WhyIsThisMyLife

I never was a heavy drinker (maybe three or four times a year), but three years ago I began to drink when I was having an anxiety attack over an issue. (I thought I had an STD.) That issue is long resolved, but the drinking is still here. I can drink a bottle of wine a night. Sometimes I'll drink beer so I am not drinking as much alcohol. About six months ago the dr. gave me vicodin for muscle spasms. I took all those and really liked the way they made me feel. Since then I have been getting them from my mother who has a bad addiction to them herself. I started out taking 1/2 a vicodin, now I am up to 1 1/2 a day or 2. Sometimes I take them with alcohol. I take them 99% at night when its time for bed. I have taking them during the day if I wanted to sleep also. I come from a family of alcoholics. I used to be a compulsive overeater, but had a gastric bypass (stomach stapling) and can't really do that now. (Not that I want too.) I'm wondering if I am switching one addiction for another. Why do I drink? I like the way it makes me feel. It’s like a treat at the end of the day. It helps me to sleep. It relaxes me. I feel less worries when I drink more carefree. Why do I want to stop? Don’t want to be an everyday drinker. Need to maintain my health. I don’t like the way it makes me feel when I overdrink. Drinking could be dangerous *when* I become pregnant. I don’t want to get worse. I want to enjoy life sober. I don't feel like I need AA. I don't really want to stop drinking. I'd like to go back to my old drinking habits. (Special occasions.) Any advice?

Cathy31

Hello and Welcome!
It's great to have a new member. My advice to you would be to read and read and read here on Sober Recovery and see what you respond to and what you can learn...it might help for you to define if you have a problem at all.

My personal opinion you certainly have a problem in the making if not already there!

Simple test for yourself...stop all the Vicodin and Alcohol, now, today for 30days. If you can do it, no problem, excellent!

You can then try go back to controlled drinking - which is really about 2 glasses of wine max (ha! I personally was never interested in that!!)

If you do find it hard to stop altogether for 30 days, you can check out AA or NA...yes, you won't be the 'worst' one there, but you'll be being proactive, and you will not only learn to quit, you'll enjoy, make new friends and learn ALOT about yourself!

Good luck and I hope you keep posting!

Alcoholism - if you have it, and it's a strong genetic link - is PROGRESSIVE>

I hope you can stop this early!

Love
Cathy31
x

Viper

Advice?

Make a decision.

I don't know that this is a good place to find "controlled" drinking tips, and you won't ever stop as long as your on the fence about it, and maybe you don't need to. Only you can say for sure. There are many ways to stop, not just AA, but they all require the same thing to start. The decision.

Anna

I think if you are switching one addiction for another, the way to get off that merry-go-round is to take one step away and take a good, hard, honest look at yourself. A lot of times addiction has to do with low self-esteem. And, once you start using alcohol or drugs to cope with life ie. with anxiety, sleep problems, etc. you're allowing your life to be run by substances, not by you.

Try what Cathy said, and stop everything for a month and see how it goes. You'll have your answer.