hangover. The biggest impact was on my state of mind, and relationships. These greatly improved with sobriety, but it took some time for all the benefits to show up -- months. So you might consider running the experiment longer.
I wish you well with your decision!
My drinking pattern was a lot like yours -- wine every evening, but rarely to the point of a hangover. The biggest impact was on my state of mind, and relationships. These greatly improved with sobriety, but it took some time for all the benefits to show up -- months. So you might consider running the experiment longer.
I wish you well with your decision!
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 8
Originally Posted by Gottalife
I guess the classic alcoholic would be one who has lost both control and choice. You seem to have control, but will you have choice, as in the ability to make a sane rational choice?
Alcoholism is very subtle. Often there is not much of a battle over whether to take a drink or not. One can be travelling along quite well, life is good, no particular desire to drink, the someone says "would you like a drink" and without any thought at all one answers "yes please", and it is all on again.
I had very good reasons for not drinking, but they did not crowd into my mind to deter me.
You also have very good reasons for not drinking. Whether you are alcoholic or not, alcohol causes much damage to the health. It is in the same class of carcinogen as cigarettes. It causes many types of cancer, heart disease, mental illness, diabetes. Would it be a sane and rational choice to start again?
Alcoholism is very subtle. Often there is not much of a battle over whether to take a drink or not. One can be travelling along quite well, life is good, no particular desire to drink, the someone says "would you like a drink" and without any thought at all one answers "yes please", and it is all on again.
I had very good reasons for not drinking, but they did not crowd into my mind to deter me.
You also have very good reasons for not drinking. Whether you are alcoholic or not, alcohol causes much damage to the health. It is in the same class of carcinogen as cigarettes. It causes many types of cancer, heart disease, mental illness, diabetes. Would it be a sane and rational choice to start again?
Thanks again!
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 8
Originally Posted by fini
Ls,
welcome.
the rational part of me was overrun by irrational actions around drinking. again and again, despite de cisions and commitments not to drink again.
have you ever tried before to quit and stay that way?
what happened?
the secretive and hidden part (evidenced in cleaning up for annual bloodwork) of doing this in order to have good test results speaks to me of a certain desperation, but i could be just projecting what i myself experienced back then, and how i wanted to keep the drinking option open, and how a good health checkout would accommodate that.
only one way to find out where the sober path leads.
welcome.
the rational part of me was overrun by irrational actions around drinking. again and again, despite de cisions and commitments not to drink again.
have you ever tried before to quit and stay that way?
what happened?
the secretive and hidden part (evidenced in cleaning up for annual bloodwork) of doing this in order to have good test results speaks to me of a certain desperation, but i could be just projecting what i myself experienced back then, and how i wanted to keep the drinking option open, and how a good health checkout would accommodate that.
only one way to find out where the sober path leads.
Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: northern michigan. not the U.P.
Posts: 15,281
"I currently have many cases of wine and beer in my home, as well as several bottles of liquor..."
a hobby that " makes me maudlin, depressed, mean and spectacularly unproductive."
what youre doin here is reaching out for anything to call it other than what it is.
alcoholism doesnt instantly put a person in the gutter. theres a stage of alcoholism on the way down where people start rationaling their alcoholism with things like,"its a hobbie."
good to see fini caught the bloodwork thing. thats denial of the problem and fear of the damage- its saying your drinkin is worse than youre letting youself believe.
a hobby that " makes me maudlin, depressed, mean and spectacularly unproductive."
what youre doin here is reaching out for anything to call it other than what it is.
alcoholism doesnt instantly put a person in the gutter. theres a stage of alcoholism on the way down where people start rationaling their alcoholism with things like,"its a hobbie."
good to see fini caught the bloodwork thing. thats denial of the problem and fear of the damage- its saying your drinkin is worse than youre letting youself believe.
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