Here goes
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Cambridgeshire, UK
Posts: 8
Here goes
Hi everyone
I've finally decided to make the plunge towards sobriety, and having read many of the threads on here would love to enjoy the support of such a community.
I'm in my mid 30s now but come from a family of heavy drinkers, grandad ran a brewery, mum a winemearchants and booze took my dad away at the age of just 42. After uni I managed a very cool cocktail bar for a decade that had a very liberal attitude to staff drinking on the job. This was great fun at the time, but as you can guess I was a full blown alcoholic by 30 and knew I had to get out.
Met my partner and moved away, took a totally different job but continued to drink very heavily on the sly. Visiting bars on the way home, drinking every night. But I was - and am - very crafty at hiding my habit, my partner had and has to this day no idea how much I was putting away.
I graduated from beer and wine to vodka last November, and almost immediately I was drinking at least a bottle a day throughout the day. I have kept this secret and never been caught, and by Christmastime my bottle of water at work was 50/50 vodka. Still I got away with it. Only person who knew was the owner of the out of the way convenience store where he happily served my daily dose at 8am each morning.
I became very ill at the start of the year for and unrelated condition, and despite my doctor telling me not to drink with my meds I've continued to do so. Remarkably my liver tests came back not bad. Being stuck around the house all day made it much easier to drink even harder, that I have done until polishing off my last treble at 7am today.
Unless I confront this I'm going to loose the lot, so I've chosen today to be my first day of clear abstinence. Man its hard.
The shakes and sweats came on as expected around mid morning, then a sudden bout of sickness and diahorrea. Partner thinks I've the flu, but hardly been able to move all day. Very scared about what may yet to come, here's to a likely sleepless night (poor choice of words)!
Thanks for listening.
M
I've finally decided to make the plunge towards sobriety, and having read many of the threads on here would love to enjoy the support of such a community.
I'm in my mid 30s now but come from a family of heavy drinkers, grandad ran a brewery, mum a winemearchants and booze took my dad away at the age of just 42. After uni I managed a very cool cocktail bar for a decade that had a very liberal attitude to staff drinking on the job. This was great fun at the time, but as you can guess I was a full blown alcoholic by 30 and knew I had to get out.
Met my partner and moved away, took a totally different job but continued to drink very heavily on the sly. Visiting bars on the way home, drinking every night. But I was - and am - very crafty at hiding my habit, my partner had and has to this day no idea how much I was putting away.
I graduated from beer and wine to vodka last November, and almost immediately I was drinking at least a bottle a day throughout the day. I have kept this secret and never been caught, and by Christmastime my bottle of water at work was 50/50 vodka. Still I got away with it. Only person who knew was the owner of the out of the way convenience store where he happily served my daily dose at 8am each morning.
I became very ill at the start of the year for and unrelated condition, and despite my doctor telling me not to drink with my meds I've continued to do so. Remarkably my liver tests came back not bad. Being stuck around the house all day made it much easier to drink even harder, that I have done until polishing off my last treble at 7am today.
Unless I confront this I'm going to loose the lot, so I've chosen today to be my first day of clear abstinence. Man its hard.
The shakes and sweats came on as expected around mid morning, then a sudden bout of sickness and diahorrea. Partner thinks I've the flu, but hardly been able to move all day. Very scared about what may yet to come, here's to a likely sleepless night (poor choice of words)!
Thanks for listening.
M
Guest
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: The Deep South
Posts: 14,636
Congrats on your decision to get sober! And welcome to the forum.
Please be very cautious, as withdrawals from alcohol can be extreme, to the point of causing seizures and fatality. Others will also suggest you seek medical supervision. At the least, I'd let your partner or someone else close to you know you are going through withdrawal in case something should happen.
Please be very cautious, as withdrawals from alcohol can be extreme, to the point of causing seizures and fatality. Others will also suggest you seek medical supervision. At the least, I'd let your partner or someone else close to you know you are going through withdrawal in case something should happen.
Member
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 831
Oh I used to get the shakes bad. It took me about 5 weeks to start to feel like a human being again. Some people take longer, some get through detox rather quickly.
Time to get brutally honest. Our secrets keep us sick. You don't have to explain why your sick, just stop hiding and lying about alcohol.
Saying "nobody knows" is the same as saying you don't matter. Are you "nobody"? You can do it and you are worth it.
Time to get brutally honest. Our secrets keep us sick. You don't have to explain why your sick, just stop hiding and lying about alcohol.
Saying "nobody knows" is the same as saying you don't matter. Are you "nobody"? You can do it and you are worth it.
Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Ireland
Posts: 25,826
Hey Tsunami, Welcome to the Forum!! 
I can totally relate to "graduating" from one drink to another, alcohol can progress very easily before we even realise.
Great job on making the decision to be Sober, there's loads of support here on SR for you, the worst of the withdrawals are at the start, keep pushing through and before you know it, you'll be out the other side and enjoying the benefits of a Sober life.
Great to have you onboard!!
I can totally relate to "graduating" from one drink to another, alcohol can progress very easily before we even realise.
Great job on making the decision to be Sober, there's loads of support here on SR for you, the worst of the withdrawals are at the start, keep pushing through and before you know it, you'll be out the other side and enjoying the benefits of a Sober life.
Great to have you onboard!!
Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: North of England
Posts: 1,442
Welcome and all the very best! Do you have any sort of plan to stay sober once you have dried out? I would count that as an essential if you are doing more than a short self administered detox.
All the very best and well done for taking the decision!
All the very best and well done for taking the decision!
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Cambridgeshire, UK
Posts: 8
Hi guys thanks for all the kind words. Through my long layoff I have actually received counselling sessions through work. They are anonymous but so far I haven't mentioned it. Maybe next time I will.
As I mentioned I was a great faker and only acted drunk in appropriate situations.
Thankfully my partner is teetotal and my old drinking buddies have largely faded away. I appreciate the sense of gaining clinical help, but I'm going to try this first.
It really isn't fun though - but at least I've planned for it well, now it's just a case of going for it. Cold sweats, shakes and no appetite but drinking plenty of water that seems to really help.
As I mentioned I was a great faker and only acted drunk in appropriate situations.
Thankfully my partner is teetotal and my old drinking buddies have largely faded away. I appreciate the sense of gaining clinical help, but I'm going to try this first.
It really isn't fun though - but at least I've planned for it well, now it's just a case of going for it. Cold sweats, shakes and no appetite but drinking plenty of water that seems to really help.
Member
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Birmingham
Posts: 87
Hi tsunami, Welcome to SR and a life of sobriety! I found it helped to be completely honest with my family and friends about how bad my drinking had become and it made me realise my "secret" drinks weren't quite as secret as I thought!
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