I am just baffled
 

I really did not realize that wine could be such a problem. for some reason i thought it was innocent or one of the lesser evils. i drank steadily beer for 10 years and wine for the last 5 years. i read on the this site that if a person has drank more than six 4 oz glasses of wine a day for over a year (which i have) then there will be a detox period. i really am in denial i guess, i thought my "addiction" was more of a habitual issue, not so much a physiological issue. i have contacted my doctor and told him what i was doing, i am on anti-depressants and one of the warnings is not to stop drinking suddenly--something related to seizures. I am sorry like i said in my first post on here i really thought that a true alcoholic was a 24/7 type not a night time drinker...wow opened up my eyes.

please don't let anything i say offend anyone, i am in a major learning curve and do not want anyone to feel i am down playing their problem in anyway. this is serious business here.

I doubt anyone would feel that way - and I'm glad you are learning these things & discussing them. I hid from reality for so long & never reached out for help.

Glad you are seeking medical advice - going cold turkey can be dangerous due to the chance of stroke, seizure or heart attack. I never realized that when I had my do-it-yourself detox.

Hi again newagain

Yep alcohol is alcohol - no matter whether it's spirits or wine and beer. That was one of the misconceptions I had to get past too - it all harmed me, given the chance.

Your Dr is right about going cold turkey can be hazardous but trying to wean yourself off booze is very difficult for an alcoholic - if we could manage our intake of booze we wouldn't have this problem in the first place.

If you find difficulty with what yr doctor has asked you to do then perhaps you dhould seek a second opinion. I know that drinking on anti-depressants all but makes them inoperative so it's important you get good advice on this.

D

Hello new! I wouldn't worry about any offenses - we totally understand.
It's great that you're talking to your dr. - best to be safe.

I think you'll learn quickly that problem drinking and/or alcoholism isn't so much about how much or how often you drink but rather what happens to you when you drink. And if you're experiencing negative consequences as a result of your drinking and continue to drink anyway, yeah, that's a problem.

There's incorrect associations of an alcoholic being someone on skid row, drinking a bottle from a brown paper bag with no shoes. Or somebody who's lost their family, job, home as a result of drinking.

The fact is that alcoholism is not prejudiced - I've met lawyers, doctors and political figures who are alcoholics. They all maintained their nice homes, jobs, and families yet are suffering physically and emotionally from the ravages of alcoholism.

As for habits, it's important in early sobriety to switch up your usual routines - don't take that route home where you pass the store for your 4-pack, don't sit in the yard with a smoke longing for the association of a glass of wine with it. Did you groan? http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...cons/icon7.gif Living in recovery is an adjustment, it's just a new way of life - it doesn't mean boring, it doesn't mean life stops - if anything, life just begins. I know it's hard to imagine.

Somebody posted this yesterday and it rang so true to me:

From the book Drinking: A Love Story by Caroline Knapp (this is an excellent book by the way, newagain)

When you question your alcoholism, you say to yourself: If I am an alcoholic, I shouldn't drink and if I'm not an alcoholic, I don't need to. That's a nice piece of logic. You say: People who aren't alcoholics do not lie in bed at two-thirty in the morning wondering if they're alcoholics. A good reality check.

Keep posting and asking questions. It's comforting to know we're not alone in this. Be well ~

.

There can be a detox period for amounts less than that, I assure you. Please see a doctor to get thru withdrawal safely. Wine was my drink of choice too. I'd drink from one to three bottles a day and started drinking in the morning several months after starting with one glass in the afternoon. My alcoholism progressed rapidly and it scared me.

I'm glad you've decided to stop drinking. A better sober life awaits!:)

Welcome to SR!

Hi and Welcome!

When I look back, I am amazed at the level of denial I was in, while drinking. And, it never occurred to me that I could become an alcholic because I didn't start drinking until my mid-forties. But, we come in all shapes and sizes, and if alcohol is a problem for you, you are in the right place.

Glad to see you again....:wave:

I too learned a lot about drinking.de tox/alcoholism
on recovery sites. Stay connected with us please.
:yup:
Do read the top 3 sticky posts in our Alcoholism
Forum ...lot's of info there.