TammyDHU882

Hello everyone:

I would like to introduce myself to the group. My name is Tammy and I live in Central Minnesota. I've never been married and have no kids. My drinking career has been a long one, I started drinking socially when I was around 17 years old. Those early years of course were happy and wonderful but now I am 50 years old and have developed a horrible addiction to drink that has destroyed many hopes and dreams I may have had for myself back then. My whole world is caving in on me and I know it's time to seek a better life; I don't like myself at all the way I am and now I am willing to make positive changes because I don't think I am ready to leave this world just yet. I joined the site hoping I could experience fellowship with others who are going through the same thing and I hope to find friends as well as obtaining advice from others during this journey. Thank you for the opportunity and I am glad to meet you!!!

least

Welcome to the family Tammy! If you're looking for support, encouragement, and friends, you've come to the right place. I owe my sobriety to the support of the members here. They never gave up on me, even when I'd given up on myself.

Read around and post as much as you like. I think you'll like it here.

Dee74

Hi and welcome Tammy
I'm really glad you found us - you'll find a lot of support and encouragement here

D

ZIP

Splendid decision! Welcome aboard, Tammy.

advbike

Welcome Tammy! You can still change your life for the better. Many of us have, with the help of those here on this site..

Make yourself at home - read our stories and post regularly - it really helps!

CBS62

Welcome Tammy! You are in the right place! This space has helped me enormously. I am 7 months sober after decades of drinking and SR has helped me so much and continues to help me.

ishallnotwant

Welcome, Tammy! So glad to have you!

DriGuy

Welcome, Tammy. I quit drinking when I was 52. I started at 20, and there were wonderful times back then, but I would describe my drinking as "just doable". Off hand, I can't recall any drinking experience that was wonderful, and the next day was always pretty terrible. But as you have noticed, drinking becomes more problematic over the years. And around 50, I entered a downward spiral that set me on a search for the way out. I had many first days, during the time where every drunk thinks he can learn to moderate. Finally, I accepted that drinking could never be a part of my life again, not rarely, or just having one drink on a special occasion. That seemed to turn the corner for me, and I began slowly putting my life back together. After all the pain and agony, I found that flat out quitting was the only way and far easier than forever trying to perfect my ability to drink with grace and dignity. For me sobriety, lets me recapture my youth in that I often experience parts of life as wonderful again.

Mizz

Welcome!
Congrats on starting a new chapter in your life. It gets so much better. Truly. Stick around and take it one day at a time.
You wont regret getting sober!

Hevyn

Tammy - this is the best place ever for non-judgmental understanding. We all know just how you're feeling.
I, too, drank most of my life. In the end I was completely dependent on it, drinking all day. I googled 'health issues of heavy drinkers' & up popped a post here on SR. I wasn't quite ready to say I was quitting, but the more I read & posted here - the more I knew I had to get free of alcohol. Spending time here helped me find the courage & strength I needed to finally put a stop to the reckless life I'd been living.
There is plenty of time left to change your life and have a new beginning - we will help.

Gabe1980

Lovely to have you with us Tammy! xxx

Zebra1275

Welcome to SR!

There are a number of folks around here who didn't get sober until their 50's. I'm one of them, I got sober in my 40's but screwed up after a few years and hard to start over in my 50's.

Don't get discouraged, you have the potential of a long sober future ahead of you. I'm now in my 60's and have over 11 years sober, it can be done.

fishkiller

Welcome!
You will find this place a great source of fellowship

advbike

You can do this Tammy! Keep posting and we can help you.

Dee74

Hows it going Tammy?

D

TammyDHU882

Thank you all for the warm welcome!!! So yes the last couple of days have not been easy. It suddenly struck me shortly after reading a few things about how serious the problems of actively drinking really is, especially with those of us who are older. It's been a mixture of sadness and fear; I totally expected the sadness of grieving over what I have done to my life but the worst is the fear. I'm just plain terrified about having to FEEL things. I'm a very sensitive person and this probably sounds childish but I have no idea how to cope with living a real life. One of the things that I notice people talk about is that as long as one can manage to stay sober, most everything else will be a lot easier to handle. I'm so glad to have made it here to learn all about it from others...have a great day!!!

fishkiller

If you have the strength to get and stay sober you have more than enough strength to handle whatever life throws at you.
You just need to develop the skills needed to deal with life. Staying sober makes this much easier. It does not make life any easier however.
At our age, I am 52, we have been through most of what life can throw at us anyway. We made it this far. Getting older ain't for the weak. Being sensitive does not make one weak. I believe just the opposite. It takes great strength to feel.

DriGuy

Hidden away under our feelings are gold mines of self knowledge. In addition, under our feelings are more feelings to be explored, which in turn, lead to more self knowledge. And I do not believe knowing yourself leads to self harm or needs to be terrifying. These discoveries have caused me anxiety as the bubble to the surface, but never has one of these discoveries been anything less than a delightful relief when they come to light. And this kind of self knowledge often solves many of our life's problems.

But not all of them. For example, I could not discover my way out of my alcoholism, which was a different challenge. For that, the only way out was to stop doing it without wondering what got me into the pathetic mess. Granted stopping drinking was not as easy as sitting around contemplating my inner thoughts, but it is possible. And now I have two tools for problem solving, thinking my through them or going directly to changing my behavior. Which one to use depends on the problem you are dealing with.

AL48

Hi Tammy.
Like you i started young 16yrs and went on from there. What i did with friends was considered normal mainly binge drinking on weekends but for whatever reason it became every night in my 40s. Now after joining here at 48 life is so much better. I check in every day to see how everyone is doing.I'm feeling so much healthier, losing weight, and being mentally sound are just a few of the sober life benefits you will discover. I do hope it works out for you as well. Good luck.