Cutting ties with Alcohol
 

Hi All,
I've decided to quit drinking. I found this site searching through Bing, and it looks like a good place to be open about thoughts and struggles. My reasons for quitting:

1. Kids - I have two young daughters, and don't want to miss out anymore because I had a "bad" day and decided to drink.

2. Health - I am relatively young with lots of health issues. High blood pressure, skin problems, ear problems, anxiety.

3. Work - I've got a great oppurtunity, and have been slacking due to drinking. I counted down until 5pm every day, then it moved to 4:30, then 4...

4. Money - I probably spend 700 or more per month on alcohol. It also causes me to "impulse" buy.

5. Weight - Not good for the diet for sure.

I had my last drink yesterday and decided that I'm done. I can't live the lie anymore, it is not acceptable to be anebriated on a daily basis. It clouds my judgement. I am hoping to find encouragement and techniques to stay on track here. My wife drinks too, and has already said she won't be quitting, but I've got to do this. Thanks for listening.

welcome aboard carnut :)

D

Some great reasons there hun, wish u well and hope you keep with this, as i said to someone else you are worth it, remeber u have to do it for yourself even with other great reasons.

On a thought maybe u could save up what u dont drink in a jar to remind u how well u are doing? Just a thought.

wishing u well and have a good day xx

Congratulations Carnut

You haven't said how much alcohol you drank daily ... but you may want to see your doctor .. to discuss withdrawal symptons if they are going to be troublesome for you

It is difficult but not impossible to stop drinking when your partner continues drinking. A support network will be helpful for you.

Goodluck ... keep posting .. come join us in chat :)

Thanks guys! Erratic, that's a great idea. I think I will save the money I would have spent on alcohol. It would be a good motivator for me.

LSC1, my drinking would vary, but at least 3 glasses of wine per night, up to a bottle plus 2-3 mixed drinks or scotch. I'm a lightweight, and at 3, I'm impaired. It's been my habit since 2005.

carNut
I discovered that sobriety can bring it's own rewards after the initial problems of withdrawal. I am glad you found us

Looking forward to it Instant!

Dear Carnut, Welcome aboard and thank you for the really great reasons , you have listed.

As you mentioned, you have regular pattern of drinking since 2005 , it is really advisable to consult a doctor, for the following reasons.

1. You want to get through a safe detox without any serious withdrawal issues.

2. You want to make the withdrwals as less painful as possible. Certain medicines prescribed by the doctors ,will help to ease the withdrawals. Having said, that, you will have to go through certain discomfort and you must prepare yourselves for that.

3. Having a good detox treatment by a qualified doctor, will reduce and prevent the chances of relapse.. we have been through that many times.

Wish you all the best. Keep going .

Thanks for the advice llastchance8, I will go see my doctor tomorrow. A strange feeling to think back to how long I have been drinking like this.

Welcome, CarNut77! I was spending around $650 a month on wine when I decided to get off the ride. Probably seven thousand bucks more in my pocket since I quit last Oct!

It's good to have you here at SR.

Welcome and all the very best. My history was literally decades, but it can be done!

If you think it is likely to be tough you might consider some sort of social/group support. Plenty out there, especially if you live in an urban area.

Welcome CarNut77; it's great that you've finally got to the point where you want to quit. I think support means a lot. My support was my family doctor, and SR. I didn't try AA but I wouldn't hesitate if I thought I needed it.
Have you thought about how your wife's decision to continue to drink will affect you? If she has a glass of wine in hand at the time you are used to drinking (after work) it may make things difficult for you. It would pay to have a strategy to cope such as stocking up with soft drinks, or not spending time around her at first. Cravings can be hard to cope with for a while; check some of the stickies for hints to avoid giving in to them.
Don't give up; you'll find life is so much better without the alcohol clouding things.

it is a good motivator.the money I used on booze bought me a motorcycle.

You can do it dude. Not doing something is easier than living a lie. You've already realized that.

Glad you are going to the doctor CarNut.

Take Care and keep posting :)

Carnut, your list could be mine. Congratulations on starting! Relax and take it slow. With time everything changes! Keep goin'!

Welcome Carnut! SR is a great place for support. I'm on day 9 of being sober and I'm feeling fantastic. I'm in the same position as you as my husband has voiced that he will not stop drinking. I just keep myself as busy as possible and it really helps. Hang in there and check SR daily if you can for motivation.

Carnut,

Welcome and all the best as you make this journey. We're here to support, listen and encourage!

Fishy