when to quit alcohol
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 16
when to quit alcohol
I'm 23 days off of various painkillers which I'm proud of, but after 2 weeks sober of opiates I realize my pull to alcohol is 1000 times what it was before. I know that I'm substituting one drug for another and I have recently tried to quit alcohol. I was only able to do so for 2 days. The psychological pull is so much more than the pills because it's always around, everywhere. Even with my best intentions I get that demon in my mind telling me to cheer up and relax and then it's all over from there.
Is it too early to quit alcohol too? I've just quit a pretty serious painkiller addiction so am I taking on more than I can handle? I still get cravings for pills. should i focus on just being sober from pills for now and deal with alcohol on a future date?
I've tried going to an NA meeting before last week. I've always been socially awkward, even more so now that I don't have the bravado and confidence from pills. I was there for ten minutes, nobody said hi or anything, probably because i am so damn weird and awkward lol. I ended up just leaving.
Is it too early to quit alcohol too? I've just quit a pretty serious painkiller addiction so am I taking on more than I can handle? I still get cravings for pills. should i focus on just being sober from pills for now and deal with alcohol on a future date?
I've tried going to an NA meeting before last week. I've always been socially awkward, even more so now that I don't have the bravado and confidence from pills. I was there for ten minutes, nobody said hi or anything, probably because i am so damn weird and awkward lol. I ended up just leaving.
Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Germany
Posts: 2,058
Glad you are here Sub and you have our support.
Replacing one addiction with another addiction is unhealthy. There is never a bad time to quit anything that is harmful to our health or anything that provides negative consequences. I have no experience with pills really but I turned to drinking for everything. When I began having anxiety/panic attacks from my years of drinking......I found at the end I was willing to pop pain pills I had for an injury....in an attempt to stop the anxiety. Sadly I mixed those with alcohol and almost died. That is how dangerous my situation was and I wouldn't want anyone to go through something like that.
I urge you to go to an NA meeting and get as much support is possible. I too was hesitant to seek face to face support in the beginning but it was the best thing I could have done and now I am living a healthy, positive, productive life. You can do this!
Wish you well and keep it going
Replacing one addiction with another addiction is unhealthy. There is never a bad time to quit anything that is harmful to our health or anything that provides negative consequences. I have no experience with pills really but I turned to drinking for everything. When I began having anxiety/panic attacks from my years of drinking......I found at the end I was willing to pop pain pills I had for an injury....in an attempt to stop the anxiety. Sadly I mixed those with alcohol and almost died. That is how dangerous my situation was and I wouldn't want anyone to go through something like that.
I urge you to go to an NA meeting and get as much support is possible. I too was hesitant to seek face to face support in the beginning but it was the best thing I could have done and now I am living a healthy, positive, productive life. You can do this!
Wish you well and keep it going
Administrator
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Dancing in the Light
Posts: 61,470
I think that stopping the alcohol now is the thing to do.
You know that you are substituing alcohol for the drugs you have removed from your life. Therefore, honest recovery is not going to work. I believe, in recovery, we need to learn to live life as it comes along, without the benefit of numbing ourselves in any way.
Congratulations on your decision to live a sober life!
You know that you are substituing alcohol for the drugs you have removed from your life. Therefore, honest recovery is not going to work. I believe, in recovery, we need to learn to live life as it comes along, without the benefit of numbing ourselves in any way.
Congratulations on your decision to live a sober life!
Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 226
Substance,
I would go visit your doctor or the ER to properly and safely detox from the alcohol, and to give you a firm foundation upon which to build your complete abstinence from substances. This, in turn, will provide you with the foundation upon which to build your "sobriety," which is different from abstinence. I would also encourage you to go back to an NA/AA meeting. I hated meetings at first. I hated the fact that I needed to be there. But I gave it a fair chance--mainly because I was out of options--and went to several different meetings (discussion, speaker, step) every day until I found my niche and was able to willingly and happily go every day for the "free therapy" and invariable support (those people did not judge me but embraced me). NA/AA isn't for everyone, but you really haven't given it or you a chance. Please stay openminded--this is your life you're negotiating here, and alcoholism does kill (I'm sure you know that). Get off the rollercoaster now.
I would go visit your doctor or the ER to properly and safely detox from the alcohol, and to give you a firm foundation upon which to build your complete abstinence from substances. This, in turn, will provide you with the foundation upon which to build your "sobriety," which is different from abstinence. I would also encourage you to go back to an NA/AA meeting. I hated meetings at first. I hated the fact that I needed to be there. But I gave it a fair chance--mainly because I was out of options--and went to several different meetings (discussion, speaker, step) every day until I found my niche and was able to willingly and happily go every day for the "free therapy" and invariable support (those people did not judge me but embraced me). NA/AA isn't for everyone, but you really haven't given it or you a chance. Please stay openminded--this is your life you're negotiating here, and alcoholism does kill (I'm sure you know that). Get off the rollercoaster now.
Grateful Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: MI
Posts: 1,080
Sub, rip the band aid off. Nows the time to get rid of all of it. See your doc, get some help, and do it. Alcoholism is progressive, and the longer you drink, the worse it gets. Keep trying different meetings. Different groups have different things to offer. Best of luck to you.
Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Toronto, ON
Posts: 1,591
Substance, it would be hard for us not to favor the idea of quitting alcohol too, especially when you bring up how it is allowing an addiction to live on in new clothes.
I guess what you are asking is whether there is a smart strategy to go by. Besides the opinions you can get in your thread here, I think there have been discussions about what approaches to take in other sections of the site. You could click through those if you haven't done already.
Your thinking about your state of being has brought you to the point of asking when to quit alcohol. Are you taking a beating? Are you done getting beaten yet? Do you want out of that? Maybe looking at it that way might help. But I wouldn't hope for the answer to be "Not enough yet," since that can go on longer than it has to. I can't make you feel like it's been enough any more than I can make you quit.
I guess what you are asking is whether there is a smart strategy to go by. Besides the opinions you can get in your thread here, I think there have been discussions about what approaches to take in other sections of the site. You could click through those if you haven't done already.
Your thinking about your state of being has brought you to the point of asking when to quit alcohol. Are you taking a beating? Are you done getting beaten yet? Do you want out of that? Maybe looking at it that way might help. But I wouldn't hope for the answer to be "Not enough yet," since that can go on longer than it has to. I can't make you feel like it's been enough any more than I can make you quit.
Member
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 1,243
Substitution of one substance for another is extremely common. I visit a detox unit weekly since I got sober and we always see people that were alcoholic that switched to pills and vice versa. I would suggest you stop alcohol ASAP before things get worse.
Congrats on your decision to get sober!
Congrats on your decision to get sober!
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,373
Hi Substance
I absolutely agree that alcohol addiction is not a road you want to go down.
I'd quit, like, yesterday, if I was you.
I turned to alcohol even more after I gave up pot - fast forward a little, and the end result was worse than other other addiction I had.
I found it important to realise *I* was the problem - the drugs I used to get high were in a sense, immaterial - it was the wanting to get high bit I needed to look at.
I urge you to do something - whether it's posting here regularly or NA or SMART, or counselling, or whatever, to look at those underlying reasons why you want to get high too.
And do see you Dr if you've been drinking heavily for a while. Detox can sometimes be problematic.
Welcome aboard
D
I absolutely agree that alcohol addiction is not a road you want to go down.
I'd quit, like, yesterday, if I was you.
I turned to alcohol even more after I gave up pot - fast forward a little, and the end result was worse than other other addiction I had.
I found it important to realise *I* was the problem - the drugs I used to get high were in a sense, immaterial - it was the wanting to get high bit I needed to look at.
I urge you to do something - whether it's posting here regularly or NA or SMART, or counselling, or whatever, to look at those underlying reasons why you want to get high too.
And do see you Dr if you've been drinking heavily for a while. Detox can sometimes be problematic.
Welcome aboard
D
Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: New England
Posts: 5,285
Hi and welcome! Its not quite the same thing but I quit my pack a day cigarette habit the same day As I quit alcohol...I am really glad I did. My guess is it will make quitting the pills easier once you get past the initial withdrawal.
Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 144
Originally Posted by Anna 
I think that stopping the alcohol now is the thing to do.
You know that you are substituting alcohol for the drugs you have removed from your life. Therefore, honest recovery is not going to work. I believe, in recovery, we need to learn to live life as it comes along, without the benefit of numbing ourselves in any way.
Congratulations on your decision to live a sober life!
You know that you are substituting alcohol for the drugs you have removed from your life. Therefore, honest recovery is not going to work. I believe, in recovery, we need to learn to live life as it comes along, without the benefit of numbing ourselves in any way.
Congratulations on your decision to live a sober life!
Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 7
I'm in your same position pretty much, except replace pain pills with other stuff. I have social anxiety too and feel weird in unfamiliar situations, but I know 90% of it has to do with my drinking/substance addiction. Try and give yourself a day or 2 to try and stay as sober as possible then go into a meeting. I think it's maybe best to try and give yourself something to feel good about before approaching help, that way you won't get uncomfortable too quickly and back out. Think positive and just listen to other people. I hope that helps some.
Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Washington State
Posts: 150
Yes, I've been a pot-head in addition to drinking... what it has come down to me has been an overall avoidanace of LIFE itself..I have a lot of unrealized potential, and so do you...Best wishes!!!! I mean that most sincerely.
Member
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Australia
Posts: 3,597
I would definitely talk to your doctor about it. It's not easy to quit a substance you've been dependent on. As far as NA/AA and the people not being friendly, well you only stayed 10 minutes so you didn't give anyone a chance! Try and remember that it's not all about you. Every person on that room has their own issues, challenges and pain. They aren't all looking to be your new best friend. Decide to stay in the meeting and just sit and listen. If you get asked to share, you can just say "Hi my name is so and so and I'm new to all this." Introduce yourself to the chair of the meeting and ask where to start. Some meetings have people who will act as a temporary sponsor just to get you started. You need to be pro-active and ask for help. Not every meeting is friendly. Not every meeting, every time is friendly. Just listen and do the suggested things. Reach out to other newcomers rather than waiting for people to reach out to you. I'm sure that once you say you are new, you will have people coming up to you.
We have a disease. One of the ways the disease manifests itself is through your inner talk - it will try and talk you out of getting help, one way or another.
We have a disease. One of the ways the disease manifests itself is through your inner talk - it will try and talk you out of getting help, one way or another.
Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Lomita, California
Posts: 200
Originally Posted by TigerLili
I would definitely talk to your doctor about it. It's not easy to quit a substance you've been dependent on. As far as NA/AA and the people not being friendly, well you only stayed 10 minutes so you didn't give anyone a chance! Try and remember that it's not all about you. Every person on that room has their own issues, challenges and pain. They aren't all looking to be your new best friend. Decide to stay in the meeting and just sit and listen. If you get asked to share, you can just say "Hi my name is so and so and I'm new to all this." Introduce yourself to the chair of the meeting and ask where to start. Some meetings have people who will act as a temporary sponsor just to get you started. You need to be pro-active and ask for help. Not every meeting is friendly. Not every meeting, every time is friendly. Just listen and do the suggested things. Reach out to other newcomers rather than waiting for people to reach out to you. I'm sure that once you say you are new, you will have people coming up to you.
We have a disease. One of the ways the disease manifests itself is through your inner talk - it will try and talk you out of getting help, one way or another.
We have a disease. One of the ways the disease manifests itself is through your inner talk - it will try and talk you out of getting help, one way or another.
Give yourself some time. You didn't get addicted in one day. Talk to a doctor. And post here as much as you need. Lots of great folks here.
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