JPA

I was going to write a long and winding post about the events of this weekend but I'm
ultimately not sure it’s relevant. Ultimately, I ended up with some fairly significant injuries as a result of my inability to stop drinking. Fortunately still here to tell the tale, and to kiss my wife and kids to bed at night, but what about next time? Or the time after that.

Sooner or later this is going kill me. Whether that’s through a long-term degradation, or a more sudden event, it seems little more than an inevitability.

As my post history will show however, I have made previous, feeble attempts to quit, and failed more spectacularly each and every time. What I’ve realised is that I can’t do this alone. The feelings of agitation, discontent and discomfort when I don’t drink are so overwhelming that I always seem to fail.

What meds could I look into that would take the edge off these sensations and enable me to give this a reasonable attempt?

Thanks.

JPA

Apologies for the accidental duplicate post. Please could and admin delete one.

Thanks!

Dee74

Hi JPA

we can’t give you medical advice here but your doctor can and will advise you on meds.
I think it’s also a good thing to think beyond withdrawal and start to think about the mechanics of how you’ll stay sober.

Support is really important - are you thinking online support? Real World support? A mix?

D

biminiblue

JPA, yeah, there are medications to help get you past the initial withdrawal phase (like a week) but then it's going to be up to you.

Part of my recovery was coming to terms with long-term pharmaceuticals and/or self-medicating with other things like over-the-counter or other drugs, food, sex, codependency, TV, etc. Quitting drinking is just the start, ya know?

Like Dee said there is a deep well of support and wisdom on this site. I learned a lot here about me, my problems, and various solutions.

Nonsensical

My search for the easiest way to get sober lasted more than 25 years.
In the end I just had to stop drinking and deal with the discomfort.
In retrospect, I believe the level of discomfort I experienced was both bearable and wholly appropriate.
Your mileage may vary.
Best of Luck on Your Journey!

DriGuy

Yes, most of our early attempts to deal with our drinking problem are irrelevant. We think about and talk about on lot of our behaviors and reasons why it's so hard, and why our case is different, but in the end, we just have to stop. You already said this:

But dollars to donuts, you are still looking for an easier way to do this. But I have the secret formula for you (if you promise not to tell anyone else); You have to stop.

Sounds like the classic, "Well, duh!?" But this is the first thing you need to know and fully accept. Everything else is just supportive to that, and much of that is irrelevant too. One very successful recovery program, AVRT, is built entirely around this seemingly simple strategy; "Stop now, and never take another drink," because if you embrace it fully, which few people will actually do, it's all you need to know.

It's that simple. But OK, it's not easy. Nothing really important is easy, and being around others in successful recovery helps a lot. This is where you get additional information, encouragement, applause, and tips on how to get over rough spots. I began my actual recovery in a group with a lot of experience, and it's where I actually embraced the "full stop" that I needed to do.

Hang on to your chair and get through a horrible week of cravings, and then you will be ready to get into the real meat of how this thing is going to be approached. It's a wonderful change of life, with none of the sacrifice I thought it would be.

Welcome to the forum.

Free2bme888

So glad you are back! Stick around!

Sounds like you are finally there, more sick of drinking, sick of drinking, and now it’s hell when you don’t drink, so you drink to escape the hell, but the hell is worse, so you don’t drink, and that feels terrible, etc……


Horrible rinse, wash repeat. We all know.

So, like others said, and your intellect knows, you need to stop this one thing, or you will LOSE e v e r y thing.

Dont pick up. No matter what.

Staying stopped is hard, because you’ve now wired your brain to think drinking is necessary to……be sexy, to be social, to relax, to cook, to be on vacation, to relieve stress. That’s tough, because it’s a lie, drinking doesn’t do those things, but your brain thinks so, that primitive desire seeking part.

My triggers were e v r y thing. WTH.

So, the GREAT news is, you CAN QUIT, STAY QUIT. Your brain is resilient, and you can retrain it.

It takes time. How long have you been training your brain to drink? I’m guessing before 2008. So at least 14 years, yes? And it makes sense it might take just one clean year to feel pretty good. That’s amazing repair.

You can relax with a cup of tea. People don’t care if you drink with them, except for the problem drinkers, who’ll have a problem with your stopping because accidentally you are showing them it can be done, life is good without it, and they seem weak to keep pouring poison down their throats.

So, you need to figure out your recipe for success, FAST.

How? We are all different, and can do Sober Recovery, SMART, AVRT, AA, whatever.

Theres a sticky on books here, you can get them on Amazon much easier than the effort it takes to buy booze.

Big hugs and again, glad you are back

🤓❤️

novips

I have come to conclude that there is a type of alcoholic for whom there is only one solution: the recovery program of Alcoholics Anonymous. I am one of those types. Perhaps you are as well. Feel free to PM me if you want to chat more about that.

Hodd

I saw my GP thinking a drug would be the great cure. As it happened, the act of seeing my GP was the catalyst in my quitting 3 years ago.

I can describe the two drugs I’d researched. One was Antabuse which sounds incredibly nasty, and my GP didn’t even consider it. Antabuse makes you violently ill if you drink, but it doesn’t stop the craving. It sounds so dangerous. I was prescribed Campril which supposedly reduces cravings. That would be worth discussing with your GP. With this drug, though, it’s still mostly about willpower. You need to have stopped drinking a few weeks before starting Campril for it to have an effect.

So, there’s no drug out there to help unfortunately. What did it for was lifestyle changes. I stopped slumping in front on the TV and became active. I took up hobbies that didn’t go with drinking. I accepted that I’d been beaten by alcohol and had to avoid it forever. You need to make big changes somewhere as it shouldn’t take that long to quit. Ask yourself what you’ve done up until now to try and quit. What else could you do to quit? It’s not a small matter quitting so give it serious thought and time

VikingGF

Welcome back, JPA. Stopping is hard- that's just a fact, but it's worth every effort. I did it with SR and some medical support (just making sure I my bloodwork was improving- I didn't take any meds) and yea, it was hard at first and this was certainly not my first try. But this is the one that stuck and the one that makes me realize that the only real mistake we can make is to stop stopping. There is so much good advice on this thread already- keep coming back. One of the smartest things I did this time, and I truly do believe it made a difference, was to join the monthly class, you should look into joining the May 2022 class. You will make some real friends and find support as much as you need. Good luck, you can do this thing.

Anna

Welcome back, JPA. Stopping drinking is going to be uncomfortable. It just is. The good news is that those feelings don't last and you can get through those days. My fear of how uncomfortable I'd feel kept me from stopping for a long time. And, to be realistic, I didn't just feel uncomfortable, I felt pretty awful. Push through and focus on staying sober.

fishkiller

Determination

That is what helps me. I am determined to beat this thing. The more uncomfortable I get the more determined I become to win.

The secret pill is in your head. Always has been you just need to find it.

Just like prison there is No easy way out.
But there is a way out and on the other side of the fence is FREEDOM!

Run for it. You will be FREE

Alpine

I agree with everyone here and especially Fishkiller. Talk with your Dr. I talked with mine and she put me on something and it did not work for me..However, a lot of medications do not work on me for whatever reason. I really had to change my mindest. You CAN do this. The freedom from it is so wonderful.

Quitorelse

Welcome JPA! I got day one yesterday and wanted to welcome you here!

DriGuy

JPA, This conversation is getting one sided. But recovery is not something directed at you. Pills can be handed to you, but you still need to be actively involved. All that I know about you is that you want to get better. Thousands of alcoholics would like to get better, but don't. Are you on that nowhere track? If so, do you have a plan to build a new one? How can we help? What kind of plan for recovery are you looking for?

iAmSam

Could you explain a typical day when the above happens?
There are tons of medicines that can help but am not sure if you're talking long term after stopping or short(ish) term in the 1st couple days/weeks.

least

Doctors sometimes prescribe benzos for the first few days when the anxiety is the worst. It's not a cure all it's just a little bit of help to get you through the first few days. But you have to see a doctor.

Just realize that the first few days and weeks are gonna be hard but that once you get past that it's pretty darn good.