LadyinBC

At the top of the page you will see Chatroom. Just click on that and you will be in chat. There is always someone there if you need to talk to someone.

Lilly88

Thank you so much all of you!

PurpleKnight

Try out getting into the chat room though a few days beforehand, just to make sure it's all working fine for you!!

happyfree2525

Hi Lilly,

Your story sounds very similar to mine, I have tried over and over again to moderate my drinking, and every time I get the same result. Black out drunk and extremely hungover. I will skip a couple days to start feeling better and then I feel like I got this I can drink in moderation. The same old story. Binge, black out, hungover. It is getting worse for me so I joined SR today and am going to do my very best to stay sober this time. I know that abstinence is the only way for me. I just pray that I can keep that top of mind when the burning desire to drink hits me. I see a picture of a beer or wine and it makes me want to drink. I sure hope it gets easier with time, because right now I feel like alcohol consumes my thought all the time. When to drink, when not too, how much, ugh so sick of it.

SpaceMandrill

There is a theory that the anxiety is not, in fact, caused by drinking, but the other way around- that people prone to anxiety, rumination and panic attacks self-medicate with alcohol, nicotine and sometimes illegal drugs. I know that this is true for me, at least. So getting treated for anxiety might help with staying sober. Again, it did for me, once my psychiatrist helped me to get my anxiety under control, I lost a lot of the desire to drink. And when the anxiety started resurfacing, drinking suddenly became more appealing.

Might be different for anyone else, but it is something to consider.

Lilly88

Wow this is so similar to me. I am excatly the same with the 2 days on 2 days off. When I'm not hungover I sudden feel great and drinking seems like the thing I should be doing. I get ridiculously drunk....every time. I'm never the one at the party/night out a bit tipsy or slightly drunk...always the ones absolutely battered...black outs the lot. I recently had a work do last Thursday and I have no idea what I said or done. Doing the dreaded walking in of shame this morning. I sometimes think should I just tell my colleagues I have a problem and that I am trying to address it but then would that start people even more talking! Either way it's horrible the way I feel when I can't stop drinking. Hangovers are getting worse and like I said the anxiety is dreadful!

I wish you all the luck with your journey as well! We can do this!!

SocratesPlato

I've always found that my anxiety is high when I'm withdrawing. I suffer from anxiety anyway and I think it works a bit like a feedback loop. I have drunk because of anxiety (and depression) and then the drinking has made my anxiety worse, so I've drunk more ... and the loop goes on.

I'd recommend discussing it with a doctor. They might prescribe something for the anxiety. I know a lot of recovering alcoholics would prefer to avoid things like benzos (which are often prescribed for anxiety) for fear that they might prove addictive themselves, but that's a call only you can make with the help of your doctor.

I think the most important thing at this stage is getting sober and you seem right on the cusp of making that decision. Trust me, it's a great decision to make. It might not seem like it straight away but it will be in the long run. The anxiety will eventually die down anyway.

Good luck!

Lilly88

I have made the decision. I want to be sober. I enjoy life more when I am sober. I feel more happy within myself when sober and actually enjoy my own company. When I'm going through anxiety (like now) I don't want to see anyone but become very clingy to my partner. - somewhat needy- I am never like this.

I am feeling slightly better today. I am going to give myself a couple of days. If the anxiety is somewhat still there I will see the Dr. I want to avoid tablets as I have a very addictive personality and think this could make matters worse. However I also understand if that's what I need then so be it. I think talking helps me a lot. I don't really have any friends who understand that I am an alcoholic - hence you guys can be my new friends :-)

Thanks again everyone. I am so grateful from your time in responding to my post