Stopped smoking but still drinking
 

Today was day 4 off alcohol. Day7 off the smokes. Giving up smokes is easy compared to alcohol. I had terrible asthma and was nearly suffocating at night. The alcohol alters your mind. The smokes don't. So I must be a true alcoholic. Now what to do about it.

I think regular AA might be a good start for you sweetichick.

Posting more regularly here like every day multiple times a day can only help too...?

D

Seconding the above advice

The early days and months are tough. Find whatever tools and plan you need to stay sober no matter what! Congrats on being smoke free and 4 days sober

I used to pretend I didn't know what the right answer was. One day I realized I knew the right answer the whole time, I just didn't LIKE the right answer so I was willing to try a lot of wrong answers first.

Best of Luck on Your Journey. :ring

you could go back and read any of your posts and read the REPLIES that offered a TON of suggestions. that would be a good start?

huge

and the key is willingness

willingness to folow direction

:tyou

Try and have something that occupies you when you know the cravings will be at their peak. They are much more easily ignored it your mind is on something else.

Congratulations on day 4 sweetichick

Well done SC. :)

Thanks Anvil that I go back and read previous posts. Really eyeopening. Still drinking but not smoking. The money will run out soon. Only $8 for two bottles of wine and $36 for a packet of smokes. I'm sure I am almost a heretic here now. At least I won't suffocate to death.

I think everyone understands how hard it is sweetichick but the more weeks you just let yourself drift down to the bottlo and back the harder it's going to be to quit.

what about saving whatever money you have left to buy some food and put some petrol in the car to get to meetings? :dunno:

D

True Dee. I'm just scared I won't cope with no smoking. But I have got health concerns re drinking. Drinking gets rid of pain. Smoking is just feeding the addict. I feel like I am digging a hole for myself with drinking.

actually the longer you drink for pain the more alcohol you'll need sweetichick - and you'll find your pain is more & more regular and greater in intensity because you'll want a drink.

Then if you're like me - alcohol will stop working for pain completely.

There's gotta be other pain relief options available for you.

Your Dr is a good first stop, I think.

D

Thanks Dee.

sweetichick G'Morning! It is morning here anyway. I just had to add to what Dee said. Soon...alcohol does stop working for pain. Then you drink more and more which makes more pain with butt ugly hangovers. Then if you really want to push it as I have done in the past....you will find yourself "drinking yourself sober" at least that is what I called it. Of course you are not sober after staying up all night drinking to kill all the pain..you have simply upped your tolerance for alcohol so much that NOTHING WILL WORK ...except you. I am posting here...I am starting a journal ...I am even deep breathing...I also am reading books on how alcohol effects your body. Don't recommend that to all because it has scared the stuffings out of me. The point is we all have to find our own way. I wish you well. If you look at the good (only 2 things on my list) vs the bad effects of drinking...the bad comes out ahead. Keep that in mind. I am sure you already noticed that!

sweetichick - you have to come to believe that alcohol is not HELPING you, it is harming you and will never stop. unless YOU stop drinking. any pain you feel is FROM the alcohol. detoxing does not come without some discomfort, but it will be temporary.

I have also stopped smoking, about 5 years ago now, and I was a chain smoker - known to my friends as the Man with the Golden Finger.

Comparing my experience of giving up smoking vs. alcohol, the main difference was that I found it far easier to accept that I had to give up cigarettes completely than I do drink. It took a lot longer but I have eventually got there with drink, mainly through through learning about the many facets of alcoholism, mainly from SR, and I now know that I have to close the door completely on drink.

Accepting and surrending to this is making it much easier - I'm on day 35 and I have been much more at ease the last couple of days for this reason.

How are you going now sweet chick? Did you make it through day 4? Everyone here is behind you. Keep posting

Thanks Aleric. Maybe that's what the problem is with drink , not surrendering. Great to meet someone else who gave up smoking before drinking.

Hey sobernun, doing well with not smoking. I am tapering off the alcohol. I had too many nightmares last night about death. Really scary. One bottle a day for 3 days then nothing. Too scared of withdrawals. I would go to Àa tonight but just not well enough. I need a few days off alcohol to get some strength back.