Just started
 

Hi,

I'm new to chat rooms, blogs, etc so hopefully I've done this right. I'm an alcoholic and am trying to quit AGAIN! After finding this website and seeing so many encouraging words from people I feel I can do this this time.

Lots of amazing people offering support here - congratulations on wanting to quit I know that you can stop drinking!

Hi and Welcome,

I'm glad you found us and you will find lots of support here.

Thanks! My husband is an alcoholic too but refuses to believe it and doesn't want to quit. That's why I've failed so many times before. I can't talk to him about so I knew I had to go looking for other people that understand what's going on in my life. I feel better already having joined this site.

Welcome to the family! :ghug3

Hi.
I'm in exactly the same boat, my husband is also an alcoholic in firm denial. I'm a month sober, it hasn't/isn't easy living with this. But so far it is working for me and my resolve is stronger than ever!
I go to AA meetings, have you tried that? I'm surrounded with people who understand there, have got phone numbers of people I can phone, and the encouragement I get on this forum is unbelievable!
It's early days, I know that, but this weekend I can see a slight shift in his thinking. He is listening to me and has cut back his drinking to reasonable limits.
I hope that one day he will join me but in the meantime I'm doing this for me. I can't begin to tell you how much better my life is becoming.
Go for it. We will all help and support you as best we can xx

I have tried AA meetings but I don't think I stuck with it long enough. I'm in the same boat as you - my resolve is stronger than ever now. Last few weeks I went for 4 or 5 days at a time without a drink - it's when I think I can have "just one" is when I fail. It's like opening a bag of chips - you can't have just one. I did notice that when I stopped drinking for a few days, my husband cut way back too.

So nice to have people to talk to. Thank you.

That's great. Perhaps try AA again but get involved by talking to people before and after meetings? It's that way I've met some great folk I can call upon at any time and they're local to me.
There are other recovery programs that have also proved to be very successful, I don't know much about them but I'm sure others will give you information on them.
I think the more help you seek the greater you feel supported when times get tough.
Good luck to the both of us, we can do it!!x

Yeah, that bag of chips got me too! What's so great about this forum is that there's always something going on, night or day and it's so handy. Every time my alcoholic voice started drawing me in, I'd come here and read - it grounded me right away.

Glad you're here and wanting to get free from the vicious cycle. Things really will get better!!!:c031:

I tried AA meetings with my husband - but we went because I gave him an ultimatum. He really didn't want to go. We went to two different locations in a neighbouring municipality. I found a meeting close to home that I want to go to but am too scared of seeing someone I know. I know that sounds stupid because they'll be there for the same reason as me but it stills keeps me putting off going. I sound so juvenile...

Well that makes me juvenile too then because that was one of the main reasons I didn't want to go either. I go to one regularly in my home town which is within walking distance, and another 2 in neighbouring towns within 5 miles of home. In the past 4-5 weeks I haven't met anyone I knew, and now I'm more confident so I don't think it would bother me if I did any more!
Don't let that be a reason for not going xxx

Welcome to SR, stick around, this place can really help with your recovery.

I found those folks in Alcoholics Anonymous.

Good luck with your chosen recovery program.

Bob R

Thanks for this! I've been using bumping into someone I know as an excuse for YEARS. I'm going to look for a meeting close to home. xxx

Welcome to SR, lifewithoutbooz...glad to see you've joined and are posting.

:c031:.

Welcome to SR! I love it here.

Any advice on sleeping problems? When I drink, I sleep like a baby. When I stop, I lie wide awake til 2 AM - even if I'm dead tired. It's been six years since I stopped drinking for a six month stretch and I don't remember having this problem. I know everyone is different and the problem will solve itself but has anyone experienced this.

It's common not to sleep without booze as the crutch, I know this from my own experience.
I slept so badly that I could not sleep without it, but it was not really "sleeping" its "passing out"

I think the reason you are noticing that you can't sleep well this time around is that your body has become accustomed to even more alcohol, it will probably just take longer this time, but it will get back to some kind of normality at some point, I think you just have to be patient.

But then nobody has ever died from lack of sleep, so take the positive out of that and good luck.

Lots, if not the majority, of recovering alcoholics have some kind of sleeping troubles. I take medication as i would often go days without sleep. Home remedys include melatonin (up to 5mgsthe found at grocery stores), the active ingredient in Benadryl (or Simply Sleep...just avoid anything with a pain reliever), warm milk has been actually shown to help promote a restful state, valarian root (found at health food stores. Keep it away from your cat. It has a similar effect as catnip!), cut off your TV and smartphone 30 minutes before bed, turn down the thermostat a little, try white noise...

Just a few ideas.

Oh! If you can find Sleepytime Extra tea by Celestial Seasonings it has 50 mgs of Valarian which is a low dose but i always found it much more effective than the high dose pills i take. Probably because it's a great tasting, warm, soothing tea. I just don't always have time for tea at night. It's hard to find in the store but you can get it on Amazon. It has to be Extra. Regular Sleepytime doesn't have the Valarian.