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I finall want to try!

Old 01-23-2010, 05:02 PM
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I finall want to try!

Hello Everyone,

I found this site by accident just looking for help through Google.

Many years ago I started going to Happy Hour after work on Fridays. Eventually it was Wednesday and Friday. Now, many years later, it is 7 days a week And while I used to have a couple of beers, it is now not unusual for me to drink 3 pitchers by myself over a 3 hour period. It doesnt make me falling down drunk but it affects how I feel every day. I wake up exhausted. I have no energy and all I think about is how close it is to 4:00 so I can go to my watering hole, see all of my friends, and start drinking.

I want to stop. I am scarred to stop. It is my social life. I am not naieve enough to think I could still go and visit my friends and drink soft drinks. I have wondered if I could revert to my original ways and only go on Fridays. I doubt that would work either.

Whenever I go one who day without beer, which I do once in awhile, I always wake up cold and soaking wet. It doesn't happen when I drink.

Anyway, I am glad to be here and I am giving this my best shot. I need to do it for my family. I want to be around awhile.

Thanks for reading....
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Old 01-23-2010, 05:13 PM
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Forward we go...side by side-Rest In Peace
 
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Thanks for joining with us on our recovery journey
You will meet many of us who are winning over alcohol.
So can you....

Welcome to SR...
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Old 01-23-2010, 05:16 PM
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Thank you. It is interesting to see people going through and talking about the same things that are affecting me.
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Old 01-23-2010, 05:22 PM
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Hey ATime4Change.

I just joined today as well as my night last night was the final straw. You will find that the people here are warm and friendly and want nothing more than to help you and support your recovery.

As far as drinking every Friday and keeping it to only that....if you want to quit why not quit altogether. It might start out as only every Friday but then it will progress back to where you are now and it's an endless and vicious cycle. I have told myself the same thing multiple times and have finally decided enough is enough.

I wish you all the best and want nothing more than for you to beat this demon! You can do it!
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Old 01-23-2010, 05:34 PM
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welcome!!

keep posting - and reading - you're in a great place!
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Old 01-23-2010, 05:42 PM
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Welcome!

You will find lots of support here!
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Old 01-23-2010, 05:47 PM
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Thank you all. It sure is great to be among people who understand what it is all about.
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Old 01-23-2010, 05:49 PM
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ATime4Change - welcome to the family. It's great to see you here. This is the place that helped point me in the right direction after I failed to quit on my own. The people here gave me courage I didn't know I had. Finally, there were people who understood exactly what I was going through. No one else in my life understood or was sympathetic.

I too drank for many years. I didn't mean to ever let it become a daily habit, but it overtook me and hijacked my life. My drinking progressed like yours did. It was all so innocent at first - I remember getting high off one beer. I would have laughed if anyone had told me I'd end up drinking 24/7 just to keep from shaking. I never accomplished what I might have - I was too busy getting numb. I had to force myself to stop dwelling on regrets, though, and allow myself to move forward and make the most of the years I have remaining.

You can do this, I know you can. After a lifetime of drinking I've made it to 2 yrs. without a drop. Stay with us, and be proud of yourself for wanting a new and better life.
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Old 01-23-2010, 05:51 PM
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Welcome to SR

It is scary - but you'll find a lot of support here

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Old 01-23-2010, 05:55 PM
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Welcome!

Good for you for wanting to try. You'll find alot of support here.

I have never been able to, or know anyone else who has been able to "go back to the way things were before" (ie, only drinking on Friday nights).

If you think you have a drinking problem, you probably do. Waking up with cold sweats when you don't drink is your body's way of telling you that it's dependent on that alcohol being poured into it - when you don't, it screams.

But the body adjusts and there's help available. Many people are scared of the thought of not ever drinking again - It's scary as hell. That's why if you focus on "just not drinking today" it's easier.

Keep posting. Keep wanting to try. A life in recovery is more of a social life than my drinking days ever gave me!

Take care ~
HB
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Old 01-23-2010, 06:20 PM
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Old 01-23-2010, 07:14 PM
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Welcome to SR! Yes, we do understand what it's all about and how addiction destroys lives. I'm glad you joined our family. Together we have more strength than we do separately.
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Old 01-24-2010, 03:49 AM
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Originally Posted by ATime4Change View Post
I want to stop. I am scarred to stop. It is my social life. I am not naieve enough to think I could still go and visit my friends and drink soft drinks. I have wondered if I could revert to my original ways and only go on Fridays. I doubt that would work either.

Whenever I go one who day without beer, which I do once in awhile, I always wake up cold and soaking wet. It doesn't happen when I drink.
Hi and welcome to this great site.

We all know how you are feeling here. The thought of stopping drinking is very scarey and you are right, just drinking on Fridays will not work. Many of us have tried to control our drinking and just found it impossible, long term. You have passed a point of no return. You can no longer go back to those good days when drinking was a social fun thing to do without any consequences.

The cold sweats, when you go without beer for a day, are a sign that your body and is physically dependant on alcohol to survive. This is why you end up drinking again as the craving is so overpowering.

The fact you are experiencing these symptoms when you go without for a day could mean that you need medical help to detox, if you decide to quit. Please talk to your doctor about this and be honest about your drinking and withdrawal symptoms. Trying to quit without medication could cause serious harm to your health.....some people even die. I'm not saying that to be dramatic....just because it is an actual risk.

As to your friends and social life, one of the great things about AA is that not only to they offer a solution to help you stay sober they also give you new social opportunities. You will make new friends there, do different things socially which don't revolve around alcohol. Everyone there is in the same situation so we all help each other.

That's not to say you have to get rid of your old friends as once you are sober for a good time you may find you are able to be around them without getting the urge to drink.

Please keep in touch.
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Old 01-24-2010, 03:54 AM
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Hi again,


I have just seen this timely post from someone new here who needed emergency medical treatment when withdrawing from alcohol.

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...g-day-8-a.html

I hope you do have a chat with your doctor.
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Old 01-24-2010, 05:24 AM
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Hello Time4AChange:
I too signed on to this site 5 days ago. I'm on day 5 starting today from taking Hydro's. I've had my fill of them and the way they turn my life and world upside down. This isn't my first dog and pony show with these pills. I'm not a drinker so I don't know much about that problem. But a drug is a drug and if you are dependent on it, it can ruin your life and turn you into somebody you don't want to be anymore. I'm coming off of these cold turkey. But it sounds like you are going to need professional help.

You say you need to do this for your family. YES you do. But you need to do this for yourself FIRST!!! But having a family will give you a goal to strive for if that's what it takes to get you to quit.

I've posted my story on the "For Women Only" side of things. Go check it out. I wish you the best. I'm here off and on all day. If you need someone to talk to, give me a jingle. If you aren't allowed to post a PM then post it in this thread.

HANG TOUGH!!
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Old 01-24-2010, 02:21 PM
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Welcome to SR,



I can relate to your story, I woke up this morning thinking back almost 1 year ago today what my life use to be like. It was as soon as I got up on a Saturday or Sunday it was go out to my garage and sneak a couple beers before my wife got up just to get started and to take the shakes away from the night before, i to was a long time drinker, then it was off to the pub with my friends for a full day of drinking, thank God I'm not that same person. And i was just like you years ago it was happy hour after work on Fridays then it was drinking every night until it got way out of hand.



I'm just telling you this because I know you are at the very beginning of a difficult journey if you want to stop drinking as you say "to stop drinking for you family", but you have to want this for yourself!!!! Admitting that you have a problem is a huge step in the right direction.



I know as you say your scared to stop, I was to and I had to stop for my family to and myself. My experience was I went into detox for 3 days only because i new i could not do this on my own and i strongly urge you to see a doctor as soon as possible to withdraw from alcohol safely under a doctor's supervision. You should not undertake withdrawal on your own, as doing so can be very dangerous. After i detox safely, i need additional support to maintain sobriety and this was inpatient clinic for me, please Check out the different programs available to you, such as AA or SMART. Reaching out for help is the best way to approach addiction.



Good luck to you and hope stick around, lots of support here..
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Old 01-24-2010, 03:02 PM
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Originally Posted by Roadr440 View Post
Welcome to SR,


I can relate to your story, I woke up this morning thinking back almost 1 year ago today what my life use to be like. It was as soon as I got up on a Saturday or Sunday it was go out to my garage and sneak a couple beers before my wife got up just to get started and to take the shakes away from the night before, i to was a long time drinker, then it was off to the pub with my friends for a full day of drinking, thank God I'm not that same person. And i was just like you years ago it was happy hour after work on Fridays then it was drinking every night until it got way out of hand.

Wow... I could have wrote that! Amazing how you meet so many here with similar stories!

Atime4change, Like others have said. This is a great place to find support. Many of us share the same experiences and there is strength and help in sharing them.
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Old 01-24-2010, 10:08 PM
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Welcome - For me, I can't drink "just on Fridays" as quickly I will go back to what I was doing before and a soon after ... much worse.

I find that worrying about "never drinking again" is not helpful to me, but focusing on "I just won't drink today" is more manageable.

Alcoholism is progressive and once we pass that point, it is hard to return back. Keep reading and posting. You will see a lot of others like you and a lot of support.
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