malcolmsloan

Yeah, pretty much a combo of all. Sad. But I'm on my way back!

EternalQ

Anyone else?

Panacea

I checked deteriorating health but my children played a huge role.

One day I woke up after a "normal" night of drinking and didn't remember what I fed them, what we talked about or what we did (I think I even drove somewhere). It was absolutely appalling/embarrassing, most horrible low moment. Even now, my kids look at a clear glass of liquid and assume it was vodka, not water. I had to change...

Pan

PurpleKnight

Deteriorating health . . . I vote for!!

I used to have 2 beers on a night out, that was my fill then home to bed, and that wasn't even on a night before work, strictly at the weekend, it sounds so sensible in hindsight, where did it all go wrong?

Fast forward 5 years, and I was drinking almost a bottle of whisky a night, throwing up every morning before work, blacking out into bed the next evening, feeling like death all day, simply surviving the working day.

Until one day abdominal pains started to creep up on me, all of a sudden I wasn't an invincible 20 year old anymore, and who was I kidding, alcohol was prime suspect number 1, something had to change!!

jason2

Usually there is a choice for "other"

NoAlcohol

I could have chosen most, if not all, of those options before I first started in my recovery. I wasn't necessarily confronted by a loved one, but on many occasions I confronted myself and attempted to quit. I've done so many ridiculous things that I should have quit about 5 years or more before I actually did, but I am glad I am finally sober now. It is my most treasured thing - sobriety.

I think the proverbial "straw that broke the camel's back" for me was two things that happened on the same day. I was rejected for life insurance because I requested a prescription for Antabuse in the past, which I suppose counts as "treatment for alcoholism". The insurance companies in Canada are not necessarily lining up to give life insurance to people who have alcoholism in their past (documented alcoholism, I guess). The second thing was the fact that I have developed gastritis, which is a stomach condition the doctor's believe was caused by excessive alcohol consumption over the years. It is a very treatable condition, but it made me fully open my eyes and realize I am slowly killing my body. These were the last of many straws.

That being said, I am so happy it happened because I would still be obsessed with alcohol.

EternalQ

Anyone else?

VikingGF

I couldn't have said it better myself. Exactly this.

Croissant

Apart from all the negative effects on my life...

My morals.

Calling in sick for work one day, I couldn't take any more lying. Not just to others, but to myself. This thing had me, and had now not only taken most everything dear to me, but was eating at my soul and my whole moral being.

Spectered

The depression and the missed opportunities were the biggest reasons.

Also, I got tired of always telling myself I didn't want to drink, then 10 beers later I still couldn't get enough...

DeannaM77

I would definitely say this is exactly how I feel

MrPL

Interesting one. I think when I first decided the reason was different, but I only saw it clearly after some recent extremely unexpected and unplanned spiritual awakening experiences.

Triggered

combination...my final wake up call was a car crash.... thank goodness no one else involved and I escaped unhurt... got caught at the scene by police and you know how the rest plays out

I do remember waking up in the police cell and thinking FINALLY...how much I hated alcohol.

I hate what I allowed it to take from me and I hate how weak I had become in allowing it to.

Khorhey

Known since I was in high school it was a problem for me. Just got lucky somehow and never had a DUI despite driving under the influence probably a thousand times in 40 years. Several accidents etc.

First time I tried to quit was when my first son was born in 1998. Second time was divorce 2008. Dr. gave me bad news in 2005. Fatty liver. Remarried in 2017. Been trying to quit since. 50/50 or probably worse since then.

So family first then health. Would be better off financially by far. Lots of wasted money and dumb decisions with the IDGAF I’m dying young anyway attitude.

dustyfox

I ticked spiritual crisis/wakening it was actually a combination of this and health worries. I remember walking around my house, eveyone had gone out and my level of anxiety was huge - I felt utterly lost, like I was crawling around just trying to pretend to be ok. I literally felt the pressure of an inner voice, if you can accept that, shouting at me to stop. I was in tears. But I stopped. That was just over 8 months ago.

LilyLady1

High blood pressure, elevated ALT enzyme, and sleep disturbances. Not a health crises, but concerning and continuing.

RaggedyMan

I had exactly that. It was triggered by cannabis, the voice virtually screamed at me about how I was drinking my life away, killing myself, letting my family down... It was horrible, no escaping it... and it was painfully true.

silentrun

I picked spiritual awakening as well. It was happening almost exactly as the same time this thread was started. I became aware of an inner voice plotting how to get away with continuing to drink despite my daughter being in trouble for getting caught drunk at a school dance. I then had this moment where I saw the situation for what it was and I thought I was as good as dead. Another voice whispered in my ear "it doesn't have to be that way".

DriGuy

My inability to control my drinking was scaring me to death and I felt like I was losing myself.

AthensDawgs

I was going to die in the next year or so if I didn't stop. I literally couldn't stop drinking and wound up in the hospital twice. I was placed under a 1013 at the hospital and held in restraints for a brief time period. I lost complete control of everything,