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-   -   Don’t know where to begin.. (https://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/secular-12-step-recovery/430174-don-t-know-where-begin.html)

Littlefunn94 07-18-2018 06:36 AM

Don’t know where to begin..
 
I’m not even sure if I’m supposed to be here or if I consider myself an alcoholic. I’m in no way dependent on it. I drink maybe once a week, but when I do, I overdo it. Almost every single time. I’ve offended countless people, had several friendships dissolved and done things and said things I would never dream of doing when sober. I don’t know how to say no to another drink, or go home when it’s time. I have no limits and I want it to end. I just want to be able to drink like a normal person. I’m not ready to quit drinking alcohol completely. I’m just ready to not wake up the next day and several days after that with guilt and depression from the messes I’ve made and the people I’ve upset. I hope someone can possibly give me some advice who has been in this same or similar situation. Thank you.

biminiblue 07-18-2018 06:43 AM

Binge drinking is pretty serious business.

If you are having the same problem over and over, it's something to take seriously...if drinking is causing a problem and you don't quit once you start - the solution is to not start, yeah?

Don't pick up that first drink! That's the answer we all came up with. :)

Welcome to the forums.

fini 07-18-2018 08:42 AM

hi Lf,

most of us are here because we could not drink like a "normal" drinker and accepted that after many experiments.

so you will be unlikely to find folks here who have done it, though many of us have had that desperate desire to be a "normal" drinker.

you might check out Moderation Management's website.

Anna 07-18-2018 09:25 AM

I think that most, if not all of us here have tried to moderate our drinking and failed. If you cannot stop drinking once you start, the simple solution is to not start. Alcoholics cannot control or moderate their drinking. It sounds like alcohol is causing problems in your life, so maybe consider that alcohol should not be in your life?

Bird615 07-18-2018 09:27 AM

Welcome, Littlefun!

I used to think that even though I overdid it when I drank, I could quit anytime I wanted to--I just didn't want to.

It was an awful feeling when I got tired of the problems it was causing me and decided I should quit only to find out I couldn't. There was always some reason or justification of why it was okay to drink again.

I tried every which way to control it so I wouldn't have to stop entirely and nothing ever worked for long.

After enough pain and misery of trying to hang on to it, I finally gave up trying and got help to stop completely. That's the only relief I've found.

awuh1 07-18-2018 12:01 PM

Your post reminded me of something from the 1st edition of the book "Alcoholics Anonymous" Littlefunn94

"We hope we have made clear the distinction between the alcoholic and the non-alcoholic. If, when you honestly want to, you find you cannot quit entirely, or if when drinking, you have little control over the amount you take, you are probably alcoholic."

I hope you can successfully address the problem before disaster strikes. All the best to you.

Littlefunn94 07-18-2018 12:46 PM

Wow thank you for all the feedback that everyone has provided. I guess I don’t know how to stop or it’s not even possible at this time. I don’t know where or how’d I would begin.

tomsteve 07-18-2018 02:26 PM


Originally Posted by Littlefunn94 (Post 6958210)
. I guess I don’t know how to stop or it’s not even possible at this time. I don’t know where or how’d I would begin.

the first step would be WANTING to stop. it is possible if you WANT to stop.
then be willing to go to any lengths to make that happen.

DaveNZ 04-01-2019 10:32 PM

Can you control your drinking? THAT is the question. Do you have control over your drinking? If so you will only drink as often and as much as you intend. You are the only person that can know the answer to this. If you still have control over your drinking then you are not alcoholic.

Justme8 06-24-2019 10:12 AM


Originally Posted by Littlefunn94 (Post 6957895)
I’m not even sure if I’m supposed to be here or if I consider myself an alcoholic. I’m in no way dependent on it. I drink maybe once a week, but when I do, I overdo it. Almost every single time. I’ve offended countless people, had several friendships dissolved and done things and said things I would never dream of doing when sober. I don’t know how to say no to another drink, or go home when it’s time. I have no limits and I want it to end. I just want to be able to drink like a normal person. I’m not ready to quit drinking alcohol completely. I’m just ready to not wake up the next day and several days after that with guilt and depression from the messes I’ve made and the people I’ve upset. I hope someone can possibly give me some advice who has been in this same or similar situation. Thank you.

I thought I was reading one of my own posts. I know exactly how you feel. This weekend I screwed up and I had planned on staying home. I knew one drink would lead to shots and many drinks until I blacked out. I feel guilty and depressed for a few days and promise myself no more alcohol and then after a week convince myself I can have a few and sometimes it’s true I can be fine but that’s very rare. For myself I just have to stop. I binge drink every few weeks and I hate myself everytime. I don’t drink durning the week or even crave it but I hate the person I become when Im drunk. I would never do certain things if I wasn’t drunk. I’m a completely different person. Thanks for posting. Ask yourself is drinking like a “normal” person really a big deal? For me I rather not take the chance but I’m still on this roller coaster.

fini 06-24-2019 07:11 PM

hi Justme,
the post you responded to is pretty old, so you may not hear back from the original poster.
glad you’re here and welcome to you.
wondering, too, if hopefully some of the replies are useful to you.

needshelp111 06-28-2019 06:57 AM


Originally Posted by Littlefunn94 (Post 6957895)
I’m not even sure if I’m supposed to be here or if I consider myself an alcoholic. I’m in no way dependent on it. I drink maybe once a week, but when I do, I overdo it. Almost every single time. I’ve offended countless people, had several friendships dissolved and done things and said things I would never dream of doing when sober. I don’t know how to say no to another drink, or go home when it’s time. I have no limits and I want it to end. I just want to be able to drink like a normal person. I’m not ready to quit drinking alcohol completely. I’m just ready to not wake up the next day and several days after that with guilt and depression from the messes I’ve made and the people I’ve upset. I hope someone can possibly give me some advice who has been in this same or similar situation. Thank you.


I'm right there with you. A few months ago I did something horrible and stupid and said never again. But slowly, I started drinking again and did the same thing again. I would say that you're where I was about 10 years ago. I'd drink a bit and be fine, but more often I'd mess up. Then I'd stop for a while but sooner or later I'd be feeling like snot.

Eventually, I think most of us started drinking at home or away from others to avoid this.

But here is where you begin. With today and being sober. Don't worry about tomorrow but just today. All that matters is today and making that one key decision.......not to have even one!

DriGuy 06-30-2019 09:35 AM


Originally Posted by Bird615 (Post 6958047)

I used to think that even though I overdid it when I drank, I could quit anytime I wanted to--I just didn't want to.

It was an awful feeling when I got tired of the problems it was causing me and decided I should quit only to find out I couldn't.

Oh my, now that one resonates with me. Realizing I couldn't quit was worse than enduring the rest of the pain and misery. Looking back, I never quit until I finally realized I coudn't. That was a big insight that got me started looking for a solution. The idea of being controlled (addicted) by a chemical substance is truly disgusting to me. I do fine living with other alcoholics in society, but for me addiction is intolerable.

DriGuy 06-30-2019 09:56 AM


Originally Posted by Littlefunn94 (Post 6957895)
I’m not ready to quit drinking alcohol completely. I’m just ready to not wake up the next day and several days after that with guilt and depression from the messes I’ve made and the people I’ve upset. I hope someone can possibly give me some advice who has been in this same or similar situation. Thank you.

You may be touching on something here that was part of my drinking toward the end. I didn't want to quit. I just wanted to get rid of the consequences. This seems like a normal desire, but think about it. The consequences come from drinking. If you're not going to quit, you must endure the consequences. I don't see how you can have one without the other.

I feel like I can be direct about this, because I went through the same thing without really facing the cause and effect relationship between drinking and adverse consequences. But there is most definitely an undeniable cause/effect relationship between the two.

I'm wishing you well. I hope you will find this forum to be a comfortable place to work your way through this problem.

Ken33xx 06-30-2019 10:45 AM


Originally Posted by DriGuy (Post 7217397)
You may be touching on something here that was part of my drinking toward the end. I didn't want to quit. I just wanted to get rid of the consequences. This seems like a normal desire, but think about it. The consequences come from drinking. If you're not going to quit, you must endure the consequences. I don't see how you can have one without the other.

I feel like I can be direct about this, because I went through the same thing without really facing the cause and effect relationship between drinking and adverse consequences. But there is most definitely an undeniable cause/effect relationship between the two.

I'm wishing you well. I hope you will find this forum to be a comfortable place to work your way through this problem.


That is how I felt for years. The problem was those unintended consequence never stopped. They continue. I just didn't know when I would cross that line and blow it.

It wasn't until I became sick and tired of being sick and tired that I considered stopping.

Gottalife 07-02-2019 08:19 PM

There was this book I read "Therefore, it is not surprising that our drinking careers have been characterized by countless vain attempts to prove we could drink like other people. The idea that somehow, someday he will control and enjoy his drinking is the great obsession of every abnormal drinker. "

Control never came with enjoyment, and enjoyment never came with control.

SoberRican 07-03-2019 11:06 AM

Yeah I tried that moderation thing to it doesn't work for me I'm all in or nothing so I'm either going to drink or I'm not going to drink if I'm going to drink I am drinking to get drunk. And just like the other person mention consequences you don't think about consequences while you're getting booze but guess what the inevitable is and will happen the hangovers the what did I do last night syndrome on and on and on it starts to get old


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