Anxious Newbie
 

Hi all, this is my first time on a forum, it's an avenue I have decided to try to talk to others with similar problems.
I'm 32 years old and have had a binge drinking problem for nearly 10 years. I have made myself ill (yet again) due to my lack of control. When I used to drink, it was to take a break from my severe anxiety, but since meeting my partner, I have no real reason to drink, and yet I can't seem to stop. I'm getting support but I don't think it's working. Right now I dislike the person I am, and am risking my job, feeling very anxious.

:thanks

Welcome. For a first forum, you picked the perfect one. We are all in the same boat. I believe in this place, and I hope before the day is done, you do too.

Welcome aboard. You'll find a lot of good people and support here. It's hard to get sober but even harder to stay sober. Do you have a plan on how you'll do that? There's good resources on this site to do that.

I have quite serious alcoholism and would like nothing more than to quit drinking all together and forever. I cannot go to rehab due to cost, so I must try and do this alone and need all the support I can get. I've heard positive things about this app.

Thank you for your kind responses, You're right, it's hard to stay sober, especially in a society that seems to be built upon drinking alcohol, (parties, Christmas, weddings, funerals, good news, bad news...etc lol) A few years I told my boss I wasent going to have a drink at the Christmas work do, and she looked at me like I'd sprouted an extra limb :) I mean, she was genuinely horrified!
As for a plan, I'm going to ask about meds that make you sick if you touch alcohol, I'm starting to think thats the only way I'm going to stay off it. I also spend a lot of time playing online games, which is probably not helping lol.

Looking around the site, it really does seem like a good and supportive place :)

One day at a time or if needs be one minute at a time. It's not easy but the people on this forum are living proof it can be done.

Hi Snowy3Bear

Welcome! You'll find lots of support here, we're good folk :grouphug:

I managed to quit for about 8 months 2 years ago, during that time, my life improved a great deal (I met my bf and I was sober for every date!) But as time went on, I found myself craving a drink so much I could often taste it. It drove me crazy until I started buying minature wine bottles, which quickly led to full sized ones. Every time I relapse my bf says he believes in me, but the truth is, nowadays, I don't believe in me

:tyou

This is a good place to start working on a plan, http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...ery-plans.html. Just stopping dinking isn't enough to stay sober in my mind.

Welcome Snowy and Sloan! Lots of support and resources here, just read around the forums and the stickies at the top.

I think a lot of us started drinking to get a release from anxiety, which then rebounds into worse anxiety, more drinking, etc etc.

If you feel you are going to drink, post first, it helps!

Hi Soberwolf :)

Welcome Snowy3Bear. This place is great. There is alot of support and useful information. It has been a blessing for me in my first week of sobriety. I've spent alot of time ready the forums and blogs. You may want to do the same. It has given me initial hope and understanding of the disease and most importantly motivation and support.

Thanks Penny Lane! Love that name, I named my pug that actually hehe. I've been here in the weekender all day pretty much. Going to be very much immersed in the system in the first couple months

Welcome, glad youre here. Stay strong and remember alcohol increases anxiety.

Hey,

Nice to meet you. The part I highlighted stuck out to me because I was the same way. My drinking turned into heavy drinking turned into alcoholic drinking while I lived in a different state far away from family and friends. My evenings went like this: Leave work, stop at the liquor store, drink on the patio with my laptop as the sun set, and continue drinking until I either went to bed or passed out. I did this seven days a week.

Long story short, I was very depressed during this time and felt hopeless except for this idea that when I moved back to my home state, near all my family and friends, then of course, I wouldn't drink like that anymore, right?

Wrong.

I moved back home and drank just as much if not more.

I realized now that the alcohol would have followed me wherever I went, whether I was happy or sad, employed or unemployed, lonely or had company. I was highly dependent on the ability to check out of the world every night.

I stopped at 32 because the hangovers became something that words can't even begin to describe. Okay, I'll try. Debilitating headaches, chest pains, heart palpitations, heavy sweating, depression, indescribable anxiety, anger.

It sounds like you're ready to stop drinking. This site and connecting with other people who have been through the same thing has been the #1 reason I was able to get sober two years ago.

Hiya. Welcome to the forum. That link of Dees about making a plan is great. Recovery is different to staying sober. It is the difference between 'being SOBER', and 'LIVING Sober'.

Hope today is a nice day for you Snowy3Bear