gref

I know I need to never drink again. I know moderation doesn't work. I wish I could take this feeling, bottle it up and have it with me for the rest of my life. My problem is, the further I get from the day I stopped drinking, the less dire the problem looked.

I'm not an everyday drinker. I'm the binge type. I can go weeks without drinking. But once I start, I can't stop until something bad happens.

It's just a never ending circle. I say I'm done with it. I have the grandest intentions. But then the further out I get, I lose the feeling of how important it is not to drink and go out on the town. I feel like I've quit 100 times. Most of the time it's just for a couple of weeks. My longest was 100 days.

So does anyone have any tips to keep it going?

gref

Also to add to it. I'm pretty introverted and I think that's why I keep going back to it. I get this desire to go out and be social, but I don't enjoy doing this unless drinking.

Weasel1966

Gref

Welcome to SR!

I am too new to give advice on how to keep going. But I can tell you I do that very same thing.... Only in closer cycles. I go a few days and feel invincible.

I come here daily to remind myself of what needs to be done. Perhaps that's something of a tip.

Best to you!

Ken

mecanix

Are there other avenues open to you for being social where the focus isn't drinking ? playing music, dancing, fishing, sport, evening classes , going to an AA meeting to just meet sober people and either take in or disreguard what they say . The only rule for attendance is the desire to quit alcohol , seems to me you fit the bill with that .

I suppose the alternative is to go down the medical route for dealing with social anxiety through therapy and doctoring ...

best wishes, M

bbthumper

The Big Book of AA says this:
"We are unable, at certain times, to bring into our consciousness with sufficient force the memory of the suffering and humiliation of even a week or a month ago. We are without defense against the first drink."

Sound familiar? I know that time and time again I would sware off drinking because of something stupid that I did or trouble that occurred, but as you mentioned it doesn't seem so bad after a while. I hit a strange mental blank spot and suddenly I am convinced that "this time will be different. This time I can control it." Never worked for me. I was without defense against the first drink.

By working the program of AA, I have found the defense necessary to stay sober and live a happy life. The thought of drinking doesnt occurr to me any more. Im free. Im recovered.


Hope you find the answers you are looking for.

2granddaughters

Welcome gref !

Alcoholics Anonymous enabled me to quit and stay quit since 1989, may be just the ticket for you as well.

All the best.

Bob R

gref

I may have to try this!

gref

It seems like the world can't change a light bulb or take their dog for a walk without a drink in the process! But no, I do need to start finding some activities I can do that don't involve drinking.

gref

My problem is I don't think I can control it. I just think, "oh well, you're probably going to get really crazy and do some really stupid stuff, but that's life. ying and yang". :/

gref

So what's the defense against the first drink!?

aasharon90

A strong defense against the first drink is having
a program of recovery to incorperate in your everyday
life. Also learning and recieving the knowledge of your
alcoholism. Just like someone who has another form
of disease such as Diabetices. They learn what causes
it, why they have it, what they need to change in their
lives to make living with diabetices easier.

If they don't make certain changes in their eating, exercising,
medications, then they will get sicker and death is a possible.

And so is it with an alcoholic.

bbthumper

For me, the only defense that has been effective is a power greater than me which I have tapped into through the process of working the program of AA.
Before doing the work I was able to pull together about 4 to 6 days of uninterrupted sobriety before falling apart. Thanks to the 12 steps and help from folks in AA, I have gained access to a power that allows me to have permanent sobriety.

awuh1

“Sticking with it” involves a person working some sort of program or method over the long term. A few have used elements from different methods, successfully combined them, and done well for an extended period of time. It’s good you are asking for direction. This is typically where change begins. It’s good because a “strong will’ is something that most alcoholics it seem to have by nature. Asking others what worked for them is the beginning of wisdom. Smart people learn from their mistakes, but wise people learn from the mistakes (and success) of others.

Choose a method and work it like your life depends on it…. because it just might.

Zencat

I know for me when "sobriety loses its priority" things go south fast.