rr423

i have been drinking since april consistently to excess, 8-10 drinks a night on average i would say, there have been few days i haven't drank at all, i guess i am drinking because i am depressed and out of work,

it's become a way to forgot about things, sleep better,
i realize its reaking havoc on my health,

i have gained 15 pounds and have stopped working out, i just wake up saying today im going to stop and wind up drinking all the next night.

i want to stop, get back on track and start new but i find i can't do it,i find myself using it in social situations all the time and it has made me more confident socially but i feel a wreck without it.

i have heard about a book called the easyway to stop drinking, i don't know if it will work but i would like to try it, i just need to stick to something

any advice would help, i want to stop before i crash

tommyk

Only YOU can choose to NOT use.

My own ES&H suggests you make contact with the good people of AA for some positive direction.

Become immersed in the 12 steps.

Fill your life with wholesome activities.

It worked for me.

Keep coming back.

flutter

You want easy? Just stop. Don't pick up a drink. Call your doctor so you don't die from withdrawal. My counselor gave me similar advice. He said... "rule number 1: Don't buy alcohol. rule number 2: Don't accept alcohol from others. rule number 3: If you find alcohol, pour it out." and so on. Kinda silly.. but it IS that easy.

Now, I think the hard part that you are mildly referring to, is staying stopped. This is when support comes into place, and is critical for most peoples' recovery. Abstinence from alcohol is not recovery, that's the easy part. Some people go to rehab, some attend AA and work the program, some (like me) attend intensive therapy to try to figure some things out..

If your book works for you, that's awesome. I know when I wanted to quit drinking, I was willing to try anything. I read a few ridiculous books, and a few that I thought were gems.

Whatever works!

I found it was much easier to stop, and stay stopped once I wanted sobriety more than I wanted to be drunk.

SoberDaze

That's the way that I would drink. I drank to forget problems, relieve anxiety, etc. Come to think of it - I can make up any reason to drink. AA has been my salvation. I'm early in the program and have a lot to learn. I have learned that drinking does not help any of the problems of life, only masks them for a short period. After that short period wears off it leaves ya feeling worse and the cycle starts over again only to become worse each and every time. Best wishes to you! The first step is accepting that there is a problem.

bugsworth

Welcome to SR...the key point in your post is that you need to stick to something...many people want to quit...they make resolution after resolution but never follow through. It takes practice to resist urges...one must do it over and over in order for it to become ingrained in us like drinking has. There is no magic way to get sober..no program that does it for you...bottom line is it is up to you. I agree with flutter nothing will "work" until you want to be sober more than you want to drink.

Dee74

Hi rr423

I agree with everyone else here - lots of great advice.
Getting sober and staying takes commitment and hard work - there are no short cuts - but it's so so worth it.

We're always here for help and support too

Good luck with the book - I hope it 'clicks' with you

Welcome!
D

Tosh

I've tried to read that Alan Carr book, but unfortunately I couldn't stop drinking while I was reading it. So I can't remember a thing about it other than he was the guy who also wrote the Easyway to Stop Smoking.

1_day@_a_time

Someone once said, lack of power is our dilemma......

If it was all about self will, most of us would have quit many many many years ago.

I am proof there is a better way as I did try both.

Tosh

Drinking and depression go hand-in-hand and I know the vicious circle you're caught up in. I used to drink to excess, black out, wake up next morning swearing never to drink again, then in a few hours start drinking again to block out that miserable sick feeling, black out, wake up... repeat, repeat, repeat.

It was horrendous.

One morning I woke up* - nothing special had happened - I just thought I cannot go on like this anymore, so I didn't drink that day; but I felt like I was dying. Sweating, shaking, fearful, and anxious; restless, irritable, discontented. This continued to the next day when I had to do something, otherwise I'd have to drink.

That was when out of sheer desperation I found an AA meeting.

It was the best thing I ever did.

*Do we wake up or do we regain consciousness?

rr423

yes exactly i drank to forget an ex girlfriend job problems etc, and to relieve the anxiety its not working though because every morning i feel like crap and anxious, its not a good thing

Dee74

Drinking to forget never worked for me either, rr.

Most of us have anxiety issues the morning after - and especially when we quit -
if you're particularly worried, a visit to the doctor is never a bad thing to consider as a first step

D

Anna

Hi and Welcome,

I think that drinking aggravates depression and anxiety. That's what happened for me. Then I had more problems to deal with.

Personally, I don't believe there is an easy way to stop drinking. It's hard, takes work, but it is SO worth it.

coffeenut

Welcome to SR....we're glad you're here.

Keep reading and posting.