LFM

Agreed. Thank you. I answered others here about this too so don't want to become repetitive lol. Today, day 2, has been a good day too.

LFM

agreed. Thank you.

Obladi

Oh, LFM, I'm so happy for you.
And it may sound silly, but I'm proud of you too!

Happy New Year!

O

VinnyMcM

Good for you on your decision to get sober, LFM! I myself am only 15 days in so I remember vividly those first couple days. It does get better day by day. My anxiety is gone and I’m now sleeping a drug-less 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep.

Sounds like you have made your sobriety your #1 task in life right now. Stick to your plan and you’ll get out of this fog. Best of luck to you. Keep us updated!

LFM

Hi. I drank on Friday. So I stopped Dec 30, drank Jan 4, and not since. I'm trying to take good care of myself. Eating well. Exercise. Reading good books about sobriety. I don't understand myself. Why did I drink? Why am I thinking of drinking again this coming Friday. I mean I absolutely feel so much better. I feel peace inside. Yes, I'm still feeling some uncomfortable physical residuals, but on the whole I feel good. Am I crazy? The mental struggle is exponentially harder than the physical struggle.

I did just finish a great book called How to Stop Drinking Wine by Craig Beck.

Dee74

There's no logic with addiction.
We can beat it tho with action - do you have a plan ready for the next time you want to drink LFM?

D

LFM

Oh, I see you mean something very specific for the actual next time I want to drink...no, I dont, but now I will give some thought to this, thank you

do you have an example?

Delilah1

Logging on here and posting if you are thinking about drinking can be part of that plan. There is always someone to help talk you through that feeling.

Dee74

This is a good link to help you build your own recovery plan based on your own needs

https://www.soberrecovery.com/forums...very-plan.html (What exactly is a recovery plan?)

D

LFM

Thank you, Delilah.

LFM

Nice. Thank you. More excellent reading resources. I downloaded the pdf. I am making changes in my daily living: vitamin supplements, exercise, practicing mindfulness, and I'm quite familiar with the 12 Steps from my years in Alanon. Lots to learn. I'm grateful for this practical nitty-gritty suggestion to make a plan and be prepared to put it into action.

WaterOx

I progressed to drinking 1.5 bottles of wine every single day. I still struggle- off and on, but if it wasn't for Sober Recovery I wouldn't have come as far as I am now.

I'm glad you're here.

Steely

Your're drinking above the recommended levels, and you're drinking to cope with the way you feel. These are both red flags for me. It can progress as others say.

No-one can tell you if you have a problem or not, we finish up diagnosing ourselves.

Wishing you the best in whatever you decide.

DriGuy

I don't know if you are an alcoholic or not. I agree that the test is to stop drinking and see what happens. If you're not an alcoholic nothing will happen. You will remain happy and fulfilled. If you just need to drink, and it bothers and upsets you not to drink, this is not the prognosis you are looking for.

The big book says if you're not sure if you have a problem, try not drinking for one year. I laughed at that. I drank every night, and 3 days without alcohol was torture.

Whether you are an alcoholic or not, I don't believe anyone truly benefits from drinking in any constructive way, and I don't believe stopping drinking ever did any harm to anyone.

I also remember being in your shoes and thinking about quitting. I never did until I entered the death spiral that drinking often leads too. I wish I would have quit when I first started thinking about it, but I thought I could handle it.

And I did too for awhile, but I never achieved anything positive from it. Well, it did quell my cravings. That was positive, but it always included consequences that kept getting worse.

LFM

Thank you very much for sharing your time, honesty, and experience...all for a struggling stranger, too. I appreciate it. The consequences I've experienced have not been noticeable to anyone but me. But I've definitely noticed them and I had concerns. Health consequences. Heavy heart and guilt. Fear. My first day 1 was Dec 30. My second day 1 was Jan 4. Physically I feel very good. It's my head (thoughts) that's the problem. I've heard that's called stinking thinking. All is well in this moment tonight as I wrap up my fifth day. Just wish my thoughts didn't wander into the future. God bless.

LFM

Thank you. The struggle is real when my mind starts a little battle of tug of war. I have peace tonight as I go to bed on day 5 feeling healthy and content. I'm glad you're here too.

LFM

I am working on coping with things with Alanon. It seriously saved my life. I'm a mom of six adult children. The two girls almost died from addiction and alcoholism. Overdose. Suicide attempt. They are doing well now. One son is recovering in AA and very active doing amazing. Another son just cold turkey stopped opioid pills 5 years ago and never took them again. All this to say Alanon saved my life and sanity. I am so grateful. And i am also so grateful for your share and good wishes. Thank you.

LFM

Thank you. This is comforting.

GrayJ

I really like this quote. It resonates with me a lot. I was a binge drinker. I could go a day without drinking. I could go 2 days without drinking. I could even go 3 days without drinking. But when I drank - I drank a lot. But because I could go through intermittent periods without alcohol, some people around me felt I had no problem. I know I did though. Those binges were my crutch. I am addicted to alcohol! Thankfully free of it for 301 days now.

I agree with what many people on here have already said - if you feel you have a problem, then you likely have a problem.

Gray x