chai

Hi everyone,

I'm new here. My drinking problem is starting to cause big problems in my life and I know I need to deal with it. I don't know where to begin really so I'll just say hi. I want to stop drinking and start dealing with my feelings in a healthy way. I just don't know how to start.

Any help/tips would be great.

thank you.

cmc

Welcome to SR! Please make yourself at home here and when you get the chance it helps to take a look at the stickys listed at the top of the forum page. I'm glad to meet you!

GrouchoTheCat

Hi Chai!

Welcome to SR. Just made a new pot so pull up a chair and have a cup of coffee.

My drinking was way out of control, I have found that I can stay sober with the help of AA.

Not everyone here goes to AA, but most do!

So, have you been able to stop yet?

Dee74

hiya Chai !!

welcome

D

CarolD

Welcome to SR!


Glad you found us and Yes! many of us do understand.

Please keep posting

Pilgrim

Welcome to SR Chai. I couldn't stop on my own. You don't have to try to do this alone. Read lots. See your doctor and be honest about how much you are drinking and that you want to stop.

It's good to have you here.

chai

wow. thanks for the warm welcomes.

I havent been able to stop yet. I've been drinking in secret and it feels awful I've told a few of my friends and they've been very supportive. I havent told my boyfriend yet but I'd be shocked if he didnt know something was going on ya know?

I'm going to try and tackle this with all of my strength. I don't want to live like this anymore.

Thorn

Welcome, chai.


It is possible to stop drinking. There are programs of recovery that can help and give support.
I hope you find one that works for you.

Best,

Thorn

Pipes Mcgee

Good for YOU!! Im sure you're drinking in secret in theory only. Trust me,....MOST people already know. First of all,...depending on how much you drink, you should maybe consider making a Dr. appointment. Just to check out the damage you have done to your body. For those of us that drinking got so bad that we had severe withdrawal symptoms,...we needed detox or rehab. Hopefully you do not need that. What most people do not realize, is that rehab isnt to get you sober. Thats what DETOX is for. Detox is what they do to you in the first few days of REHAB. Its the part where they drain all the toxins out of your system and give your body a chance to acclimate to life without booze. Rehab is for changing the way we think about ourselves, our lives, and our drinking. Without changing the way we think,...we can NEVER quit or stay quit. Maybe looking into these things may be a good idea. But,...admitting you need help is an outstanding start!! God bless you.

Pinkcuda

Get help!! Do not try this alone. There are those that can throw the bottle away and "White Knuckle" it out. They are few and far between. Tell some close friends, Family, Co-workers, Doctor, Clergy that you are trying to quit and need help and support. People who care about you will come out of the woodwork to support you and your desires. I also recommend AA for support. Try several meetings since some are better than others.

chicago

wow thank you for writing that. it was only a short paragraph and very straight forward...but that defined alcoholics anonymous. you asking for help and admitting you dont know how...its something everyone of us have done. welcome! finding an AA meeting and telling them you're new is the first step. they will take it from there. getting a sponsor and working steps is the program! please stick around and thank you for posting.

chai

thank you for the encouragement and support. it's good to talk about it.

Hevyn

Want you to know, I did it "by myself" in '97 & stayed off it for 3 yrs. without one slip up, thinking I had it made. I crashed & burned again in 2000 & went down hard. I realize now I hadn't quit for the right reasons OR with the proper support. I was just sober, not well at all and definitely not over my alcohol addiction. I haven't been to an AA meeting this time around, but when I get over my reluctance I will try it again, and this time maybe even speak up and share! It's hard for me. This is an amazing site that has brought me out into the sunshine from the doldrums I was in. There is so much wisdom & humor here it's hard to imagine these people have been through so much pain.

nogard

Welcome to SR

leeside

It's great you have decided to live clean and sober!

How much did you drink and how long?

I am not asking to make limitations on how important it is to stop. The more and longer the more difficulties you will have and the more you will need to learn about detoxing.

Rowan

Welcome to SR, Chai. I'm glad you found us and hope that you keep posting. Recovery is possible.

teej

Hey chai!!!! Welcome to SR! you found a great place!!!!!!!

Congrats on you wanting to quit. It's tough, but you can do it!!!!! Best wishes

Kellye C

Hi and welcome. You have already made a huge step in the right direction by admitting you need help and want to stop. Next step is to get support behind you. I had my family and closest friends but credit my sobriety to AA. They literally saved my life. It's not for everyone and truth be told I didn't want it to be for me either. I wanted to do this on my own, handle it on my own so I didn't have to let people know how much in trouble I had gotten. When my kidneys started shutting down and my liver started going out of whack and I still couldn't stop I had to admit it had me licked and seek help. The people in AA understood where I was and never looked down on me. They went out of their way to make me feel welcome and accepted.

Regardless of which path you choose I hope you will stay here and post lots. This is an awesome source of support and information.

Hugs,
Kellye C.

sun shine kid

Welcome Chai
My name is Dave P and I am an alcoholic

Admitting we have a drinking problem is the first step.
Asking for help is hard & takes courage!!! Thats why we are proud of you already

For me, going to f2f (face to face) AA meetings saved my life!!!!

No one looks down on you there, WE are all there for 1 purpose to help each stay sober.
Meeting are easy to find, look in phone book under Alcoholic Anonymous or call any treatment center & they can give you phone #`s.

The longest jouney starts with the first step

chai

Hi to everyone. Thank you so much for the support and for sharing some of your stories with me.

I've been drinking off and on for 6-7years. in 2005 I stopped for a whole year. I had gotten sick of the lifestyle. I got into therapy and I didnt drink for a year. But in spring 2006 I started again and it only got worse since then. Over the years I drank wine and beer but in the end, I always went to vodka Lately I've been going through a LOT of it. I don't even want to think about it.

The past few days have been hard because I was fighting the choice to change. realizing that I was going to have to come to terms with my problem was really scary. But now that I've made the decision to get help, I already feel better. I'm not going through any physical problems and I hope that continues to be the case. I think the problems are going to come when I start working through emotional stuff. But I feel very hopeful and I feel good that I'm making a healthy choice....a choice to live.

Thank you again. I look forward to getting to know you better.