Rea11y

Phew, that was one of the most painful registration processes I've experienced. Rejected on 6 usernames before finally hit on one that works.

Anyway. Hello. I'm new. I'm here for a place to talk about drinking. Pleh. Drink. Pleh

Before we start: disclaimer : my phone uses Autocorrect which sometimes ... often... changes correctly typed words for previously stored typos so... read through them.

My drinking has taken over. Yiu (previously stored typo alert) know when you can function perfectly well not drinking. I wouldn't dream of drinking before or during work. But as soon as I have that first sip... suddenly I want more and I'll drink more than anyone else and I'll not want to stop until I feel drunk.

So that's happening most days. I drink when I'm bored I drink when I'm happy I'll drinkwhen I'm sad I'll drink to get craft stuff done I'll drink to get hungry when I've got to cook for others but I'm not hungry I'll drink just to get rid of excess energy....

To think I kicked a heroin habit.... and I've got this... Pleh!!!

When I don't drink I have bags of wonderful energy but it frightens me so I drink to get rid of it.

I can easily drink a bottle of wine and feel fine the next day. I can drink a four pack of beer just for spite when I felt sated at two tins...

I drink almost everyday avd it makes me feel ugly. My skin is not great. If I can just shake off the thought processes that make me drink then who knows who I could become....

Dee74

Hi and welcome Rea11y

I think most of us can identify with having no off switch.
For most of my life I went through saying 'man if only I hadn't had that last drink...'...the problem was actually the first drink.

Once you can accept that, and bring to mind all the damage drinking causes you - before you start to drink again, you'll be halfway there to a new, sober, life.

There's tons of support and good ideas here
see you around the boards
D

Rea11y

Yep. I know I have to drink again today as I'm out with a friend but I shall force myself to only share the bottle and no more. Work tomorrow and cannot do that with a hangover.

Yes I'll be about and thank you for popping by.
I recognise it's that first sip. Am beginning to make plans like... fizzy water feels like beer but doesn't make you drunk. I love fizzy water. .. and fizzy water through a straw makes my mouth feel full so it'll satisfy that craving. .
But first... Choose water not beer. Rrgg

Dee74

You sound a lot like me - I kept drinking so as to 'not disappoint my friends'...but I was pretty much destroying myself from the inside out.

If you have real friends they'll support you in changing your life. If they don't they may just be drinking buddies?

Thats not to say they're not good guys or whatever, but I had friends of 20 years standing where the only bond was drinking.

If I wanted change, I needed to make change.

Honestly, there's no better day to do that than today.

D

teaorcoffee

We've all been there. I found I needed my excuses lined up before I went out with friends - well first I needed some space to sort myself out and get through the first few days, then I used excuses to stop the conversation.
I used sober October to start, now nobody really says anything, and when they do, I say I have something else on later, or I'm tired or whatever.

Dee's right though, you have to decide that not drinking is more important to you than letting a friend drink alone.

August252015

Welcome. Hope to see you around here!

Rea11y

[QUOTE=teaorcoffee;62140

Dee's right though, you have to decide that not drinking is more important to you than letting a friend drink alone.[/QUOTE]

I am the person people drink with to avoid letting down. Ugh.

Still. Not all bad. Today popped into town and normally I'd have a perky pint so went to wetherspoons and had.... a great big fat cuppa tea.
Tiny triumphs.

teaorcoffee

and that's how you start.

entropy1964

Welcome! I relate very much to your post.

But you'll only stop when you're ready. Good luck.

Mountainmanbob

Recognizing that is the big picture that many never get to see.
Booze was holding me (us) back in life.
Do I (we) want to finish the Good Race.
Or never get to the finish line.

M-Bob

HTown

welcome

as to that nervous energy, walk, run pick up a sport. you can be fit and sober!

Rea11y

Hee. Already do that.
Nope my head is thinking.... wheres your happy place? My happy place is.... Making things. Blue Peter style. I can see myself making craft stuff in the evenings and selling them.j
Just quit my second job as was heading to new Zealand to live. Just turned 40.. just scrapped that plan so quit second job as was working 6.5 days a week so all new life. Don't want to waste it being drunk.
Tonight my friend and I are going out to celebrate mh home coming. Quiet supper for two. Sober supper.

PurpleKnight

Welcome to the Forum Rea11y!!

Rea11y

So last night I went to supper with my friend and confessed that I am effectively an alcoholic. ... She nodded rather too enthusiastically, I must admit, and highlighted patterns of behaviour that I thought I was hiding. Or ignoring.

Feels good to have finally said it though. We still shared a bottle of wine with supper. Bit it was a magical reconnecting night where we'd drifted apart with my stubbornNess to move to nz.... glad I've ditched that plan. Time to make a new healthy plan.
I don't drink on Sundays though so abstinence today.

HelenofTroy

Welcome Rea11y

This has been crucial for me - finding something else to drink that I like. My hubby and I looked at it like a research project lol He would go to Costco and come home with all sorts of things to try. I love the fruity sparkling water drinks, they feel like they have some substance like wine does. If I am (rarely) at a bar I will order soda water with cranberry, and if they don't have that soda water with lemon or lime. If it's a nice restaurant I'll order Perrier or San Pelegrino. This may sound wierd but I also like having it in a nice glass instead of drinking it out of the bottle/can. Makes it feel more special.

Hahaha! Yup, we think we are so clever but everyone is wise to us. I think that is good that you reached out to a friend. Saying it out loud the first few times was terrifying for me but it was part of what led to my acceptance.

I hope you decide to stick around

Ariesagain

It's good to have support in your real life...and welcome!

Not to be that guy, but you both realize that sharing a bottle of wine while you agree that you're an alcoholic is a little like realizing your house is on fire and having a nice long chat about the need to go buy more matches....right?

Rea11y

Ha ha ha ha yeah. I don't plan to be teetotal. I'm happy to be a social drinker and never drink more than other people but I do plan to never drink in the week. Rather than alcoholic it's more alcohol dependant which is one step away, I realise

It's about drinking but not getting drunk. Not being that person. But to do that I know I have to abstain for a long time. Reset the reality counter

As for fizzy water, I love it. Love it. Feels like beer but isn't. Also incredibly cold water through a straw is every bit as good if nor better than a glass of cold white

SWTPEA61

You are in the right place it helps to know your not alone.....the problem with us we can't have just one it's like potato chips who can have just one! Im 17 days sober and have been drinking every day for 5 years. The problem is tolerance you have to have more and more wine to get to the numb state . I was up to 2 1/2 bottles of wine a night 😫 i was feeling pretty bad during the day and couldn't wait until 5 o'clock to feel better. It's a vicious cycle.....Welcome we will help each other.

Anna

The reason for that is because we have more than 150,000 members and any user name can only be used once. I always suggest to people to put a number after the name they choose.

Welcome!

SWTPEA61

Haha 😄 very well said 👏