I’m new hello 👋🏽 everyone
Administrator
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Dancing in the Light
Posts: 61,509
Kels, I'm glad you are here and seeking support. 
As you said, you feel good when you stop drinking but tend to reward yourself with a drink. I did the same, and that's the insanity of alcoholism. What worked for me was to come up with other ideas for little rewards such as a specialty coffee or a new book. Recovery necessitates changing habits and, though it's often uncomfortable for us, we can do it.
As you said, you feel good when you stop drinking but tend to reward yourself with a drink. I did the same, and that's the insanity of alcoholism. What worked for me was to come up with other ideas for little rewards such as a specialty coffee or a new book. Recovery necessitates changing habits and, though it's often uncomfortable for us, we can do it.
Member
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 256
Originally Posted by Kels1980 
Hello, I’ve always binge drunk at weekends, but over the last 3 years I’ve started to drink every night. I promise myself everyday it’s the last time but by time night comes I’m doing it again. I’m scared I can’t stop. My dad died from alcoholic cirrhosis at 49. I don’t want to end up like him. Thanks in advance
Member
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 25,373
Welcome Kels.
Don't drink today. Do anything other than drink. If you feel an intense desire to drink, do this first:
Drink a big glass of water
Eat something, even just toast and cheese
Take a 30 minute walk outdoors
Post on here
After doing those four things, I bet the urge will have passed. It always will if you allow it to. Don't dwell on the urge, just stay focused on other things.
Don't drink today. Do anything other than drink. If you feel an intense desire to drink, do this first:
Drink a big glass of water
Eat something, even just toast and cheese
Take a 30 minute walk outdoors
Post on here
After doing those four things, I bet the urge will have passed. It always will if you allow it to. Don't dwell on the urge, just stay focused on other things.
Member
Join Date: May 2019
Location: UK
Posts: 3,944
Hi Kels, you can get through this, but it’ll be a tough few weeks/months.
I was drinking 70 to 100 UK units a week for about 10 years. I was definitely dependent and wouldn’t have thought of stopping. I wanted/needed to lose weight so cut down to about 40 units (about 1/2 a bottle of wine w day), but as I was dependent, I always felt unsatisfied. I knew I had to quit.
Knowing you have to quit is stage one. You’re past the stage of cutting down sadly, but you’re on the right track. One you do accept quitting and stop, the cravings and withdrawals very gradually fade away. After three months, I didn’t really need a drink. I’m now nearly two years sober, and the cravings do come every couple of weeks, but they’re small in comparison.
What you need to do is speak to your GP to say you want help quitting alcohol. They’ll sort out some blood tests to make sure your liver is OK, and from what you said it should be. They may also be able to refer you to a counsellor or advise about drugs such as Campral that can reduce cravings. Don’t be put off by GPs not seeing people nowadays. You can do this over the phone.
You’re plenty young enough to quit and have a great life from now on.
Sorry about your dad. A friend of a friend was diagnosed with alcohol related cirrhosis last year. There’s not much warning before it gets serious hence the blood tests are a good move. I reckon you’ll be fine, but realise you have to give up 100%, no “rewards” or binges for whatever reasons, and make a GP appointment. From a bottle (plus) of wine a night, I did all this and am now literally living the dream (well nearly 😀
and you can too. Good luck.
I was drinking 70 to 100 UK units a week for about 10 years. I was definitely dependent and wouldn’t have thought of stopping. I wanted/needed to lose weight so cut down to about 40 units (about 1/2 a bottle of wine w day), but as I was dependent, I always felt unsatisfied. I knew I had to quit.
Knowing you have to quit is stage one. You’re past the stage of cutting down sadly, but you’re on the right track. One you do accept quitting and stop, the cravings and withdrawals very gradually fade away. After three months, I didn’t really need a drink. I’m now nearly two years sober, and the cravings do come every couple of weeks, but they’re small in comparison.
What you need to do is speak to your GP to say you want help quitting alcohol. They’ll sort out some blood tests to make sure your liver is OK, and from what you said it should be. They may also be able to refer you to a counsellor or advise about drugs such as Campral that can reduce cravings. Don’t be put off by GPs not seeing people nowadays. You can do this over the phone.
You’re plenty young enough to quit and have a great life from now on.
Sorry about your dad. A friend of a friend was diagnosed with alcohol related cirrhosis last year. There’s not much warning before it gets serious hence the blood tests are a good move. I reckon you’ll be fine, but realise you have to give up 100%, no “rewards” or binges for whatever reasons, and make a GP appointment. From a bottle (plus) of wine a night, I did all this and am now literally living the dream (well nearly 😀
and you can too. Good luck.Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2020
Posts: 17
Originally Posted by Hodd
Hi Kels, you can get through this, but it’ll be a tough few weeks/months.
I was drinking 70 to 100 UK units a week for about 10 years. I was definitely dependent and wouldn’t have thought of stopping. I wanted/needed to lose weight so cut down to about 40 units (about 1/2 a bottle of wine w day), but as I was dependent, I always felt unsatisfied. I knew I had to quit.
Knowing you have to quit is stage one. You’re past the stage of cutting down sadly, but you’re on the right track. One you do accept quitting and stop, the cravings and withdrawals very gradually fade away. After three months, I didn’t really need a drink. I’m now nearly two years sober, and the cravings do come every couple of weeks, but they’re small in comparison.
What you need to do is speak to your GP to say you want help quitting alcohol. They’ll sort out some blood tests to make sure your liver is OK, and from what you said it should be. They may also be able to refer you to a counsellor or advise about drugs such as Campral that can reduce cravings. Don’t be put off by GPs not seeing people nowadays. You can do this over the phone.
You’re plenty young enough to quit and have a great life from now on.
Sorry about your dad. A friend of a friend was diagnosed with alcohol related cirrhosis last year. There’s not much warning before it gets serious hence the blood tests are a good move. I reckon you’ll be fine, but realise you have to give up 100%, no “rewards” or binges for whatever reasons, and make a GP appointment. From a bottle (plus) of wine a night, I did all this and am now literally living the dream (well nearly 😀 and you can too. Good luck.
I was drinking 70 to 100 UK units a week for about 10 years. I was definitely dependent and wouldn’t have thought of stopping. I wanted/needed to lose weight so cut down to about 40 units (about 1/2 a bottle of wine w day), but as I was dependent, I always felt unsatisfied. I knew I had to quit.
Knowing you have to quit is stage one. You’re past the stage of cutting down sadly, but you’re on the right track. One you do accept quitting and stop, the cravings and withdrawals very gradually fade away. After three months, I didn’t really need a drink. I’m now nearly two years sober, and the cravings do come every couple of weeks, but they’re small in comparison.
What you need to do is speak to your GP to say you want help quitting alcohol. They’ll sort out some blood tests to make sure your liver is OK, and from what you said it should be. They may also be able to refer you to a counsellor or advise about drugs such as Campral that can reduce cravings. Don’t be put off by GPs not seeing people nowadays. You can do this over the phone.
You’re plenty young enough to quit and have a great life from now on.
Sorry about your dad. A friend of a friend was diagnosed with alcohol related cirrhosis last year. There’s not much warning before it gets serious hence the blood tests are a good move. I reckon you’ll be fine, but realise you have to give up 100%, no “rewards” or binges for whatever reasons, and make a GP appointment. From a bottle (plus) of wine a night, I did all this and am now literally living the dream (well nearly 😀
and you can too. Good luck.Sobriety is Traditional
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Orcas Island, Washington
Posts: 9,067
Hi Kels! I hope thi is the beginning of a permanent sobriety. Read around and post often--it works if you work it!
Here's some good threads to join:
https://www.soberrecovery.com/forums...ml#post7517506 (24 Hour Recovery Connections Part 502)
https://www.soberrecovery.com/forums...ml#post7517527
https://www.soberrecovery.com/forums...er-2020-a.html (A Wonderful place for the weekend - Weekenders 25 - 28 September 2020)
Here's some good threads to join:
https://www.soberrecovery.com/forums...ml#post7517506 (24 Hour Recovery Connections Part 502)
https://www.soberrecovery.com/forums...ml#post7517527
https://www.soberrecovery.com/forums...er-2020-a.html (A Wonderful place for the weekend - Weekenders 25 - 28 September 2020)
Member
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 534
Welcome Kels! Sending you lots of support and prayers.
You CAN do this. If there’s any alcohol in your house, now is a good time to throw it away.
Change up your routine for this evening—-have a good book or tv show ready to enjoy or read around this site.
And have a sweet snack ready—-ice cream is still my favorite treat. And lots of water or juice is a good idea too.
Make it through one night....
You CAN do this. If there’s any alcohol in your house, now is a good time to throw it away.
Change up your routine for this evening—-have a good book or tv show ready to enjoy or read around this site.
And have a sweet snack ready—-ice cream is still my favorite treat. And lots of water or juice is a good idea too.
Make it through one night....
Member
Join Date: May 2019
Location: UK
Posts: 3,944
No one here successfully quit the first time. Ask yourself what happened last time after 3 weeks?
The cruel irony is that we drink/drank to relieve stress, but this stress is caused by our bodies wanting alcohol. If we learn to live without alcohol by stopping for a few weeks to months, we don’t need alcohol to reduce stress anymore.
The cruel irony is that we drink/drank to relieve stress, but this stress is caused by our bodies wanting alcohol. If we learn to live without alcohol by stopping for a few weeks to months, we don’t need alcohol to reduce stress anymore.
Member
Join Date: Feb 2016
Posts: 2,654
Welcome to SR Kels! I'm sorry to read about your Dad. Stopping drinking, is absolutely doable.
I call my thoughts of drinking 'as a reward', my AV, the Addicted Voice that arises from the neural circuits in my brain, which have become conditioned to suggesting alcohol as a reward, a solace, to deal with boredom etc. When I hear those 'drinking thoughts -the AV' I remember that's it's just my habituated brain, and 'not me', because 'I' don't want to drink. I then dismiss the AV, although it's hard at first, with time the AV lessens in frequency. In the early days, after dismissing, distraction is useful, keeping busy, listening, watching media, or easting.
I call my thoughts of drinking 'as a reward', my AV, the Addicted Voice that arises from the neural circuits in my brain, which have become conditioned to suggesting alcohol as a reward, a solace, to deal with boredom etc. When I hear those 'drinking thoughts -the AV' I remember that's it's just my habituated brain, and 'not me', because 'I' don't want to drink. I then dismiss the AV, although it's hard at first, with time the AV lessens in frequency. In the early days, after dismissing, distraction is useful, keeping busy, listening, watching media, or easting.
Sobriety is Traditional
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Orcas Island, Washington
Posts: 9,067
Have you thought of AA at all? Many meetings are online now. There are several starting around noon Pacific time (GMT -7h, about an hour from now) at the link below. This intergroup, near Seattle, is just one of thousands around the world-there is likely something similar in your area.
You will need to download Zoom, which just takes a few seconds. Click on the meeting name, and you go to another page which has the Zoom link and any necessary password. At the start of the meeting when they ask if there are newcomers, unmute and introduce yourself by your first name.
https://eastsideaa.org/meetings/?tsml-type=ONL
You will need to download Zoom, which just takes a few seconds. Click on the meeting name, and you go to another page which has the Zoom link and any necessary password. At the start of the meeting when they ask if there are newcomers, unmute and introduce yourself by your first name.
https://eastsideaa.org/meetings/?tsml-type=ONL
Community Greeter
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Upstate New York
Posts: 51,569
Great to meet you, Kels. I'd been drinking 30 yrs. when I came here for the first time. Never thought it would actually help - but here I am, sober for nearly 13 yrs. For me it was knowing I was no longer alone. No one else in my life understood what I went through. They could all have a drink or two & stop. I was never able to do that.
I also started out binging - then ended up drinking all day, every day. I'm glad you've taken a good look at what drinking is doing to your life. Congratulations for wanting to make this big change. We know you can!
I also started out binging - then ended up drinking all day, every day. I'm glad you've taken a good look at what drinking is doing to your life. Congratulations for wanting to make this big change. We know you can!
Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 739
Originally Posted by Kels1980
I have been trying for over 1 year to stop, most I managed at a time was 3 weeks
Keep talking to us all!
Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
