New here - Day 1
 

Hello all. I am new here. This is my first day of what I plan to be the rest of my life without drinking. I can't begin to count the number of times I have said that but I have reached a point where the struggle is so great that I just can't really see continuing on the way things are. My drink of choice is beer, although I'll take whatever you've got in a pinch. I have reached a point where I'm drinking 12 to 15 beers a day - which is amazing, embarassing, and disgusting all at the same time. I have been able to quit drinking for days at a time in the past - I went for 7 days without a drink recently. When I did drink again the next day, it was like that 7 days never happened - right back to 15 beers. I have read through a few posts and I do gain some encouragement that it seems most of us experience the same symptoms, and that gives me hope that if others can do it then I can too. I see that 2 weeks is kind of the bar that is set to "get my head right", and that is my current goal - although not drinking today is tops on my list. I quit drinking for a month a few years ago. I went to a party and a (former) "friend" of mine badgered me until I took a drink, and that was it, I was back off the wagon. I don't intend to make that mistake this time.

If you have any advice for me I'd appreciate it, and thank you all for being here.

Just take ONE DAY AT A TIME. Never think ahead as far as two weeks, 30 days, or even 3 days for that matter. We addicts/alcoholics have to live in TODAY in order to get on the patch toward sobriety. I'm not the best one to give advice since I relapsed again, and I am on and off so much, but I have the tools I just have to learn how to use them. Get the tools in AA or rehab. You can do it if you really want it, you will win!

Love

Jaz

Hi BeerNut,

Welcome!

I'm glad you've made the decision to stop drinking and this is a great place to get support and information. Since you said you stopped drinking for 7 days recently, you might be alright, but it's always good to check with your dr first because detoxing from alcohol can be very dangerous.

The advice I would give you is to change your habits. That's what worked for me. I had to specifically plan to be doing something else during the times when I would have been drinking. I had to change my daily and weekly routines so as to not remind me of drinking. And, I avoided parties for a long time because I tried once, early on, to go to a party and I was so miserable.

I hope you keep posting.

Hey BeerNut
I was exactly the same way a twelve pack of Corona a day, only thing is I would go on bad binges where I'd drink from morning to night for days. I had a 30 year career like that, however it progressed downhill over the years. Today is day 6 since my last binge and I am feeling somewhat back to normal...the last five days were hell.
I am not going back down that road again for sure and I know it for sure this time.
I am happy about it, I'm so happy I'm having belly laughs today talking to friends, I haven't had a good laugh in a long time.
Good Luck, If I can do it you can do it.

Beernut...glad you are here! A sincere welcome to you.
I would recommend taking the suggestions of others who have gone through what you are going through...and as jazzpoppy said "one day at a time"- that seems to help me out alot....sometimes its "one second at a time..."
Much luck
amymarie

:kitty: Welcome Beernut!

You will find lots of support here. SR is great!

I only have about a month of sobriety myself so I will hold back on offering advice except to say that AA meetings have been helping me, and SR is great because it is available 24/7.

Best of luck to you!
:Val004:

Lastbinge,

I've got my share of binges under my belt too. I am self employed so it gives me the freedom to "take a day" and drink from dawn 'till dusk if I want to, and I've done it many times. Those episodes are the ones that really get me down, because I know I'm just hurting myself by ignoring my work and drinking myself into oblivion. Not going to do it today!

BeerNut.......Self employed here too. A general contractor with ten employees, that has definitely enabled me to drink during the day and they cover my ass. A few phone calls to them at 7am and then pop open a frosty Corona was my MO. I'd go for months between binges, not drinking every day, sometimes not for a few weeks. But then something, usually at work would get me PO'd enough where I'd go over the edge on a binge.

Good luck to you....that damn self employment can be enabling to this issue for sure.

:c031: Welcome to SR!

Blessings...

Welcome buddy!! If I didn't have that first day, I wouldn't be here today. You can do this!! I know if I can do it anybody can do it. Stay in the moment and don't use no matter what. This also include substituting a mind or mood altering substance for another. Hang in there.

Hi Beernut and Welcome to SR!

Alot of your post fits my bio. Beer being my first choice, I love the taste of it and was even able to "run wuth the big dawgs" if not drink them under the table on occasion. I did it for years, life of the party so to speak. a little over 2 years ago, my family merged with my Mom and Dad so I can take care of them...they (especially my Dad) drink every day. So I slowly began going from "social weekends" to a few days a week to everyday. Mom and I drink the same beer so we were going through a case minimum a day (Mom drinking MAYBE 6-8 on occasion) :eek5: Long story short, I quit drinking. Cold turkey.....it sucked at first, I quit on june 11th and had a small slip right around my 5 week mark. I havent drank since. My point here is that the others are soooooo right......One Day At A Time!!!! You can do this!!!! Its not easy and its not fun at first but it does get better!!!!! Keep reading and posting, this place is awesome!!!!
Liss

Hi Beernut, Glad you found us ... Welcome to SR...

Congartulations on one day sober...!


Hugs... :Val004:

Welcome! I'm glad you found us.

:Val004: Beernut....
WELCOME TO SR!!!! The addict in my life is my daughter, and I'm certainly no expert in anything, esp. not life...lol. But years ago when I was in my 20's a friend of mine told me he thought I had a drinking problem....so I just quit....but the point of this story, was, whenever I went somewhere, if I had a glass in my hand,whether it was coke or sprite, people assumed there was alcohol in it and left me alone, so I never had to explain that I wasn't drinking.
Anyway...just wanted to welcome you here.....keep reading, more will be along with more valid advice.... :)

Welcome BeerNut,
Glad to have you here at SR! Keep coming back! You know, all any of us have is today--yesterday is gone forever & we are not guaranteed a tomorrow. I wish you well on your road to recovery.

((( Beernut ))) It does sound like a familiar story... I've been there with the self employment. It was damn hard to put myself to work when I had a raging hangover, my ears felt like they were being drilled and there was an ice cold beer or a tad of scotch and ice in the fridge. Off I was, needing another day to just chill out before I went to work.

I don't set myself up for disaster anymore and the obsession to drink DOES diminish and even disappear. There was a time I couldn't fathom my life without a drink. Now I wouldn't even consider booby trapping my life again.

Oh bless your heart, today is my first day here to, and I to am a beer drinker. Yep a 12 pack and them some, I know it's awful! Today is day 2 with nothing so far, and I feel good, even though that voice is back there....I'm trying to ignore it and focus on how good I feel today. I ran an extra mile on my workout and it felt good to workout not hung over.
I'm right there with you, I'm looking for and advice, and support. You are not alone, and doesn't it feel good to at least know that? I know it makes me feel just a little better.
I know this sounds stupid but the way I can slam a beer, when I thought about it yesterday I slammed a whole glass of water...it hurt...but worked! It use to be cool to be able to drink and keep up with the guys but nowadays...it's not for me anymore.
Hang in there, this board seems like it has some GREAT people on it!!

Welcome! I drank every day for years - I can relate to the 12-15 beer thing too - amazing, embarrasing, and disgusting all at the same time. Until the next day when I would do it all over again. AA helped me to learn how to live without alcohol it also helped me to know that I am not alone in this struggle. I would highly recommend getting to a meeting. You can do this. Are you ready?

I am ready. I can honestly say that for the first time in my life I am accepting the fact that there is something seriously wrong with me, but that's OK. If the worst thing I have to do for the rest of my life is not drink, then I can handle that. Before I quit lying to myself that "I can quit anytime I want", or "I'll cut down starting tomorrow", there would be no way. I know now that every attempt I have made in the past to quite drinking has been half-hearted. I didn't really want to quit, I wanted to drink like everybody else who has a few drinks & doesn't fall down or forget what day it is or where they're at. Unfortunately I can't do that, so I have to give it up.

I know when I finally accepted my alcoholism - it was actually a tremendous relief. I had denied it, rationalized it, and ignored it for years. Once I accepted it, I could get on w doing something about it and living my life. I have seen drastically positive changes in my life since I stopped drinking. You can too.
JMHS