SemiSober

Hi all

I am currently two days into this (hopefully last) attempt to quit alcohol for good. I am not entirely new here as I gave quitting an attempt in early November and used the chat room quite a lot, and reading other people's posts really helped me a lot (in the end that attempt lasted about two weeks before I drowned myself in oblivion again).

Further to that last attempt, I have been to the doctor and he's told me that my weight gain (I'm at about 210lbs at the moment), high BP (150/110), folic acid/B12 deficiencies and elevated liver enzymes all most likely have alcohol as the main contributory factor. So this time I've really decided that I have to stop.

I'm what most people would describe as a "functioning alcoholic" (lol), in that I manage to hold down a job, but I drink heavily every single night and am a daily drinker during the weekends/holidays. I just hope that this time I am strong enough to stay the course and stay sober permanently as I've come to realise that there is no way I can control alcohol at all.

Thank you all for sharing your experiences on this forum and in the chat room, as it really helped me last time and I believe it will help me to stop drinking for good this time.

2muchpain

Are there things you can do to keep yourself busy after work and on weekends? I always mess up if I have too much time on my hands. I get bored and my mind starts to play tricks on me. For me, idle time is a bad thing. I try to stay as busy as I can. I get up each day and make a plan, and try hard to stick with it. Lately, I have been ending my day on this forum. Good luck, and I hope you make it this time.

Dee74

welcome SemiSober

D

SemiSober

I agree with you ... I was hoping to take up Muay Thai/Brazilian Jiu Jitsu again but was thinking of doing this in the beginning of February (it would keep me busy most nights of the week, and keep me healthier too).

Otherwise, I was just hoping to do something relaxing in the evenings like walking or meeting with friends. It is difficult when you have spent nearly every evening for years in the pub but, anyway, I will have to think of something .

Thanks for your help.

least

I hope this is your successful attempt.

Kris47

Welcome SemiSober,

I'm on day two also.

Quite a few of us today.

Sending you good vibes.

Join with us.

safe2breathe

glad youre here...\

SemiSober

Good luck to you as well then Kris... the first few days are rough .

EDIT: And they don't get too easy too quickly afterwards either, as I've learnt many times...

Kris47

We can change our destiny starting now.

Kiya

I'm closing out day 2 today also. Also had sober time in November. Strung together 32 or 33 before I went back to trying to drink responsibly. 6 weeks of on and off and I know that isn't going to work.

Stay safe tonight and tomorrow is another day in the right direction.

2muchpain

Semisober

Sounds like you do have a plan; walk each evening and connect with friends. That's a start. I am still new in recovery so, I started small. For example, get up take a shower, have something to eat, clean the kitchen than go to the bank, check my mail, check my e-mail, call my sister, etc. Later, when I started feeling better, I'd spend some time at the gym and occasionally drop in an AA meeting. Sounds silly since most people just do these things but when drinking, none of this happens, and finish the day on this forum. Before I know it, the liguor stores are closed and I'm home free for one more day. Today, REALLY wanted to drink, but I made plans that I wanted to do, so I told the beast maybe tomorrow because I'm too busy today. Tomorrow, maybe clean the bathroom, etc. Everybody has their own way of staying sober. This works for me. Take care.

Hevyn

We're happy you're here with us Semi. We all understand what you're going through right now. Congratulations on your 2 days - you're off to a great start. This can definitely be the last time you go through this - and things will begin to look up.