I have some questions about alcoholism -
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 8
I have some questions about alcoholism -
Hi,
I am probably an alcoholic. My father and grandfather were both alcoholics.
I've read that alcoholics have to hit "rock bottom" in order to quit. I've already lost the things I gave my life to, my marriage, my friends, most family members and my business. I've come close to being homeless. I keep right on drinking.
I drink around two bottles of wine a day, usually with a couple shots of vodka thrown in. I have been getting drunk every night since I was 17, so nearly thirty years of my life. On weekends, all bets are off. Three bottles of wine and a pint of vodka pretty routine. And sometimes I throw in a few Vicodin for good measure. Just a f***ing mess.
I'm sorry if I'm rambling...
Last week I quit drinking for four days. I decided not to drink Monday-Thursday, and I did it. And really, it wasn't that hard. I was very concerned that I would get sick. or the DTs or something, and nothing happened.
I didn't feel any better or any worse or any different.
So I guess I have a question...I am doing the four days off again this week...at what point will I feel any different? Or feel anything at all?
Any insight appreciated.
I am probably an alcoholic. My father and grandfather were both alcoholics.
I've read that alcoholics have to hit "rock bottom" in order to quit. I've already lost the things I gave my life to, my marriage, my friends, most family members and my business. I've come close to being homeless. I keep right on drinking.
I drink around two bottles of wine a day, usually with a couple shots of vodka thrown in. I have been getting drunk every night since I was 17, so nearly thirty years of my life. On weekends, all bets are off. Three bottles of wine and a pint of vodka pretty routine. And sometimes I throw in a few Vicodin for good measure. Just a f***ing mess.
I'm sorry if I'm rambling...
Last week I quit drinking for four days. I decided not to drink Monday-Thursday, and I did it. And really, it wasn't that hard. I was very concerned that I would get sick. or the DTs or something, and nothing happened.
I didn't feel any better or any worse or any different.
So I guess I have a question...I am doing the four days off again this week...at what point will I feel any different? Or feel anything at all?
Any insight appreciated.
Forum Leader
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Wisconsin, USA
Posts: 16,945
Welcome Dogtown! Even just reviewing your outlook on alcohol is a good thing in my opinion.
Regarding the "rock bottom" thing, it's false that you have to hit it to quit. You get to decide if you think your drinking is a problem, and you also get to choose to be sober if you do feel it is warranted.
Regarding your second question, it takes quite a bit of time for your body to adjust. At 4 days, you are still probably just finishing up with the "Acute" withdrawal phase where your body is simply ridding itself of the alcohol. For most, the first couple weeks are pretty up and down.
The other part of the equation is that just "not drinking" isn't really the whole picture. Most of us have underlying issues that we must deal with once we stop drinking. We avoided the issues by getting drunk, but they don't go away when the bottle is gone. This is where "recovery" starts to happen - you need to face those issues and find healthy ways to cope with life sans drinking. There are a whole host of ways to do it, and you can read about a lot of them here.
Regarding the "rock bottom" thing, it's false that you have to hit it to quit. You get to decide if you think your drinking is a problem, and you also get to choose to be sober if you do feel it is warranted.
Regarding your second question, it takes quite a bit of time for your body to adjust. At 4 days, you are still probably just finishing up with the "Acute" withdrawal phase where your body is simply ridding itself of the alcohol. For most, the first couple weeks are pretty up and down.
The other part of the equation is that just "not drinking" isn't really the whole picture. Most of us have underlying issues that we must deal with once we stop drinking. We avoided the issues by getting drunk, but they don't go away when the bottle is gone. This is where "recovery" starts to happen - you need to face those issues and find healthy ways to cope with life sans drinking. There are a whole host of ways to do it, and you can read about a lot of them here.
Canine Welfare Advocate
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Norfolk, VA
Posts: 10,962
Welcome to Sober Recovery.
Please read around the site. It should prove educational to you. One of the things you will learn is that drinking normally is the pipe dream of every alcoholic, and impossible to attain.
Hope you give serious thought to sobriety.
Originally Posted by DogtownBlues 
To be honest, I would like to be able to have a few drinks on the weekends and not drink during the week.
Hope you give serious thought to sobriety.
Member
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: The Northland
Posts: 600
Welcome to SR!
We'd all like to be able to do that but most of us have found its a futile endeavor. If we could moderate, we wouldn't be here. But most of us have tried!
Stick around, do some reading, keep posting.
We'd all like to be able to do that but most of us have found its a futile endeavor. If we could moderate, we wouldn't be here. But most of us have tried!
Stick around, do some reading, keep posting.
Member
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: C.C. Ma.
Posts: 3,697
Hi.
Sober to many here is being alcohol free one day at a time in a row.
Moderation in our drinking if we are alcoholics is a waste of time and a dream that does not work.
Read posts here, attend AA meetings and whatever it takes to not drink.
As stated stopping is not the end all as we need to change the person we brought here that’s addicted to alcohol.
BE WELL
Sober to many here is being alcohol free one day at a time in a row.
Moderation in our drinking if we are alcoholics is a waste of time and a dream that does not work.
Read posts here, attend AA meetings and whatever it takes to not drink.
As stated stopping is not the end all as we need to change the person we brought here that’s addicted to alcohol.
BE WELL
Member
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: MN
Posts: 8,704
Did you experience any withdrawal last week? Were you able to sleep well etc...? Sounds like you've already sacrificed quite a bit with alcohol, so backing off or quitting is probably a good idea.
I quit during the week a few years ago, best decision I've made so far. now I'm trying to kick the weekend thing. I don't drink at all Sunday thru Thursday.
I quit during the week a few years ago, best decision I've made so far. now I'm trying to kick the weekend thing. I don't drink at all Sunday thru Thursday.
Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 105
Hi there
i just wanted to wish you well. For what it's worth, I drank pretty much every night for many years - about 7-10 pints of beer or a bottle of wine or so. much more at weekends. I stopped that a few years ago now - maybe 5 years ago. Went to just drinking at weekends, then just to Saturdays, then maybe every other Saturday. For me though, the key is that I could rarely show constraint on those sessions. I can still put it away but I get more drunk than I did as a 25 year old and it hurts a lot more in the morning - mentally as much as anything.
I love the feeling I get after about 3 weeks sober but then I tend to 'reward' my achievements by getting hammered. It destroys my mood and my optimism and I feel like I am back at square one. That is what I am here to change.
Personally, the hardest time for me was when I was drinking about half the week. Never long enough sober to feel good and took a lot of energy...but at least it was a step on the way so I ain't gonna knock it! Glad you are thinking about it and wishing you well
Chordcowboy
i just wanted to wish you well. For what it's worth, I drank pretty much every night for many years - about 7-10 pints of beer or a bottle of wine or so. much more at weekends. I stopped that a few years ago now - maybe 5 years ago. Went to just drinking at weekends, then just to Saturdays, then maybe every other Saturday. For me though, the key is that I could rarely show constraint on those sessions. I can still put it away but I get more drunk than I did as a 25 year old and it hurts a lot more in the morning - mentally as much as anything.
I love the feeling I get after about 3 weeks sober but then I tend to 'reward' my achievements by getting hammered. It destroys my mood and my optimism and I feel like I am back at square one. That is what I am here to change.
Personally, the hardest time for me was when I was drinking about half the week. Never long enough sober to feel good and took a lot of energy...but at least it was a step on the way so I ain't gonna knock it! Glad you are thinking about it and wishing you well
Chordcowboy
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 8
Originally Posted by thomas11
Did you experience any withdrawal last week? Were you able to sleep well etc...? Sounds like you've already sacrificed quite a bit with alcohol, so backing off or quitting is probably a good idea.
I quit during the week a few years ago, best decision I've made so far. now I'm trying to kick the weekend thing. I don't drink at all Sunday thru Thursday.
I quit during the week a few years ago, best decision I've made so far. now I'm trying to kick the weekend thing. I don't drink at all Sunday thru Thursday.
I was 1/2 scared of getting the DTs and 1/2 hoping I would feel really good, physically.
Instead - nothing. Zip!
bona fido dog-lover
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: SF Bay area, CA
Posts: 99,774
Welcome to the site! 
If you read our threads and posts you'll find that most of us tried to drink "normally" and failed miserably. I tried to moderate my drinking but it was a dismal failure. It's easier for me to quit completely and I must say my life is so much better for it.
If you read our threads and posts you'll find that most of us tried to drink "normally" and failed miserably. I tried to moderate my drinking but it was a dismal failure. It's easier for me to quit completely and I must say my life is so much better for it. 
Member
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Odenton, Maryland
Posts: 14
Hitting bottom
Originally Posted by DogtownBlues
I've read that alcoholics have to hit "rock bottom" in order to quit. I've already lost the things I gave my life to, my marriage, my friends, most family members and my business. I've come close to being homeless. I keep right on drinking.
.
.
Trudgin
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 6,348
Glad you're here!!
I have no idea how you will feel at any given point - we are all different. For me the alcohol caused a bankruptcy of sorts with body, mind and spirit. As I gain sober time all three seem to get better. The mind is the last for me......it took 6 months before the "fog" that I did not even realize was there, to dissipate.
Our "bottom" is really when we decide to quit drinking - it's the stage we are at when that occurs. It does not have to be homeless living under a bridge. But, for some - that is exactly what it is. Just depends.
Keep coming back
I have no idea how you will feel at any given point - we are all different. For me the alcohol caused a bankruptcy of sorts with body, mind and spirit. As I gain sober time all three seem to get better. The mind is the last for me......it took 6 months before the "fog" that I did not even realize was there, to dissipate.
Our "bottom" is really when we decide to quit drinking - it's the stage we are at when that occurs. It does not have to be homeless living under a bridge. But, for some - that is exactly what it is. Just depends.
Keep coming back
Member
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: MN
Posts: 8,704
Originally Posted by DogtownBlues
It was so strange. I had no symptoms of anything. I slept fine. I felt, really, no different.
I was 1/2 scared of getting the DTs and 1/2 hoping I would feel really good, physically.
Instead - nothing. Zip!
I was 1/2 scared of getting the DTs and 1/2 hoping I would feel really good, physically.
Instead - nothing. Zip!
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