pefe

so i have no idea on the whole concept. i was told you shouldnt tell yourself that you are going to quit drinking you should tell yourself to stop drinking. cuz no one wants to be a quitter. has anyone heard of this . idk. i been trying it . if it ends up working i will let you know.

PurpleKnight

I know some people use the term "problem drinker" rather than "alcoholic", and there are other substitution of words and phrases too!!

Hey, go with whatever gets you through the day Sober!! that's the important thing!!

mecanix

Good luck with it pefe ,

m

Mizzuno

No one likes a quitter unless the quitting will serve as a positive for your life. No matter how a person needs to look at it, the general idea is to refrain from the behaviors and substances that are hindering your life. This can be beneficial.

360shoes

Hi Pefe,
I tried pretty hard at first to keep it simple. I spent way to much in my head. Probably why I drank so much. It would shut it down for awhile and I got a break from it. Or so it seemed. That didn't work to well for me. It just started up again. And then the cycle continued. I had to change or nothing would.

Anyway, I just started with I will do and try anything but no matter what I will not drink. Then I planned on it being nothing but hard, confusing, depressing and uncomfortable. And I was sort of right. Everything was new and most of it I didn't like or know how to deal with. That was the bad news. Good news was it wasn't always hard. I had some really great moments in the beginning. Waking up not hating myself and letting myself down again. That was a good way to start the day. The cravings didn't last forever in all reality even though that's how it felt at the time. And trying something new was scary and uncomfortable but so what. I did it anyway. And the more I tried. The less uncomfortable it got. Hardest part was probably trying to keep an open mind and trying pretty much any suggestion out there from people who were doing it. When at a fork in the road, choose the hardest. That's probably what you need to do. At least that's a friend always told me. She hadn't drank in over 20 years so I figured she was doing something right.

I kind of learned that if something was a little uncomfortable it probably was life telling me it was something I probably needed to keep at it until I got over the uncomfortable. Once I got over the uncomfortable it was easier looking at it clearly to see if it moved me in the direction I wanted to go. Until I got to know the real me what the heck did I know about what the real me needed?

I knew more than anything I didn't want to drink anymore. I had my fill. I couldn't do it anymore. I also knew I had to not only ask myself what was I willing to do? I had to answer I'll try anything.

I can't speak for anyone but me but me and alcohol don't get along. It offered me absolutely nothing but shutting me down until I got to the point I didn't even recognize myself. The day I recognized it offered nothing. Nothing. It became easier to expend my energy on getting to know me again.

You can do it! Hang in there!

SoberLeigh

I've never been to AA either but many people on the site will tell you that it has been their life-line and that it has helped them enormously.

I guess that "telling yourself that you are going to quit drinking" keeps the action of actually quitting in the future while "telling yourself to stop drinking" brings the action front and center which, if you really want to stop drinking, is the bottom line.

It's not easy to figure everything out at first and find what works for you.

pefe

thanks 360shoes!!!! i will save that post . i appreciate your advice!!

pefe

hey SoberLeigh..... i think its part of my problem..... getting it started and stickin thru....

sugarbear1

xa-speakers.org take a listen

SoberLeigh

I completely understand, pefe; I vacillated for a long time - too long.

pefe

vacillated.... that should be my middle name.....
and yes i had to look it up....

2muchpain

The way I look at it, whenever I start drinking, I pretty much quit living. I'd rather quit drinking and get my life back. I have to quit something. Can't have both.

pefe

one of my problems is i will want to drink so bad.... get some beer ... drink 5 or 6 then start regretting it..... then i will say screw it drink some more.... the next day i will have some left in fridge. ( cant throw them out thats just a waste) tell myself i will just finish those then im totally done.... countless times this happens with me..... ugh!

NoelleR

I got sober in the rooms of AA a few 24's ago, and I've never heard this. For me, since the words 'quit' and 'stop' are synonymous, I use both....I quit drinking and I stopped drinking......hmmmmmm

(o:
NoelleR

pefe

idk NoelleR..... it was just something i heard long ago.....

SoberLeigh

I hear you; those cravings can be torture, especially in the beginning but they get easier to cope with over time. Stay strong, pefe; you CAN do this.

pefe

thanks SoberLeigh..... appreciate your comments!!!

tomsteve

in the 8+ years and many meetings I have been to, I don't think ive been told how I should view it: quitting as apposed to stopping, as apposed to never drinking again or whatever.
I keep it simple and not drink today. through working the program of AA, not drinking today has gotten pretty easy to do. not only that, but I have been given a life I could never have dreamed of.

DarrenW

AA has totally transformed my life! It's about daily living, without alcohol, and dealing with life's ups and downs. It's great.

Hope4Life

I just recently started going to AA meetings and especially enjoy the chip meetings. There is something very positive about seeing folks reach a goal and get a chip. I suggest that you go to a chip meeting with 24hrs behind you and pick up that chip. Stick that bauble in your change pocket and pull it out and look at it whenever you get a craving.

There is really no way to know if you will like AA unless you attend a meeting. I didn't know if I would like it but after 12 people introduced themselves and 1 guy bought me the Big Book on my first night, it made me feel welcomed. I have been back a few times now and really enjoyed it. Picking up my 18 month chip was an experience I will never forget.

Give it a try. Where else can you meet sober people?