soberlicious

None of that matters in the scheme of things and focusing on things like this simply serves to further muddy the already murky waters. In your case, I might even venture to say it's giving you an excuse for giving up. Lookit...If AA works for you, then go. If it doesn't then move forward quickly and explore the myriad options presented here on SR. So many here can share their paths to success. Draw strength from them.
xo

lilgolden73

I can't believe people are scoping and judging outside the meetings....tell them MYOB and a guy with a nice car can get just as drunk as one in a junker....a drunk is a drunk!

EternalQ

Liinhearted: Buy this book now: "Allan Carr's Easy Way to Quit Drinking" and read it.
Don't ask questions. Just do it.

Best of luck to you.

PS.
I don't know what being a "successful business man" has to do with quitting? People who stop drinking come from all income brackets and all walks of life. I have a Master's Degree, a thirty year career, a house, a car, a dog, a daughter, a grandson, a retirement fund. Alcohol almost wrecked my life. I have alcohol dependence. Now, it is in remission. You are not above or below this. Addiction is the great leveler. Anyway do yourself a favor and read the book.

MIRecovery

I personally know an Anesthesiologist A Surgeon, and a GP all pulling down big bucks driving a Lexus, Lotus, and Land Rover. Yes they have nice cars but they are garden variety drunks and addicts. Alchoholism does not discriminate

hypochondriac

It is quite obvious by your other success LH that you are not powerless. You may be powerless over alcohol in the sense that you cannot control it but you are not doomed to drink forever.

Please don't give up. Have a look into AVRT and SMART. Get some different perspectives and see where that takes you. I found the language of AA really difficult to begin with but the biggest hurdle to my recovery was my addiction itself. It argued with all the AA stuff and everything else, gave me excuses, a sense of entitlement to drink, and everything else that hinders recovery. It sounds like a catch 22 situation but the only way to get past all that stuff is to not drink. Ignore it and carry on the sober path and see what happens. If you try and argue with and analyse your drinking problem you will just end up drinking.

I hope you don't give up, you deserve a sober life xxx

IWillWin

Hi Lion - I feel ya. Same story here.

It was all good. Until it wasn't. It is really that simple.

It takes a while, and I used to not believe this was a progressive disease - I actually didn't really believe it was a disease at all to be honest. But I watched it slowly, deliberately, and sneakily take parts of my life one by one. It finally dawned on me, at 40, that I was living exactly the pattern that so many before us identified.

You will know when it is time. You will know when you are ready to fight for your life - I am grateful that for me it wasn't too late. I hope it won't be for you either. I worked my ass off for 20 years for my success and I wasn't about to let a faceless demon steal it from me. So now I channel that ambition I used in my career and my life into fighting this monster with every trick in the book.

This year has thrown me more challenges then I can write here without getting into novel territory, but I've come out the other side - sober. Because I wanted to bad enough.

Keep fighting. You are worth it.

RDBplus3

My addiction strives to exploit EVERY situation and EVERY justification to DRINK. If I work hard and do good..I deserve a DRINK...If I have a very stressful day...I need a DRINK...If someone gets married...I celebrate with a DRINK..If someone dies...I console myself with what? A DRINK, and many more once I get started.

It is like the guy in the movie, A Beautiful Mind..he says to his wife when he realizes one of his fabricated people is not real..She is not Real, she never ages. Addiction is like that..our minds have become distorted and use ANY fabrication to justify DRINKING. However, if we truly examine what is going on...we have to admit..this is not a REAL justification to let my Addiction take control and leave the REAL me with the consequences.

Lionhearted1

No alcolism defiantly doesn't discriminate but aa in some parts of London does.....

FamilyMan2153

Mr. LH, I too thought as you still do. I am successful and manage a couple of branches for a big company. Good money, house, and car but the alcohol did not care. It got worse and worse until I almost lost everything, and in fact I still might lose some things. I got sober 68 days ago. It saved my marriage and family and myself and that is all that matters.

soberlicious

That's irrelevant. It has nothing to do with you, your addiction, or your ability to quit.

Lionhearted1

The truth is I know iam ******, I want that moment when I know it's time.. Why don't I have that now??? I have got scars over my face from a bar fight, lost my driving licence have a criminal record for another reason through drinking, had car crashes iam lucky to be alive yet iam sitting here drinking in my house!!!!!!

soberlicious

You already know it's time.

Put down the bottle tonight and reread this thread when your head is clearer. There is lots of good advice here.

You can do this.

MIRecovery

I personally would think about going into rehab even out patient would be good

Lionhearted1

You guys truly are inspirational.....god bless you all

Dee74

Like others have said, if you really feel AA is the problem, there's many other avenues you could pursue...SMART is another meeting based alternative, but non 12 step

SMART Recovery - SMART Recovery UK

I'm not sure the problem is AA tho, is it?

I just didn't want to stop drinking for a long time...

I was successful, my self image was that of a drinker - and more to the point my image of a successful person was bound to that of a drinker too - the hard drinking guy who nonetheless gets things done better than the sober naysayers....

That didn't last. It never does...it can't. Alcoholism is progressive.
I lost everything I ever earned, and more besides.

I hope you decide to try again before you start to lose stuff too, LH.

D

YoungAndClean

Why would you want to quit drinking if it isn't causing any harm to your life? It seems to me that you can't imagine a life without alcohol because your life is in order and drinking is still working to some degree. You said it relaxes you and gives you a sense of accomplishment. I think it would be extremely hard to quit drinking without it giving you any big reasons why you should in the first place.

Woops I didn't read the part above where you listed a bunch of problems drinkings caused you. In that case, yeah get in AA and find a life without alcohol if you want a better and more satisfying life for yourself.

FreeFall

I agree with Crawdaddy's wife. Drinking is not a reward and it was really helpful to me to stop treating it like one.

How many rewards can put you in the hospital, get you arrested, make you lose important relationships, and make you feel like crap the day after?

If you were to stop now, if we met you in 20 years you will probably still be very successful and enjoying the benefits of your hard work. If you wait for years to stop, the story might have a very different ending.

Lionhearted1

Yep the truth is your right! I Can't stop drinking permantely and when iam sober it scares me when iam drunk I don't care!! Deep down I know iam doomed.. But hay when iam drunk life's good...............

Dee74

It's never the right time to make decisions after a few drinks lionhearted

You're not doomed...not if you want to change your future...but your life is plainly not that good either right now..

the truth, as always, is somewhere in the middle.

Hope to see you here again tomorrow

D

Lionhearted1

Dee my life really ain't that great on the inside but externally I have a big act to continue!!

Regardless of the success I would trade it all to be non alcoholic....