mikkeeb1

Hi all, I am new to this site and Sober Living. I have been a drinker for a very long time. I stopped working about 2 months ago and my drinking has progressively gotten worse. On the night before Thanksgiving (with a load on) I realized I have had enough and came out to my girlfriend that I was an alcoholic and I needed help. It has been 4 days since my last drink and it has actually been going good, no real urges. Yesterday I was irritable and today my skin is crawling(I hope that stops soon). I am thinking of going to my first AA meeting on Tuesday. Any Input would be a great help. Thanks

GabbyP

Congratulations I'm on day 8. Sleeping well and waking up refreshed. The evenings can be hard dealing with the desire to drink. I started out drinking ice water with apple cider vinegar. Today I had to have a few pieces of chocolate and added a few drops of bitters to my acv. Started watching Leaving Las Vegas to pass the time. Nothing like that movie to make you not want to drink. Best of luck. Stay in the forums. It does help. This is my first post.

mikkeeb1

Thanks And congrats on 8 days. Im in it for the long haul.

Dee74

Hi mikkeeb1

My advice is to get as use as much support as you can - so posting here regularly and going to AA sound like really good steps forward

Welcome aboard

D

least

Welcome to the family. Getting sober was the best thing I've ever done for myself. I have never yet woken up sober wishing I had drank the night before.

You'll find lots of support here.

Ghostlight1

I was a heavy drinker for thirty five years. Hello and welcome to the forums.
I found AA in valuable. It really saved my life.
Remember, the only qualification is a desire to stop drinking. And you just about have taken step one already, admitting we are powerless over alcohol.
That can be a little daunting, but I certainly was.
So you've made a great start by coming clean with your wife.

You don't have to say this, or anything, at an AA meeting if you don't want to.
I don't know how familiar you are with the program.
But I think it would be a great idea to go. The only bad thing that could happen is you get a cup of bad coffee, if you drink it.

You'll find a lot of support here, too.
I was a very bad drunk and I had some slips while attempting to get sober, but an AA meeting changed me.
Here was a room full of people all there for the same reason, and for the most part shared little else in common with me. I found this dynamic very empowering.
It planted a bug in my ear, these people are getting sober. It made me believe I could too and taking a drink was never the same.

I've been sober six years seven months now. And I drank with little regard to time of day or situation. I even carried booze with me in a backpack so I could drink where ever I happened to be. Drunk at 8am. Drunk at 2 am.
I hope you get the picture.
Even the worst of us can, and do, get sober by following some simple steps.
I'm not saying it's easy, we all are different, but it can be done.

Best to you and stick around here, and I do hope you that meeting.
The phone weighed a hundred pounds when I made that call to AA. It was hard.
But I had gotten to the point where I couldn't drink and I couldn't stop, if that makes sense.
Again, best to you. You've found a great place here and your honesty will take you a long way.

Ghostlight1

I meant girlfriend, and congratulations on four days.
Remember, you never have to drink again.

Berrybean

Welcome.

This forum is full of useful experience, information, support and suggestions.

My own tip is to understand that sobriety is not the same as recovery. I thought I just needed to stop drinking. Turns out that was just the start of it. I needed to learn different ways to deal with life, and people, and move past my own shame, self-loathing, resentments and rage. When I got sober my crutch of old was taken away from me and I was at a bit of a loss. Gradually I learnt new and better ways and life is better than ever. It does take time though.

AA and the 12-step program with a sponsor has been a massive part of my recovery.

BB

FreeOwl

welcome!!

Congratulations on your decision to live a much-improved life!



Since you're considering it, I will whole-heartedly support your notion of going to AA. It was a powerful tool in my own recovery and an essential source of understanding, community, support and energy for me. Especially in the early days.

Baa

Welcome! I'm new here too!

SoberLeigh

Welcome to SR, milk keen; very glad you found us.

This is a great site for understanding, support and encouragement.

A meeting sounds like a great idea.

Let us know how it goes if you decide to go.

Stronger2017

Welcome to SR😀 I’m on day 85 and I’ve found posting has really helped. I’ve also been seeing a counselor since I got sober.

DesertDawg

I would say watch out for boredom. That was a killer when I was first trying to stop. I would be off of work with nothing to do, and decide "what the hell, might as well get hammered." One of the things I learned in rehab was to keep busy and, if possible, stay engaged with the world outside your little bubble. Even if it means just going outside and taking a walk, or calling somebody just to say hello. If I had been vigilant about keeping occupied and staying engaged, I would have quit much sooner than I did. Best if luck to you!

DD

mikkeeb1

Thanks To Everyone for all the input. Today was much easier because I was busy all day. Gonna go to my first meeting tomorrow. Should it be an open meeting or a beginners meeting?

Berrybean

Open just means that non-alcoholics /poeple without alcohol issues themselves are welcome as well as well as folk who are working on sobriety. So, you could go to an Open meeting, but a Closed one might feel safer (it did to me anyway. It was a comfort just knowing that the only people in the room had been where I was, and were alcoholics themselves). If there is a Beginners meeting available one day this week then sure, add it into your schedule. However, it needn't be your first meeting. I'd say the best meeting to go to first is the soonest one (before your addictive voice / AV does a number on you and talks you outbid going ). The only meetings that may not be for you might be the gender specific ones for people of the opposite sex.

BB

mikkeeb1

Thanks for the info.