Ozgirl

I am stuck in the cycle at the moment of abstaining for approx two weeks then having a binge. I think in the last six weeks I have drank 3 times, each time after about a fortnight. It is a stupid thing to do, my body goes through the withdrawals, starts to repair and then I hammer it again. It also makes me feel like such a weak person, it's a mentally exhausting process. I have heard the cravings do pass after a couple of months but I don't get myself to that point. Day 1 again today.

I have an appointment with a doctor tomorrow and I am going to be honest about my alcoholism. I go to AA meetings but haven't been working the steps, I need to start.

Dee74

I really agree with the idea that nothing changes if nothing changes.

I spent years kinda just wishing things would/could be different and for me at least that just wasn't enough.

Not saying you're doing that - I just had to accept to do more than what I was doing.

I think seeing the doctor and taking the AA stuff to the next level is a pretty good approach to take ozgirl

D

CarolD

Excellent ideas ....

BurningChrome

You just described me _Exactly_! All I can say is Listen to Dee, he's (she? As God is my witness, I do not know!), has walked the road, has been there and done that, he speaks, I listen. It might help to actually sit and write down your "reasons" for drinking next time you feel a binge coming on and then re-read your own writings the "next" time around. As long as you get up one more time than you've fallen, you've won!
Best of luck!
..Mike

OklaBH

Going to the Dr is a great idea. I think any long term drinker should go when or about the time they stop. I thought my Doc would be judgemental and fire me as a patient. Quite the opposite. He was so happy I was reaching out for help.

billsaintjames

Congratulations on making the decision to see a doctor. Going to AA is a good move as well. Don't beat yourself up too much, you are doing things to help yourself and making lots of progress. Keep it up.

Roadr440

Ozgirl,
I know all about those vicious cycles, I have been there and it sucks! I'm glad your going to the Dr and back to AA.

Find some similarities in those rooms of AA and here people with the solution,working the steps is what allows us to look inside ourselves, get all the support you can find, keep yourself busy and believe in yourself.

Road

Anna

I got stuck at the 3-week point a number of points and it was very frustrating.

What I realized was that I needed to believe that I deserved a good life. Failing and messing up were familiar and comfortable in a way. Succeeding, on the other hand, was uncharted territory for me. I had to take a leap of faith.

SSIL75

I have been there! I'd use the 2 weeks or so of sobriety (or even just 'good' drinking) as reassurance that I didn't really have a problem. Or that it was easy to quit so I might as well just have another binge for the fun of it and quit again on monday etc.

I had to learn to identify that 'voice' (the one that said it would be easy to quit again on monday) as being my alcoholic voice.

GL w/the doctor!