MrWolfie68

BDTL

Congrats on 7 weeks. Noticed your sober date was April 15th. My first serious go at it was April 16th, but I have "stumbled" several times since. You got me thinking; why am I still messing around. I think I'll take your advice and make this stick @ 50 yo. New sober date is June 1st. Anxiety sure does suck though. Seems like an entirely different animal than other anxiety I have experienced.

Thanks for your service and inspiration. Best of luck to you.

BDTL

I'm proud of your decision MW and I'm betting you can make it work this time. Not everybody's story is the same however we all are striving for the same end result which is sobriety. Personally I'm enjoying AA meetings. Something about hearing from people with the same struggles and how they fight their demons makes you stronger. It's pretty special to me.

Getting old ain't for sissies and we are not guaranteed another day. Why not give our bodies a break and live out the remainder of our lives in good health? Let's do this partner!

MyDogSpot

Congrats BDTL!

The VA can be very helpful. I had six months last year with their help and it was awesome. Sadly, I thought I was “cured” and went back to a few here and there, with obvious results. Trying it again on my own, but it’s nice to know I can call them up at any time for help. My only complaint about the VA is that they don’t have many things after normal working hours - and I like being around other vets for things like this.

BDTL

Thanks brother! I'm very fortunate that my wife does not drink and she is great support at home. I'm also fortunate to have met friends in my AA groups including my sponsor who are a great support team away from home. I have many months and possibly years to heal from the drinking I have done since Nam. It's a miracle I'm still around so I'm going to enjoy each and every day I'm blessed with (sober) for the rest of my life. I'm feeling like a young stud again. Well being 67, I still have the aches and pains that come with an aging body however those pains like hangovers, burning stomach, pain in the liver area, etc. are moving out of town. Thank God.

MyDogSpot

Sister

I wish I had good home suppprt. My husband (also a vet) is terminally ill and drinks daily. He has never wanted to stop.

The group I went to at the VA last year was actually a cognitive behavior class that also acted as a twelve week support group. I don’t know if it was just luck or due to having a good facilitator, but it was an awesomely supportive group. They have an AA group of sorts (very non-secular) but it meets during the day when I’m at work.

Maybe I should look to see if there’s something through the Legion or VFW. I know there isn’t at my Post but there’s plenty of them around here.

Anyway, glad to hear about your new lease on life! You Nam Vets have all my respect, both for what you faced in the war and what you faced when you were back in the States. I was in during the first Gulf War, but in Europe, not in theater.

BDTL

Thank you Sister and stay strong in your journey. It's all worth it in the end. I saw an something in the news this morning about how David Cassidy actually died from alcoholism. He had lied about his Parkinson Disease. Alcohol is such a poison and we need to let our bodies heal from it.

BDTL

I am soooooooo proud of myself. I was invited to play in a shamble (Golf Tournament) today which started at 5:00 p.m.. They do this every Wednesday through the summer.. We had a great time and our team finished in 2nd place and picked up $20.00 a piece. I got to hit from the senior tees and drove two of the par four greens with my G400 Max! Actually my Max had a cracked head so Ping is sending me a new one. My buddy at Dick's loaned me a demo head so I was back in business. Anyways everyone of them ole boys were drinking beer, liquor and smoking pot. I was the ONLY sober guy out of four groups of golfers. The cool thing is I had no desire to drink and had an awesome time laughing at those crazy basta*ds. It reminded me of me having done that a few thousand times in life. My buddy ask me if it bothered me and I told him hell no, you boys slam em down and enjoy. Me and another guy left after we finished the 12 hole. There was sunlight left so my good buddy and a few others took off to finish the round. They had a few beers left and I hope they made it home safe and sound. I had to drive over to Lowes and pick up a couple filters (air & water) for my fridge. Not too long ago my drunk arse would have been hoping to make it home without hurting someone or getting pulled over. Gawd I love being sober and I feel like a new man!

MyDogSpot

Awesome experience!

I remember one time golfing in the morning with DH. He golfed very poorly, then we realized he was getting so upset because he wasn’t lubricated enough. Usually in league golf he’s have three or four before the first tee. 😳

I was never a huge drinker while golfing. Now bowling, on the other hand....

BDTL

haha yea the good ole swing oil as we called it. Those good ole boys were feeling no pain hammering down all that alcohol however this good ole boy will feel refreshed when I wake up in the morning. Not so good for them

Lakegirl111

Hey guys, just stumbled on this thread because I searched "combat PTSD and alcoholism".
Thought I'd ask....
From the vet standpoint.....what's your advice to a spouse of a combat vet who's struggling with PTSD and alcohol. (he is sober almost 90 days now)

BDTL

For myself it was hooking up with a support group like AA. If he doesn't want to go the AA route, most local VA regional health care locations have meetings once a week for alcohol and PTSD support. For yourself you might want to try Al-Anon. It helps family members who are dealing with someone who has an addiction. I hope he finds help and congratulate him on the 90 days! That's an awesome accomplishment .

Dropsie

BDTL,

Love this thread and so happy to hear how well you are doing.

Onwards and upwards!

BDTL

Thank you Dropsie! I hope other Veterans can enjoy sobriety and enjoy the benefits of it. What a difference it makes when you clean your body of the poison that breaks it down. Be strong and focus on the future and leave the past behind.

tursiops999

Proud of you, BDTL.

Lakegirl111

Thanks, BDTL!
He attends AA and has a sponsor. I'm just concerned that the cause (PTSD)is not getting any treatment and only the symptom is getting the attention (Addiction). Of course, there's nothing I can actually "do" aside from pray that he reaches out.
I do attend Al-Anon when I can (hard with little kids) but also go to counseling.

BDTL

Ok for the PTSD I see a VA Doctor (Mental Health) and a social worker for discussions etc. & symptoms. The doc put me on a couple meds with one being for anxiety and the other to help with sleep. Both are working very well. You are correct he needs some help asap with the PTSD. It's no joke so call the closest regional VA and schedule a appointment with the mental health department. I hope he can get some help soon and learn coping skills.

TheSoberDude

Marine Infantry guy here with several tours to Afghanistan. Anxiety and being edgy is what caused my alcohol behavior to spiral out of control. Luckily, I don’t suffer from PTSD. Everybody is wired differently, so I thank God for my blessings with that.

I do think the VA has a huge issue on their hands with alcohol abuse, and more drugs isn’t the answer. I really do support healthy hobbies for veterans. Right now, myself and another veteran are working on doing fishing expeditions for wounded veterans.

I’m also working on starting some type of veteran support, health, and exercise group that would meet once or twice a week.

You boys are not in this battle alone!

Keep strong.

Semper Sober!

BDTL

Thanks for your service brother and all you are doing for fellow vets!