Binge Drinking-Hit a Bottom
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: St Paul
Posts: 10
Binge Drinking-Hit a Bottom
Hello all,
It's coming into fruition that I need to change my relationship with alcohol.
I'm one of those drinkers who can usually control it I'll be fine after two or three drinks and can do days without drinking. But then every once in awhile I feel the urge to get hammered and during those times my personality changes and I blackout. While I haven't yet experienced any legal ramifications, I have been hurtful to my fiancé on multiple occasions and have ruined many a night when these episodes occur.
I hit a bottom two days ago. I put a lot of time and energy into a trip to LA so I could meet one of my favorite musicians. The freedom got to me and I thought I would have some drinks to celebrate, I couldn't stop and blacked out before the event even started and woke up in an ambulance I was and still am super bummed but also see it as a wake up call.
I am curious what resources there are for more sporadic drinkers like myself, would AA be of any help? I always thought of the program as being for "heavier drinkers" or is there no such thing? I just don't want my problem to get any worse and ruin any more relationships or opportunities. Advice and shared experiences are welcome.
Thanks,
It's coming into fruition that I need to change my relationship with alcohol.
I'm one of those drinkers who can usually control it I'll be fine after two or three drinks and can do days without drinking. But then every once in awhile I feel the urge to get hammered and during those times my personality changes and I blackout. While I haven't yet experienced any legal ramifications, I have been hurtful to my fiancé on multiple occasions and have ruined many a night when these episodes occur.
I hit a bottom two days ago. I put a lot of time and energy into a trip to LA so I could meet one of my favorite musicians. The freedom got to me and I thought I would have some drinks to celebrate, I couldn't stop and blacked out before the event even started and woke up in an ambulance I was and still am super bummed but also see it as a wake up call.
I am curious what resources there are for more sporadic drinkers like myself, would AA be of any help? I always thought of the program as being for "heavier drinkers" or is there no such thing? I just don't want my problem to get any worse and ruin any more relationships or opportunities. Advice and shared experiences are welcome.
Thanks,
bona fido dog-lover
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: SF Bay area, CA
Posts: 99,772
Welcome! 
AA is for anyone for whom alcohol is a problem. That includes binge drinkers as well as every day drinkers. Try a few meetings before you make up your mind.
I hope the support here can help you get sober for good. I did almost six years ago and don't regret a minute of it.
AA is for anyone for whom alcohol is a problem. That includes binge drinkers as well as every day drinkers. Try a few meetings before you make up your mind.I hope the support here can help you get sober for good. I did almost six years ago and don't regret a minute of it.
Forum Leader
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Wisconsin, USA
Posts: 16,945
Welcome to SR Nueva. As least says, AA ( or any recovery method ) is for anyone who desires to quit drinking. How much you drink or how often you do it really doesn't matter - if you have a problem with alcohol and want to quit these programs are for you.
Administrator
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Dancing in the Light
Posts: 61,492
It's not how much you drink, nor how often you drink that determines alcoholism. It's about what happens to you when you drink. I became someone I hated and like you, I blacked out at times and it was terrifying. You will find lots of support here.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: St Paul
Posts: 10
Ok that makes sense, I just didn't know if I would be able to identify If I wasn't a daily drinker. Thanks for all of your responses tonight, not quite sure where to start but will go to a meeting tonight and start there.
Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 8,637
welcome....
Your description brings up memories for me... of the time when I could still say that I'd not yet gotten into serious legal trouble... of times before divorces... before driving on auto-pilot to the liquor store.... of blackouts being several-times-weekly events... the norm.
AA helped me, this forum helped me, counseling helped me, getting active and healthy and making changes to the kinds of things I did and places I went and shifting my friend groups all helped too.
you've landed in a good spot and you've made a good decision. Stick around.
Your description brings up memories for me... of the time when I could still say that I'd not yet gotten into serious legal trouble... of times before divorces... before driving on auto-pilot to the liquor store.... of blackouts being several-times-weekly events... the norm.
AA helped me, this forum helped me, counseling helped me, getting active and healthy and making changes to the kinds of things I did and places I went and shifting my friend groups all helped too.
you've landed in a good spot and you've made a good decision. Stick around.
Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 1,323
I can relate to waking up in an ambulance and not knowing how you got there.
That was me about 1 year ago...Waking up in the hospital, drunk and belligerent and angry. Apparently i blacked out on a subway platform and someone called 911.
To this day i don't recall ANY of the ride there. Or who helped me.
Like you i took it as a wake up call. This had to stop. My drinking was getting to the point it was LITERALLY going to KILL me or someone else.
As the Big Book says...Fear kept me sober for awhile. Almost 3 whole months...And then i stupidly drank over new years and my drinking escalated to WHOLE new levels. I drank from sun up to sun down for 6 consecutive days.
My girlfriend was the reason i didn't die...She came and told me to come home with her (I didn't want to...I was hiding/avoiding her contact for 3 days.)
I've been in contact DAILY with my AA sponsor since and i haven't had drink in over 8 months now.
The terrifying incident of the unplanned hospital visit is still fresh in my memory. Reading your story just brought back a fierce reminder.
I hope you are doing well today.
That was me about 1 year ago...Waking up in the hospital, drunk and belligerent and angry. Apparently i blacked out on a subway platform and someone called 911.
To this day i don't recall ANY of the ride there. Or who helped me.
Like you i took it as a wake up call. This had to stop. My drinking was getting to the point it was LITERALLY going to KILL me or someone else.
As the Big Book says...Fear kept me sober for awhile. Almost 3 whole months...And then i stupidly drank over new years and my drinking escalated to WHOLE new levels. I drank from sun up to sun down for 6 consecutive days.
My girlfriend was the reason i didn't die...She came and told me to come home with her (I didn't want to...I was hiding/avoiding her contact for 3 days.)
I've been in contact DAILY with my AA sponsor since and i haven't had drink in over 8 months now.
The terrifying incident of the unplanned hospital visit is still fresh in my memory. Reading your story just brought back a fierce reminder.
I hope you are doing well today.
Member
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: US
Posts: 5,095
Originally Posted by NuevaComienzo89 
Hello all,
It's coming into fruition that I need to change my relationship with alcohol.
I'm one of those drinkers who can usually control it I'll be fine after two or three drinks and can do days without drinking. But then every once in awhile I feel the urge to get hammered and during those times my personality changes and I blackout. While I haven't yet experienced any legal ramifications, I have been hurtful to my fiancé on multiple occasions and have ruined many a night when these episodes occur.
I hit a bottom two days ago. I put a lot of time and energy into a trip to LA so I could meet one of my favorite musicians. The freedom got to me and I thought I would have some drinks to celebrate, I couldn't stop and blacked out before the event even started and woke up in an ambulance I was and still am super bummed but also see it as a wake up call.
I am curious what resources there are for more sporadic drinkers like myself, would AA be of any help? I always thought of the program as being for "heavier drinkers" or is there no such thing? I just don't want my problem to get any worse and ruin any more relationships or opportunities. Advice and shared experiences are welcome.
Thanks,
It's coming into fruition that I need to change my relationship with alcohol.
I'm one of those drinkers who can usually control it I'll be fine after two or three drinks and can do days without drinking. But then every once in awhile I feel the urge to get hammered and during those times my personality changes and I blackout. While I haven't yet experienced any legal ramifications, I have been hurtful to my fiancé on multiple occasions and have ruined many a night when these episodes occur.
I hit a bottom two days ago. I put a lot of time and energy into a trip to LA so I could meet one of my favorite musicians. The freedom got to me and I thought I would have some drinks to celebrate, I couldn't stop and blacked out before the event even started and woke up in an ambulance I was and still am super bummed but also see it as a wake up call.
I am curious what resources there are for more sporadic drinkers like myself, would AA be of any help? I always thought of the program as being for "heavier drinkers" or is there no such thing? I just don't want my problem to get any worse and ruin any more relationships or opportunities. Advice and shared experiences are welcome.
Thanks,
While I think one can make generalizations about what constitutes an alcoholic, I do believe there are people that don't necessarily fit the 'mold' but are addicted/obsessed none the less. To me, if my drinking is having negative consequences and is dangerous to me or others than its not 'normal'.
There are many ways to get sober. But the most important thing is to want recovery more than anything else. Addiction generally gets worse. Most normal people don't want to live their lives with people that cause destruction and pain. I think its great to consider a life of sobriety while you still have so much in your life. So many of us have to lose so much to finally get sober.
Community Greeter
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Upstate New York
Posts: 51,554
Very glad to have you with us, Nueva. I think talking things over here will really help.
I was usually able to control my drinking too - many years ago. I didn't know what was meant by 'a progressive disease', but I found out. I had the occasional black out & binged often - but as the years went by I grew dependent on it. In the end, I was drinking every day. I'm so glad you're taking a look at what it's doing to your life.
I was usually able to control my drinking too - many years ago. I didn't know what was meant by 'a progressive disease', but I found out. I had the occasional black out & binged often - but as the years went by I grew dependent on it. In the end, I was drinking every day. I'm so glad you're taking a look at what it's doing to your life.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: St Paul
Posts: 10
Thank you all for your stories they are giving me strength. And to Finding The Way I definitely can relate to how scary a hospital visit and ambulance ride is. I haven't shared the incident with my fiancée yet but hope to find a way through recovery and AA. Here's to us all staying strong and doing the hard work.
Member
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Canada
Posts: 7,837
My last really bad binge was in LA too, I got wasted, crashed a party and hit on a gay cuban guy, smoked pot on the street with some Armenians I just met and the LAPD came by ( luckily they just told us to leave)( I also don't smoke pot ever)
I could've been arrested, raped etc
Kinda funny story, but it really wasn't- very dangerous
Luckily that was in may and I've been making good progress since
I could've been arrested, raped etc
Kinda funny story, but it really wasn't- very dangerous
Luckily that was in may and I've been making good progress since
Member
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Midwest
Posts: 8,334
Welcome Nueva. I don't know if you enjoy reading, or would find the content of recovery of interest, but I just finished a book titled " Blackout, Remembering The Things I Drank To Forget" by: Sarah Hepola.
She writes about her drinking, blacking out and her eventual strong recovery. I especially enjoyed reading about her recovery, as she looked back upon some of the reasons she drank .
She writes about her drinking, blacking out and her eventual strong recovery. I especially enjoyed reading about her recovery, as she looked back upon some of the reasons she drank .
Member
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 1,869
Hello and welcome. I was also a binge drinker. I could go weeks without it but when I drank it was ON! I found this place after a bad night when I googled recovery and here I have learned tools to deal with cravings and how to embrace sobriety as a total positive change. I feel better than ever. Here I have learned about AA, AVRT, Urge Surfing and many other wonderful concepts that have really helped. The best thing about this place is that there is support 24/7. Read a lot and post as much as you want.
You are not alone.
You are not alone.
Member
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Florida., USA
Posts: 3,252
Welcome Nueva! As the others have said, you will find understanding and support here. As a matter of fact, SR saved me from a relapse just this evening. Read as much as you can and post often. Hope to see you back.
Recognizes the Beast
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: In the kitchen, cooking up a storm
Posts: 704
Think this is the best definition of addiction I've seen:
Any repeated behaviour, substance related or not, in which a person feels compelled to persist regardless of the negative impact on his/her life and the lives of others.
Any repeated behaviour, substance related or not, in which a person feels compelled to persist regardless of the negative impact on his/her life and the lives of others.
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