I'm Katie and I'm struggling to quit
Day 1...
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2018
Posts: 26
I'm Katie and I'm struggling to quit
Hi all, a tiny piece of background.
I am a transgender woman (I dont know if that'll cause issues here) and I am just starting on hormones replacement treatment.
Part of this is a drug called spironolactone which is also a diuretic which means mixing it with alcohol will make me incredibly dehydrated and sick so I HAVE to quit.
I've been drinking 10-20 units a day, every day since I was in my early 20s.
ive now been alcohol free for 24 hours and this is not fun. I am anxious, nervous, jittery and my heart rate is accelerated.
I'm not craving right now but I know that once I am paid on Friday it's going to be a struggle to not go out and buy two bottles of wine.
So, that's my introduction. Hi all
I am a transgender woman (I dont know if that'll cause issues here) and I am just starting on hormones replacement treatment.
Part of this is a drug called spironolactone which is also a diuretic which means mixing it with alcohol will make me incredibly dehydrated and sick so I HAVE to quit.
I've been drinking 10-20 units a day, every day since I was in my early 20s.
ive now been alcohol free for 24 hours and this is not fun. I am anxious, nervous, jittery and my heart rate is accelerated.
I'm not craving right now but I know that once I am paid on Friday it's going to be a struggle to not go out and buy two bottles of wine.
So, that's my introduction. Hi all
Member
Join Date: May 2018
Location: Where I’ve longed to be all my life…..here, now.
Posts: 7,330
Welcome Katie!
You came to the right place there’s all different forums here that you can look to see what fits you best. The most popular is newcomers to recovery .
You’ll find this site very warm and welcoming.
The first few weeks are not very fun, but you can do this and it does get easier
You came to the right place there’s all different forums here that you can look to see what fits you best. The most popular is newcomers to recovery .
You’ll find this site very warm and welcoming.
The first few weeks are not very fun, but you can do this and it does get easier
Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 2,872
Of course you're welcome here. We're here to solve our common problem with drink. And hi back.
What you're going through is pretty common among us. If it gets too bad don't hesitate to seek medical attention. Withdrawal can be pretty frightening, I know, I went through it a hundred times.
Is there something you can do Friday to take your mind off of drinking?
Once you've made it to Friday you'll have a few days behind you. And should be feeling quite a bit better.
This was always a trigger for me to drink.
You can come here. You may consider an AA meeting?
We'll all be here for you so stick around and I hope you keep posting.
We're open 24/7 to help.
What you're going through is pretty common among us. If it gets too bad don't hesitate to seek medical attention. Withdrawal can be pretty frightening, I know, I went through it a hundred times.
Is there something you can do Friday to take your mind off of drinking?
Once you've made it to Friday you'll have a few days behind you. And should be feeling quite a bit better.
This was always a trigger for me to drink.
You can come here. You may consider an AA meeting?
We'll all be here for you so stick around and I hope you keep posting.
We're open 24/7 to help.
Community Greeter
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Upstate New York
Posts: 51,518
Welcome, Katie! We're so glad to have you with us.
Those first few days are particularly rough - what you're feeling is normal. I drank 30 yrs. & never imagined my life without it. Once I got past the withdrawals I was happy to be free, but completely exhausted. It takes time to adjust to our new normal. Maybe you could check with your doctor to be safe? I hope you'll stay with us and keep posting - we're here to encourage & support you.
Those first few days are particularly rough - what you're feeling is normal. I drank 30 yrs. & never imagined my life without it. Once I got past the withdrawals I was happy to be free, but completely exhausted. It takes time to adjust to our new normal. Maybe you could check with your doctor to be safe? I hope you'll stay with us and keep posting - we're here to encourage & support you.
Member
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Right here, right now
Posts: 3,963
Hi Katie,
Welcome to SR. No matter what your background or orientation is, it doesn’t matter. Everyone is equal here There’s no judgment and we are all supporting ourselves and each other on our paths to long term sobriety no matter where you are in your journey.
Congrats on day one! It might be a good idea to check in with your doctor about
and see if you can get a short term prescription for anxiety and other withdrawal symptoms. Therapy was very important for me as well. Many people join AA also. Lots of resources out there. Just know that this will all pass in time so stay strong and don’t drink. Don’t listen to that voice that says it’s ok to just have one.
Hope to see you keep posting here.
Welcome to SR. No matter what your background or orientation is, it doesn’t matter. Everyone is equal here
There’s no judgment and we are all supporting ourselves and each other on our paths to long term sobriety no matter where you are in your journey. Congrats on day one! It might be a good idea to check in with your doctor about
and see if you can get a short term prescription for anxiety and other withdrawal symptoms. Therapy was very important for me as well. Many people join AA also. Lots of resources out there. Just know that this will all pass in time so stay strong and don’t drink. Don’t listen to that voice that says it’s ok to just have one.
Hope to see you keep posting here.
Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: New York
Posts: 35,731
Welcome, Katie!
Lots of great advice above. Come Friday your brain will try and convince you it's fine to have a bottle or two of wine. You know the truth. Have a different plan in place. Change your routine.
Remember, you never have to feel this way again. Keep posting, we're here to support you.
You can do this!
Lots of great advice above. Come Friday your brain will try and convince you it's fine to have a bottle or two of wine. You know the truth. Have a different plan in place. Change your routine.
Remember, you never have to feel this way again. Keep posting, we're here to support you.
You can do this!
Member
Join Date: Nov 2018
Posts: 388
Katie
Friday nights are by far the biggest struggle for me. I post in the November class often on Friday evenings and receive tremendous support. For me, if I can make it through the 3pm to 8pm range Friday it gets easier. I am now on day 46 and I feel better and it's getting a little easier. If you have not already done so, I would reccomend joining the December class.
Friday nights are by far the biggest struggle for me. I post in the November class often on Friday evenings and receive tremendous support. For me, if I can make it through the 3pm to 8pm range Friday it gets easier. I am now on day 46 and I feel better and it's getting a little easier. If you have not already done so, I would reccomend joining the December class.
Day 1...
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2018
Posts: 26
Thank you for getting welcome all
its horrid feeling like this. You can add jaw clenching to the list.
I will just have to push through the hard times to feel normal.
Regarding Friday, I have things to keep me occupied, the problem I have is I like to have a drink whilst doing those things. I've got to dissociate alcohol with these things I enjoy
its horrid feeling like this. You can add jaw clenching to the list.
I will just have to push through the hard times to feel normal.
Regarding Friday, I have things to keep me occupied, the problem I have is I like to have a drink whilst doing those things. I've got to dissociate alcohol with these things I enjoy
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,351
Welcome Katie
Just to pout your mind at rest there are other transgender members here - I hope one or two might notice your thread and say hi
I'm very glad you found us - make yourself at home!
D
Just to pout your mind at rest there are other transgender members here - I hope one or two might notice your thread and say hi
I'm very glad you found us - make yourself at home!
D
Member
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: North East, USA
Posts: 704
Hi. I can't imagine a more open or supportive place then this. Welcome.
Detox is hard but I hope you will hang in there. It will get better and easier. Fridays can trigger me too. Somehow music sounds better and I get daydreamy about getting dressed to go out like I did 20 years ago (not at all what the end of my drinking looked like)
I am unsure of where you are but we have LGBT AA meetings. It helps to meet face to face with other alcoholics.
Youre doing great, keep at it.
Jules
Detox is hard but I hope you will hang in there. It will get better and easier. Fridays can trigger me too. Somehow music sounds better and I get daydreamy about getting dressed to go out like I did 20 years ago (not at all what the end of my drinking looked like)
I am unsure of where you are but we have LGBT AA meetings. It helps to meet face to face with other alcoholics.
Youre doing great, keep at it.
Jules
under new management
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Posts: 2,339
Welcome Katie 
SR welcomes everyone, with open arms and it has gotten me through many a Friday night!
I found that I had to PLAN to not drink, (just as I used to plan to drink). I made sure I had good food on hand, something to occupy myself, whether it was a movie I wanted to watch or a good book, if you like to read. Or some sober company.
(also, adding that I used to drink and do the things that I now do sober, so yes, that was a learning curve, but I discovered that nothing was better with alcohol, in fact, it was the opposite)
And posting and reading around SR, for sure!
Be kind to yourself, you can do this ♥
SR welcomes everyone, with open arms
and it has gotten me through many a Friday night!I found that I had to PLAN to not drink, (just as I used to plan to drink). I made sure I had good food on hand, something to occupy myself, whether it was a movie I wanted to watch or a good book, if you like to read. Or some sober company.
(also, adding that I used to drink and do the things that I now do sober, so yes, that was a learning curve, but I discovered that nothing was better with alcohol, in fact, it was the opposite)
And posting and reading around SR, for sure!
Be kind to yourself, you can do this ♥
Member
Join Date: Feb 2018
Posts: 119
Hi Katie, I am on day 2. I felt like that yesterday . I drank a lot of sparkling water and tea and that helped! I feel
much better today and you will feel better tomorrow too. You are doing a great job!! I find drinking other beverages helps bc I like the feeling of drinking a lot of liquid and drinking fast. Instead of two bottles of wine maybe you could buy yourself a special non alcoholic drink, like apple cider. All the best to you.
much better today and you will feel better tomorrow too. You are doing a great job!! I find drinking other beverages helps bc I like the feeling of drinking a lot of liquid and drinking fast. Instead of two bottles of wine maybe you could buy yourself a special non alcoholic drink, like apple cider. All the best to you.
Member
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 349
Welcome Katie,
Wine was my best good friend until it wasn’t. Even sitting on the couch was an event with a cold bottle of Chardonnay.
For me, the longer I’m sober, the easier it gets. Sounds like you have a powerful incentive, so that’s good. A trick for me in the early days was to do something that didn’t involve drinking. Something outside of my normal routine. Walking, bowling (!?), driving to a distant location, anything really. I also exercised daily, whatever was accessible given my state of fitness at the time. Something to keep occupied and break the pattern.
In my experience, it just gets better and better.
Best wishes,
-bora
Wine was my best good friend until it wasn’t. Even sitting on the couch was an event with a cold bottle of Chardonnay.
For me, the longer I’m sober, the easier it gets. Sounds like you have a powerful incentive, so that’s good. A trick for me in the early days was to do something that didn’t involve drinking. Something outside of my normal routine. Walking, bowling (!?), driving to a distant location, anything really. I also exercised daily, whatever was accessible given my state of fitness at the time. Something to keep occupied and break the pattern.
In my experience, it just gets better and better.
Best wishes,
-bora
Day 1...
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2018
Posts: 26
Originally Posted by boreas 
. A trick for me in the early days was to do something that didn’t involve drinking. Something outside of my normal routine. Walking, bowling (!?), driving to a distant location, anything really. I also exercised daily, whatever was accessible given my state of fitness at the time. Something to keep occupied and break the pattern.
-bora
-bora
thats a really good idea! Gaming or films coinside with alcohol in my head, so next time when I am doing them and I want to drink so badly I would normally walk to the shops, this time I will walk the opposite way, to the park and all the way around it, see if that helps
bona fido dog-lover
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: SF Bay area, CA
Posts: 99,754
Walking is a good thing to do on so many levels.
The other method I used to help strengthen my sobriety was to practice gratitude every day. Each day I'd find at least one thing/person/event to be grateful for. It was hard at first, but got easier. And you can be grateful for anything, big or small.
Try gratitude. It can make you happier too.
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/22/o...pier.html?_r=0
The other method I used to help strengthen my sobriety was to practice gratitude every day. Each day I'd find at least one thing/person/event to be grateful for. It was hard at first, but got easier. And you can be grateful for anything, big or small.
Try gratitude. It can make you happier too.
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/22/o...pier.html?_r=0
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