Hello everyone.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 78
Hello everyone.
I have been visiting this site for a while now hoping it could help me keep my drinking under control. But as I write this hungover yet again. (Seems like I've been hungover more often than not) I am sincerely hoping this is my last day 1. In the past year I have tried quitting twice. Made it to two weeks both times. My biggest issues are:
1. I love the feeling of drinking way too much
2. My AV always wants me to keep the possibility of drinking again down the road possible
3. Family gatherings are revolved around drinking
4. Will I really not drink on that trip to Hawaii?! Or that camping trip next week?! Or my BIRTHDAY?! These thoughts scare the living hell out of me. That's what I do! I drink during these things!
Anyway, I just want a life where my existence doesn't revolve around booze. I want to wake up every. Single. Day. Feeling not hungover. I am 28 and I don't want another decade wasted on alcohol.
Thank you for listening
1. I love the feeling of drinking way too much
2. My AV always wants me to keep the possibility of drinking again down the road possible
3. Family gatherings are revolved around drinking
4. Will I really not drink on that trip to Hawaii?! Or that camping trip next week?! Or my BIRTHDAY?! These thoughts scare the living hell out of me. That's what I do! I drink during these things!
Anyway, I just want a life where my existence doesn't revolve around booze. I want to wake up every. Single. Day. Feeling not hungover. I am 28 and I don't want another decade wasted on alcohol.
Thank you for listening
Re-Member
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: USA
Posts: 7,909
Welcome to SR, Cleopatra. You'll never know how wonderful that trip or birthday can be sober until you do it. I just got back from a sober nine day trip to the beach and had a blast. Did you know that the sight of the sun rising over the water is beautiful? I never was up in time to see that when I was drinking.
I highly suggest joining and actively participating in the Class of June 2015 thread found on this same forum. It's a great way to learn from and help others who are also in early recovery.
I highly suggest joining and actively participating in the Class of June 2015 thread found on this same forum. It's a great way to learn from and help others who are also in early recovery.
One Day At A Time
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Midwest, USA
Posts: 2,054
Welcome to SR, Cleopatra.
I just returned from my first vacation since I have quit drinking. It was awesome. I was out on my kayak in the morning, enjoying the calm lake, when typically I would be too hungover to do anything until I could take the first drink later that day.
And my kayak would be collecting cobwebs.
Like Casey says, until you try, you won't know how amazing it is.
There is a lot of great support here.
I just returned from my first vacation since I have quit drinking. It was awesome. I was out on my kayak in the morning, enjoying the calm lake, when typically I would be too hungover to do anything until I could take the first drink later that day.
And my kayak would be collecting cobwebs.
Like Casey says, until you try, you won't know how amazing it is.
There is a lot of great support here.
Member
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Ohio
Posts: 581
Welcome! Just take it day by day. I am now on day 11, and on day 9 I went camping overnight and did not drink camping for the first time ever! I loved it! No having to sneak out the tent to pee several times, stories by flashlight, truly enjoying and reveling in my son's excitement.
It is not easy, I have a two week beach vacation with drinking family in mid-July, I am concerned about wanting to drink when everyone else is, but I am just focusing on today...keeping not drinking today, and by the time that vacation comes I will have over 40 days sober, and can make the decision then regarding drinking...no point working myself up about it today and risking my sobriety today over an unknown in the future
It is not easy, I have a two week beach vacation with drinking family in mid-July, I am concerned about wanting to drink when everyone else is, but I am just focusing on today...keeping not drinking today, and by the time that vacation comes I will have over 40 days sober, and can make the decision then regarding drinking...no point working myself up about it today and risking my sobriety today over an unknown in the future
Administrator
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Dancing in the Light
Posts: 61,476
You can figure out how to not drink during Hawaii, camping or your birthday. It's just a question of shifting your perspective. Do something different on your birthday, maybe go for a hike. You can plan different kinds of activities at those times and still have fun.
Member
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: US
Posts: 544
Cleopatra
I had the same thoughts as you. I was so far under the influence that I couldn't imagine living without alcohol in my system. Surely I wouldn't have any fun!
But then I viewed my relationship with alcohol as a death. And when I experienced it that way, I had no choice but to bury her forever. No chance of seeing her again. And I spent some serious time mourning. It was during that process that I began to see all of the opportunities in life NOT involving booze. And I realized that my carefree, drunken lifestyle was nothing more than a self-imposed prison sentence.
And then I changed, spending more time with my family and pursuing interests I had no time or energy for while inebriated.
It does get better when you begin to see life through sober eyes.
I wish you luck with your struggle.
I had the same thoughts as you. I was so far under the influence that I couldn't imagine living without alcohol in my system. Surely I wouldn't have any fun!
But then I viewed my relationship with alcohol as a death. And when I experienced it that way, I had no choice but to bury her forever. No chance of seeing her again. And I spent some serious time mourning. It was during that process that I began to see all of the opportunities in life NOT involving booze. And I realized that my carefree, drunken lifestyle was nothing more than a self-imposed prison sentence.
And then I changed, spending more time with my family and pursuing interests I had no time or energy for while inebriated.
It does get better when you begin to see life through sober eyes.
I wish you luck with your struggle.
Friendly Folk
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Powers Lake, Wisconsin
Posts: 21,705
Welcome, Cleo! You are starting off great! Being open and honest is key to getting the support you need. There isn't anything that one or many have experienced. Hope we all can get you to where you want to be on this journey! ♡CR
Community Greeter
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Upstate New York
Posts: 51,534
Great to meet you Cleopatra! The encouragement here helped me quit after drinking all my life.
I postponed getting sober because I was so afraid of missing out. Drinking had once been fun and exciting. In the end though, it brought me nothing but misery. It was controlling me. This never has to happen to you. Glad to have you join us to talk things over.
I postponed getting sober because I was so afraid of missing out. Drinking had once been fun and exciting. In the end though, it brought me nothing but misery. It was controlling me. This never has to happen to you. Glad to have you join us to talk things over.
Member
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 14
Hi
I feel the same , this is my first weekend not drinking it's been hard. And I'm now sat here with a glass of cola in a wine glass.
I took my family to the movies tonight, when the movie finished, oh I felt like, right now to pick up a bottle of wine on the way home. I didn't.
I do feel like am I ever going to have fun again? Like you all of our family events are around drink!!! But I'm going to remember that feeling of waking up and not knowing what I have done who I have upset?? That sickly feeling! The anxiety that does with it for the next few days after the depression. I'm going to remember that and try my hardest not to Dover feel like that again! ! Good luck xxx
I feel the same , this is my first weekend not drinking it's been hard. And I'm now sat here with a glass of cola in a wine glass.
I took my family to the movies tonight, when the movie finished, oh I felt like, right now to pick up a bottle of wine on the way home. I didn't.
I do feel like am I ever going to have fun again? Like you all of our family events are around drink!!! But I'm going to remember that feeling of waking up and not knowing what I have done who I have upset?? That sickly feeling! The anxiety that does with it for the next few days after the depression. I'm going to remember that and try my hardest not to Dover feel like that again! ! Good luck xxx
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,380
Hi and welcome Cleopatra
I had the same 'how will I do this or that without alcohol' thoughts too.
You just do - it all works out. I have a life better than I could dream of because I wouldn't have dared dream sober life would be this good
I don't miss alcohol at all and I have a great life.
wishing you the best in yours too
I had the same 'how will I do this or that without alcohol' thoughts too.
You just do - it all works out. I have a life better than I could dream of because I wouldn't have dared dream sober life would be this good
I don't miss alcohol at all and I have a great life.
wishing you the best in yours too
Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 8,637
"Anyway, I just want a life where my existence doesn't revolve around booze. I want to wake up every. Single. Day. Feeling not hungover. I am 28 and I don't want another decade wasted on alcohol. "
I finally figured out how to do that, at about 41 years old.
At 28, I hadn't even begun to consider it.
My wish for you is that you find your path to sobriety much, much, MUCH sooner than I did. I wish I could get those years back.
You're in a good place and you've made a fantastic goal statement up there.... "I don't want another decade wasted on alcohol".
All that stuff your AV wants - it will just go on wanting. But guess what????
(You don't have to do what it wants.....)
You can so do this.
I finally figured out how to do that, at about 41 years old.
At 28, I hadn't even begun to consider it.
My wish for you is that you find your path to sobriety much, much, MUCH sooner than I did. I wish I could get those years back.
You're in a good place and you've made a fantastic goal statement up there.... "I don't want another decade wasted on alcohol".
All that stuff your AV wants - it will just go on wanting. But guess what????
(You don't have to do what it wants.....)
You can so do this.
Member
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: MN
Posts: 8,704
Hi Cloepatra, Having the desire to stop and joining this site are a couple of great steps in the right direction, agreed? My only advice is to spend a lot of time reading posts on this site, and you will run across folks that hung on to their alcoholism to the bitter end...and then figured it out. Losing 20 to 40 years of their life (that's not me saying that, its by their own admission) you are 28, Please don't wait until your 58. Most everyone will tell you it always gets worse, never better. Not being a know it all here, but if you think your hangover is bad, wait until you have to wake up at 2 in the morning to slam some liquor after passing out at 10:30, just so you stop sweating and can go back to sleep. Or hearing someone knock on the door and you jump out of your skin because you are going through serious withdrawal, your heart racing at over 100 BPM and you are just laying on the couch wishing you were dead. Going to the Dr. and finding out your blood pressure is 185/120 and won't go down without 4 belts of the hard stuff. Not to mention possibly losing your job, destroying relationships. So in the end, alcohol can really eff things up. Keep going, and I wish you the very best.
Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
