Hilltopper1972

I've been trying to quit drinking off and on for about a year or two, sometimes more serious than others. A recent blood pressure reading showed the difference between my systolic and diastolic is quite large, 120-130 over 50-60. Only 36, heavy drinking at night and recently smoking, etc. What I do know is that human nature is to research and read in to every possible medical condition that you can find. I never drink during the day, am successful, but it doesn't add up anymore, it has to be wrong. I never see much "fear" in these threads, only an overwhelming desire to quit for many other reasons. To me it doesn't matter the motivation, but honestly I think fear is the only thing that is going to work with me. I have no jaundice or really any of the more common signs of cirrhosis, but for whatever reason, I feel that my alcoholic journey has to come to an end now. I have a 2 and 4year old that should have the benefit of a daddy for the next 50 years. For the rest of you did "fear" come into play as any kind of a motivating factor in quitting?

readyforhelp

Fear was definitely my motivator. I was starting to stop functioning. I had stopped going to work. I was taking stomach pills all day long, shaking, anxious, depressed. As I write, I think fear was my only motivator. I think over-analyzing may come in to play when you start telling yourself stories instead of just sticking to the facts. Maybe.

I hope this helps. We are all in this together. Good Luck on your journey, my friend.

Anna

Yes, I feared for my physical health and my emotional and spiritual health too.

Take the opportunity to turn your life around before it is too late.

Fubarcdn

I was and am motivated by fear. My wife is going to leave me if I don't quit and I don't want that to happen so my fear is very real.
Your blood pressure does seem unusual. I am curious as to what your doctor said. I know that high blood pressure sometimes accompanies drinking. What did the doctor say is the reason for it?

lovinmenow

hey, my doc showed my blood pressure was also high. Both numbers are important but the bottom number is supposed to be more important. When I was in the ER last year for Alcohol Poisening my BP was 178 over 128. The doc was afraid I was going to have a heart attack. Check out this link and it will give you some great information. And...see your doctor incase you need meds. I also bought a blood pressure monitor at Walgreens and it helps me keep an eye on it.
Common Questions About High Blood Pressure

Tazman53

Fear of a slow death from alcoholism combined with losing my family and every single material thing I owned were the major factors in my quitting along with a fear of going insane.

When I faced the reality of my drinking and quit looking for reasons to continue to justify my drinking is when I was willing to do what ever it took to stop drinking and stay stopped.

Hilltopper1972

It is the differential between the high number and the low number which is the concern. It points to portal hypertension. I've been taking BP meds for 7 years and the high number has always been there. The only difference is the diastolic number has dropped from about 80 to more like 60. I have been working out since November, but I think both numbers should be dropping at the same time. As far as drinking goes, I've had a bad 3 weeks, but for the most part I've gone from 7 days a week at night to more like 3-4 nights a week. Gym time is about an hour as little as 1-2 days a week, sometimes 4-5.
What is also strange is that I've never felt detox symptoms as many in here have felt. Most of the time I start with a glass of wine at 5pm and finish a bottle and a half by 9pm then hit the sack. If smoking(my wife and I have been for 3 weeks), I might stay up and play poker online and keep drinking till midnight. Hangovers used to be bad when red wine was in play, but once I switched to white they went away. Recently I started mixing orange juice with white wine to cut down on the amount I drink because I gulp it. Despite not having a sleep in the gutter, rock bottom, drink on the nightstand type story, it doesn't mean damage hasn't been done after 10 years of abuse. I'm flat out scared. It took fear for me to quit for about 90 days the last time. I'm ok with fear being the motivating factor, but I'm also concerned about feeling really good and then tricking myself into thinking its ok to go back to my old ways. AA is not a good fit for me personally, but I'm definitely interested in some personal communication, online meetings, etc to accomplish the end goal.

Mary52

I was faced with fear when my daughter called EMS one night and I was taken to ER. They thought I had a stroke. I was in the hospital for 5 days. That was the beginning of my road to recovery. That was almost a year ago. It was all drug related. Thank God for stroke symptoms. That is when I got help.

sailorjohn

I think you may just be missing the obvious, we hit our various bottoms, and decide that we've had enough. Yeah, naturally we're afraid, but I don't think you'll ever actually read those words, it's the unspoken truth.

OceanBound

Fear wasn't the reason why I decided to quit but it gave me the necessary push to re-evaluate my life and decide I couldn't live like that anymore. Towards the end I felt I was becoming paranoid with hallucinations, nightmares, lack of sleep and all. I'll try not to forget what I felt just over a week ago so I have a chance at recovery.

Good luck!
OB

coffeenut

Alcohol will take your children's childhood from them. Be afraid of that, because it will happen

I don't mean to be rude or crude.....just learn through me...I'm hitting 50 and deeply regret the childhood I gave my children.