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Alcohol abuser for sure

Old 01-05-2010, 06:29 PM
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Alcohol abuser for sure

Hello everyone. I've been lurking here for several months and think you are truly an exceptional group of people.

I don't know if I'm an alcoholic, but I am positive I abused alcohol for roughly 10 years. In the spring, I began cutting back, skipping one, two or more days between drinks (I'd been a daily drinker before that). I did this for health reasons. Though my liver test was normal, I am not convinced my liver is fine. I have enlarged red blood cells, which could be from drinking and could also be from years of anorexia and malnourishment. Also, I'm a bit of a hypochondriac!

So, I've gradually cut alcohol out. In the last three months, I've had maybe 20 drinks total. I go several days to a week dry, and sometimes I only have half a glass of wine. I don't know whether I need to quit altogether, for things seem to be under control, though I probably think about alcohol too much.

Today is day five for me, and I guess I don't have anything else to say right now, other than thank you for reading this.
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Old 01-05-2010, 06:50 PM
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Hi,

Welcome to SR Drinking can be tricky, and it's never a bad idea to reflect on how it affects your life. Thinking about it is a way to care for yourself and make sure you're doing the best you can for yourself.

Congrats on day 5!

spryte
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Old 01-05-2010, 07:00 PM
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Hello. "though I probably think about alcohol too much". Does that mean when you are not drinking you are thinking drinking.
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Old 01-05-2010, 07:54 PM
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Thank you for the warm welcome!

Jaitch: when I'm thnking about drinking, it isn't "geez, I'd like a drink." It's more like I'm still marveling at the change in lifestyle -- "Wow, this is what New Year's Day feels like without a hangover! Wow, this how it feels to process a stressful workday without wine." I notice the absence of alcohol, but I don't miss drinking.

More than anything, this is a huge lifestyle change for me. I'm a 33-year-old journalist, and I had long used alcohol to put me to sleep each night. I was raucous. I smoked (quit more than a month ago). I swore profusely. I was a caricature! Letting go of all that has been quite an adjustment, but I'm getting the hang of it.
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Old 01-05-2010, 07:54 PM
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Thanks for sharing allthat. I know what you mean when you say you think about alcohol. I have only been sober for 5 weeks and I find myself constantly thinking thoughts like, "That looks like a good bar to drink in", or "this is a great day to drink". I accept it because for 21 years, my world revolved around myself and drinking wherever and whenever I could. I need to deprogram my brain more to thoughts like "I don't need to go to that bar anymore", or "Wow, it's a beautiful day outside, I need to enjoy it". My disease is not only physical, but also very mental. I need to find ways to get out of my own head. Best wishes to you.
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Old 01-05-2010, 08:13 PM
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Hi AllThat

Welcome to SR

I wasn't sure of a lot of things when I first came here either - I hope SR can help you work things out the same way it helped me

D
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Old 01-05-2010, 08:16 PM
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Hi and welcome to SR, AllThat!
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Old 01-05-2010, 08:22 PM
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Originally Posted by AllThat View Post
Thank you for the warm welcome!

Jaitch: when I'm thnking about drinking, it isn't "geez, I'd like a drink." It's more like I'm still marveling at the change in lifestyle -- "Wow, this is what New Year's Day feels like without a hangover! Wow, this how it feels to process a stressful workday without wine." I notice the absence of alcohol, but I don't miss drinking.

More than anything, this is a huge lifestyle change for me. I'm a 33-year-old journalist, and I had long used alcohol to put me to sleep each night. I was raucous. I smoked (quit more than a month ago). I swore profusely. I was a caricature! Letting go of all that has been quite an adjustment, but I'm getting the hang of it.
Ok so your not thinking about drinking your thinking about not drinking, which is fine.
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