How I quit drinking (and also smoking for 2 months)
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Join Date: Nov 2007
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How I quit drinking (and also smoking for 2 months)
I know that a lot of you out there may not agree or understand and may even bash me. That's fine. For those of you who are willing to listen, this is my story. I've been sober for 104 days.
First off I want to say that I am an alchoholic, although I don't think I've been in serious stages of alcoholism since I'm only 27. For those who want to quit but are hardcore alchoholics, be advised that YOU CAN DIE IF YOU DO IT ALONE. Alcohol is the only drunk you can die from while detoxing. Don't ever try to detox yourself.
I've been a heavy drinker since I picked up my first beer. I've always binged. I could never even think about going to a party that did not have alcohol. I sat outside and smoked and drank my own beer at my evangelical brother's wedding, one of the most important days of his life because they did not have alcohol. I have two DUIs total in 2 different states. I've almost caused accidents due to drinking and driving and I've almost passed out at the wheel on several occasions. I would wake up with a horrible hangover and would try to work but couldn't because I was still drunk. I've caused my parents to have to bare the burden of almost 4000 dollars of legal fees. I've been thrown in jail and kicked out of more bars than I can count. I've walked and pissed in downtown Long Beach during busy hours and broad daylight and slapped a cop in the gut (as a joke, he was not pleased). I tanked a job for being drunk which my brother gave to me, which would have broke me into the industry if I hadn't of screwed it up. I have screamed at the top of my lungs while my friends children were sleeping and got in a fight with him. The children woke up crying.
For all the things I've done wrong, I feel I am atoning for. I've made much of those incidents right. For the ones I can't, I'm chalking them up to "I would if I were able."
For all the things I've done wrong, the only thing I can think is that I was supposed to do all that wrong, so that my life could straighten up. Maybe if everything went o.k. all those years while I was still heavily drinking, I might not be here and someone else might be dead because of it.
Now, how did I quit? Well, at first I thought about going it alone. I immediately got a new psychaitrist and he told me I DID NOT have bipolar, and that I had been misdiagnosed for almost 2 years. That is helping a lot. It curbs a lot of impulsive problems and anxiety ridden phases in which I would drink due to boredom or due to anxiety. That was my first step.
I did AA for about 2 months. I don't go anymore because I feel like the crutches need to be taken away. I have to live on my own and my great decisions. I still believe in God but I fully trust that atheists can find something great to believe in. I went to an outpatient program and it did give me a lot of insight because I am not a drug addict but I did sit with addicts. I thank my lucky stars I never touched any of that stuff.
I do recommend AA, although if you are stuck in a group you don't like, CHANGE GROUPS. Not all groups are heavy on religion and the one I used to go to (and probåbly will still attend in the near future, just not as often) are such cool, sweet and loving people. They are not there to judge (least the group I found).
Third thing I did was find things to take up my time. Walking is a big one for me. Reading. Work. Pray (for me, not implied you have to too).
Fourth thing I did was sit at my computer and do A LOT of research on alcoholism and addiction. This really grounded me and I got loads of reasons why one shouldn't even drink to begin with and the physical processes that happen to your body when you do. This is a very interesting thing because if you are an alcoholic but are very science centric this is a good thing to do because it actually gives logic to why you are an alcoholic, rather it being this mystical thing that only God can cure. Don't get me wrong, God and Jesus have helped me in my troubles but he wants strong people to focus on what is right. I feel like AA gives people the tools but they only go "well if I get drunk it's in God's hands" and so they give up or if they lose faith even for a little bit they give up and then they are right back at square 1. Learn about your disease. Surround yourself with info. Instead of spending time drinking, spend your time researching why you shouldn't. You would be surprised at how much time that actually takes up.
The fifth thing I did was give up. YOU HAVE TO DO THIS. I hear a lot of AA peeps go "well I am at 2 months and this is always where I screw up because sometimes I just have to have fun." What you have to realize is that this has become your lot in life. Your liver does not function correctly and this is a huge reason why you are an alcoholic. It is the same with anything else. Diabetics are tempted ALL the time just like alcoholics. But the ones that succeed are the ones that accept this terrible lot in life. Be thankful that it is only drinking that you have to give up and not your motor skills like peeps with cerebral palsy or vision like Huntingtons(?) disease.
The next step is a ballsy one but it worked for me. I tempted myself. I walked by the liquor store every day for like a month until I didn't even look at the store anymore when I walked past it. I threw myself into situations where beer was present but not rampant until I was cool with that. I let my roommates put beer in the fridge again once, and slowly over time the fridge is always fully stocked with beer and I don't even think about it anymore. I started going to bars with friends and drinking water. I actually had a lot of fun even though they were drunk. When they got too drunk, I dipped and read a book or made music. Just recently, we threw a huge alcohol party and I was VERY frustrated and tempted, but God helped me through it as well as my roommates. At future parties to come, I expect that to become less and less tempting. I'm not telling everyone to do this but it helped me. I took the training wheels off and dealt with my headaches full on. I think if you are stubborn enough this will work for you too.
Buy LOTS OF CHOCOLATE. :P
Don't ever give yourself a reason to fail. That is good advice. Maybe I'm not the best qualified, but I hardly even think about drinking anymore. Sorry if more qualified members think what I'm saying is stupid. I just think it is a good thing to have hope that anyone can do this if I can. For final stage alcoholics, go to AA, go to inpatient, do it right.
Thank you for listening all,
spiralof5
First off I want to say that I am an alchoholic, although I don't think I've been in serious stages of alcoholism since I'm only 27. For those who want to quit but are hardcore alchoholics, be advised that YOU CAN DIE IF YOU DO IT ALONE. Alcohol is the only drunk you can die from while detoxing. Don't ever try to detox yourself.
I've been a heavy drinker since I picked up my first beer. I've always binged. I could never even think about going to a party that did not have alcohol. I sat outside and smoked and drank my own beer at my evangelical brother's wedding, one of the most important days of his life because they did not have alcohol. I have two DUIs total in 2 different states. I've almost caused accidents due to drinking and driving and I've almost passed out at the wheel on several occasions. I would wake up with a horrible hangover and would try to work but couldn't because I was still drunk. I've caused my parents to have to bare the burden of almost 4000 dollars of legal fees. I've been thrown in jail and kicked out of more bars than I can count. I've walked and pissed in downtown Long Beach during busy hours and broad daylight and slapped a cop in the gut (as a joke, he was not pleased). I tanked a job for being drunk which my brother gave to me, which would have broke me into the industry if I hadn't of screwed it up. I have screamed at the top of my lungs while my friends children were sleeping and got in a fight with him. The children woke up crying.
For all the things I've done wrong, I feel I am atoning for. I've made much of those incidents right. For the ones I can't, I'm chalking them up to "I would if I were able."
For all the things I've done wrong, the only thing I can think is that I was supposed to do all that wrong, so that my life could straighten up. Maybe if everything went o.k. all those years while I was still heavily drinking, I might not be here and someone else might be dead because of it.
Now, how did I quit? Well, at first I thought about going it alone. I immediately got a new psychaitrist and he told me I DID NOT have bipolar, and that I had been misdiagnosed for almost 2 years. That is helping a lot. It curbs a lot of impulsive problems and anxiety ridden phases in which I would drink due to boredom or due to anxiety. That was my first step.
I did AA for about 2 months. I don't go anymore because I feel like the crutches need to be taken away. I have to live on my own and my great decisions. I still believe in God but I fully trust that atheists can find something great to believe in. I went to an outpatient program and it did give me a lot of insight because I am not a drug addict but I did sit with addicts. I thank my lucky stars I never touched any of that stuff.
I do recommend AA, although if you are stuck in a group you don't like, CHANGE GROUPS. Not all groups are heavy on religion and the one I used to go to (and probåbly will still attend in the near future, just not as often) are such cool, sweet and loving people. They are not there to judge (least the group I found).
Third thing I did was find things to take up my time. Walking is a big one for me. Reading. Work. Pray (for me, not implied you have to too).
Fourth thing I did was sit at my computer and do A LOT of research on alcoholism and addiction. This really grounded me and I got loads of reasons why one shouldn't even drink to begin with and the physical processes that happen to your body when you do. This is a very interesting thing because if you are an alcoholic but are very science centric this is a good thing to do because it actually gives logic to why you are an alcoholic, rather it being this mystical thing that only God can cure. Don't get me wrong, God and Jesus have helped me in my troubles but he wants strong people to focus on what is right. I feel like AA gives people the tools but they only go "well if I get drunk it's in God's hands" and so they give up or if they lose faith even for a little bit they give up and then they are right back at square 1. Learn about your disease. Surround yourself with info. Instead of spending time drinking, spend your time researching why you shouldn't. You would be surprised at how much time that actually takes up.
The fifth thing I did was give up. YOU HAVE TO DO THIS. I hear a lot of AA peeps go "well I am at 2 months and this is always where I screw up because sometimes I just have to have fun." What you have to realize is that this has become your lot in life. Your liver does not function correctly and this is a huge reason why you are an alcoholic. It is the same with anything else. Diabetics are tempted ALL the time just like alcoholics. But the ones that succeed are the ones that accept this terrible lot in life. Be thankful that it is only drinking that you have to give up and not your motor skills like peeps with cerebral palsy or vision like Huntingtons(?) disease.
The next step is a ballsy one but it worked for me. I tempted myself. I walked by the liquor store every day for like a month until I didn't even look at the store anymore when I walked past it. I threw myself into situations where beer was present but not rampant until I was cool with that. I let my roommates put beer in the fridge again once, and slowly over time the fridge is always fully stocked with beer and I don't even think about it anymore. I started going to bars with friends and drinking water. I actually had a lot of fun even though they were drunk. When they got too drunk, I dipped and read a book or made music. Just recently, we threw a huge alcohol party and I was VERY frustrated and tempted, but God helped me through it as well as my roommates. At future parties to come, I expect that to become less and less tempting. I'm not telling everyone to do this but it helped me. I took the training wheels off and dealt with my headaches full on. I think if you are stubborn enough this will work for you too.
Buy LOTS OF CHOCOLATE. :P
Don't ever give yourself a reason to fail. That is good advice. Maybe I'm not the best qualified, but I hardly even think about drinking anymore. Sorry if more qualified members think what I'm saying is stupid. I just think it is a good thing to have hope that anyone can do this if I can. For final stage alcoholics, go to AA, go to inpatient, do it right.
Thank you for listening all,
spiralof5
Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Sparta, TN
Posts: 24
Thanks for your wonderful post. I am really trying hard to quit and did so for a month and screwed up. I was thinking of going back to an AA group again. I did so MANY years ago but did not like the group. I'd like to think I could do it alone and pray constantly for the strength to do so. It's hard since I've been doing it for so long. Any help would be appreciated from anyone who can do this on your own. God bless you and keep it up.
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