zelt

I just keep binge drinking every weekend even though I know I want to quit but when the weekend rolls around I drink anyway! I'm so weak and stupid! I don't know how to stop. What do I do? I want to stop embarrassing myself and my girlfriend

Coldfusion

Hi Zelt,

I had to change everything in my life that involved alcohol in order to quit drinking. For me, this meant going to an AA meeting at the time I usually wanted a drink. Nothing changes if nothing changes!

OklaBH

Weekends used to be a killer for me. Make plans in advance. Keep busy, take naps. Urges and cravings will become less and less

anattaboy

A little planning ahead could go a long way. Different route home from work, join a gym, take a class, join a group (any group lest it be a beer pong league). Leave yourself an out in social situations. Hole up in the house if need be til you feel strong. In short, anything but drinking is a good plan but these things are not going to materialize magically--make a loose schedule. If you drank like me you will have a LOT of time to fill that was spent drinking. It is hard for me even at 4+ months but I'm making new habits. You can too.

Croissant

I don't think you are weak and stupid. The whole crux of a drinking problem is not being able to stop / control our intake, and / or thinking, "next time it'll be different".

It seems from the other thread you started, that you are struggling with the concept of stopping. Zelt, it can take a long time to really get so sick and tired of it all, and yourself, to reach the point that you actually know there is no other choice, but to stop.

As painful as this all is, only you can decide when you really have had enough of the pain.

SoberHoopsFan

You're addicted to alcohol, nothing about it is logical or makes sense. You need to commit to some wholesale changes in your lifestyle, if you keep putting yourself in the same situations, you will keep getting the same results. I did that for 15 years, was a very slow learner apparently...

MelindaFlowers

This says it all. We have passed the phase of enjoying drinking and it's really, really hard to stop. It takes an immense amount of determination to stop. I used to wish it would happen naturally, like I'd just slow down and stop, but nope. It takes a clear, stringent, no excuses plan and follow through. It's not easy but can be done.

MyTime86

You gotta commit to not drinking and stick with it..
Will it be challenging yea but if it's worth it for you you'll find away

Briar

I'm not in the best spot to give advice given I'm on like day 5, but I do know that you have to change what you're doing during the times when you usually drink, and you need to learn about recovery and craft a plan to get you through. I tried for a long time to just hold out and take it as it came, but I didn't know how to be proactive to stay ahead of it. It takes practice and willingness to learn and change. I know this because I am, in fact, the most stubborn person on earth, and I realized I wasn't getting anywhere because I refused to make substantive changes. You need to take stock of what's going on with you and take steps to get where you want to be, whatever those are for you.

MavisTheFairy13

For me I wasn't ready to stop for a long time, and I thought I could moderate. I also believed that alcohol made me feel happy and relaxed and that I would be miserable without it. And that if I went on a night out sober it would be no fun and neither would i. Only when I finally realised that none of those things were true could I actually move forward. I've been on SR for a few weeks now and im getting there. Had a few slips but racked up lots of alcohol free days and my mindset has altered completely. You can do it if you really want to and are ready to

Nonsensical

I asked myself that question for 25 years. When I first asked it I was binge drinking on the weekends. By the end I was stopping for bloody marys on my way to work - on the days I went to work. By that time I knew the answer was because I am an alcoholic. Do you think the answer might have been different when I was just binging on the weekends?

Dee74

I don't think you're weak or stupid zelt...but I think you need to accept the necessity for change - and you need a sobriety plan for next weekend.

do you have any ideas on that score?

D

FreeOwl

Been there.

All good input here on this thread so far.

For me, it was all these things. Changes.

And AA.

You might give it a shot. A real and honest shot.

You have nothing to lose and your life to gain.

dcrr

I echo the advice on changes. It will feel uncomfortable at first but you have to think outside the box. Change your lifestyle in a way that leaves no room for alcohol. I try to always remember the saying "if you do what you've always done, then you'll get what you've always got".

PurpleKnight

Nothing changes if nothing changes!!

We need to change up our weekend routines, something different, more support, check into SR, meetings, whatever it is something to break the cycle, new activities, new plans.

You can do this Zelt!!

JanieJ

Welcome Zelt

Just to add a little something to that advice so far, watch out for the voice inside your head which tells you it's ok to drink -that's your addiction talking, not your voice of reason.

If you are sick of the whole roller coaster, you are ready.

Glad you found us !

zelt

Thanks everyone, I hope to be on here this time next week with the good news that I didn't drink on the weekend.

least

You don't have to "hope" for it. Make it happen.

Fly N Buy

For some of us, it takes a very bad life changing event to push us enough to change. For others they get sick and tired of being sick and tired.

Life changing events may include arrest / jail or prison. Please read members stories of recovery posted in it's own thread. You may find the extra push you need!

Fly

Aellyce

I had wanted to quit drinking for at least 6 years before I actually did. It was decorated with short failed attempts (only few days) and periods of giving up on the idea. I accumulated a great amount of knowledge on addiction during those years (I made this my job), but that helped very minimally. I could not quit because I lacked commitment and I knew nothing about how to do recovery in my own life. So, searched for answers in the wrong places before I did the right things for all this.