Quitting Drinking.
- Thread starter Flynn4Heisman
- Start date
Tell yourself every morning when you wake up, I may drink alcohol again sometime but today is not that day. Over the course of a fairly short period of time the benefits of not abusing alcohol will make your life considerably easier. Worked for me. Live your best life.
I would have to disagree on the “Almost no one smokes like this analogy”. In today’s environment of no smoking rules, and many households adhere to no smoking in the house (we do). I know of perhaps as many as 50-60 small groups (4-7) men or women locally may get together at someone’s back yard or large shed to smoke and have coffee to start and at times throughout the day. I do not smoke.
As someone who has a family member who went through this, don't blame yourself. They have to truly want it. And until they do, they'll drag you down with them if you let them. There were so many times I and other family members tried to intervene and it didn't help until circumstances happened that got him to the point he could get sober.
Keep sane @Flynn4Heisman, keep your guidance straight. You are on the right trajectory. I had to read this entire chain twice, you have tremendous support.
Always available for support. Sent you IM.
Always available for support. Sent you IM.
You have taken the first step; that is very important. I was a a social drinker for 10 years and I am now clean. My mom, sisters, brother, 3 grandparents, aunt, uncle, best friend, brother in law, and ex wife were alcoholics. I’ve seen my mom go into seizures about 4 times. My best friend had a .464 BAC and was brought to the hospital in an ambulance. My mom went through treatment 3 times and relapsed each time. She nearly died from liver failure. Here is my advice- consider detox treatment to give you sedation and anti-convulsives - it takes about 72 hours. Take vitamin b12 to support your nervous system and milk thistle for your liver. Try AA. Change your life style - friends , habits, routine. If you relapse (most do), switch to beer, forget whiskey . Try exercise to elevate endorphins naturally. Try melatonin to help you sleep. Be very careful using tylenol (that's what destroyed my mom's liver) . Don't give up.
Congrats on the new life of sobriety. I grew up in a small resort town in NW Iowa. Everyone drank, most adults in my life drank. It seemed “normal” to me. Kegs at every function etc. I really had no direction, was always the drunk funny guy. I wasn’t a social drinker, I was gonna get hammered and have more “fun” than everyone else.6 possession under age tickets, 2 public intox, disorderly etc etc. finally hit the big time….court ordered in patient treatment. The most valuable thing I learned while there was when I was told “you are not crazy, there are millions of people just like you”. I wasn’t physically addicted but think I needed and used the lack of accountability that being wasted supposedly gave me. “Don’t remember, I was drunk”. After over 37 yrs of no drinking or fun drugs, the biggest thing for me is the fact that drinking is HUGE and socially accepted/expected. It’s just kinda boring not drinking when everyone else is. That and the fact I can’t blame anything on being drunk, things won’t just away and hafta to be dealt with. Good luck, you got this!!
If you are truly an alcoholic you can not do this alone. I only tell you this because I tried your approach and failed many times. Rehab is OK but only if you follow up with AA. Get honest with a group in AA and tell them everything. They will not judge you. They only want you to find the answer that we have found. One day at a time sobriety is doable. Any other approach is doomed to failure. I would wish you luck but it is work, not luck, that will be your reward. Helping another person find sobriety is a recovering alcoholics primary duty.
Honestly…I sympathize with all kinds of posts here. I grew up and never drank until after my last sport in high school. In college it was hit or miss but nothing super heavy. Then by the time I was mid 20s I got into MMA and nothing but work, then working out and after I got done fighting and doing MMA I decided to make extra money doing security at the busiest bar in the DM metro at 25. Next thing I know I’m sucked into bar life for 12 years and the heavy drinking started from a bad break up and so the cycle started. 2 days can easily turn into 4, 5 or 7. Thankfully my life has changed and I still drink but not a day goes by thinking how hard anyone can be pulled into it. I hope for anyone that needs to really quit can find the strength to do so. I hope that those who need to just cut back do so and live a good healthy life.
100% as someone who has experienced delirium tremens in the past, don't get there and get help
Thanks everyone for all the love and support.
I really truly love you all.
Not to get too graphic, but my body decided to completely clean itself out for the second time this week, so that was nice (Not being sarcastic. It's all part of the process).
Had some minor chest pains that scared me a bit due to me trying this slow detox, but it was just due to dehydration as usual. Once I got hydrated, I was fine.
I'll post an update tomorrow with my progress, but I got a Magic game to watch now (playing the Lakers in LA), and the RC Cola and Squirt are flowing nicely. I've already hit my limit of 3 drinks for the evening, though I MIGHT have half a drink to celebrate a Magic win.
Unlikely though, the whiskey was not tasting good tonight.
I really truly love you all.
Not to get too graphic, but my body decided to completely clean itself out for the second time this week, so that was nice (Not being sarcastic. It's all part of the process).
Had some minor chest pains that scared me a bit due to me trying this slow detox, but it was just due to dehydration as usual. Once I got hydrated, I was fine.
I'll post an update tomorrow with my progress, but I got a Magic game to watch now (playing the Lakers in LA), and the RC Cola and Squirt are flowing nicely. I've already hit my limit of 3 drinks for the evening, though I MIGHT have half a drink to celebrate a Magic win.
Unlikely though, the whiskey was not tasting good tonight.
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Trust me, delirium tremens is the reason why I decided to take it slow and not go cold turkey (as badly as I wanted to go cold turkey though).
My doctor is aware of what I am doing, and she agrees it's worth a shot. She told me that if I ever had another seizure, no matter how minor, to call her.
Now, back to the Magic game.
Edit: Dammit!!!! Now I am out of RC Cola, and that's all I'm craving right now.
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DT's are so awful. Ive detoxed like 3 times. I hate feeling like I'm going to swallow my tongue. Get some benzos if you have to. Even if you get them off the street. I know exactly what your going through. You can message me anytime. Towards the end I was drinking pretty close to a 1.75 of vodka daily. Id shake so bad that even like a 12 pack of beer in 3 hours wouldn't get rid of them. I've blown over .4 a few times and still been sitting there drinking. I was so sick of living like that. I remember telling myself a few weeks before I got sick that if I lived through that binge and found a way to detox I'd never drink again. Luckily It hasn't been a struggle for me to stay sober this time. I've never been to meeting or anything I just set goals and moved on. There is nothing I miss about it. Id rather smoke pot anyway.
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Halftime, so I can respond.
It's funny you mentioned smoking pot, as I am the only one in my family that doesn't do it. I just don't like how it makes me feel.
And yet I've had no problem drinking my ass off the last four years and alcohol is a poison, when pot can literally save someone's life. Go figure.
Not too mention I had a REAL BAD experience with pot on the third Wednesday of October 2015. It had to have been laced with something. I was hallucinating on the drive home, and was terrified of getting pulled over as I was intentionally driving almost 10 under the whole drive home just to be safe. This was between 1:00am and 2:00am. At that time, cops will look for ANYONE.
I haven't smoked pot in maybe.... 3 years?
I smoked cigarettes from November 2016 until April 2020, and it's a funny story how I quit honestly, but I was over it in 3 days, and never went through any withdrawals really. I was craving a smoke, had none, didn't want to deal with the ***** cashier at the local KG, so after twenty minutes or so, my craving was gone, and went back to what I was doing.
Though maybe once a year I will still "indulge myself" and buy a pack of Pall Mall Menthol 100s. One of those with a Baja Blast when it's warm out, or a cup of coffee in the cold (and snowing) is just SO DELICIOUS.
Again, distractions!!!! Just like all my friends and myself keep telling me.
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Weed isn't for everyone. I'm no angel. I quit drinking because it was destroying my life but I still smoke weed, and I'll still have fun with blow or shrooms occasionally. I'm keeping things in moderation for sure. You might try some kratom. As you know though you can't trade one addiction for the other so be careful. Not sure if you go to the gym but becoming obsessed with working out and staying in shape has been instrumental in me staying off booze too. I try and use my addictive personality in ways that are beneficial to me. Set goals and become obsessed with achieving them. You can do this.
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I know I PMed and don't take this as doctorly advice. I went down the rabbit hole after my first struggle and just drinking beer got me right after spending 3 days in the hospital. Still not completely sober but years ago I was downing 5 litres of Canadian Club a week. I don't touch liqour anymore as much as I love whiskey it's the problem for me
MAGIC WIN!!!! Franz hit a 3 pointer for the win with 2 seconds left. 119 - 118. Time to celebrate!!!!
*Looks at the whiskey* Nah, f*** off, you don't taste good tonight. That Dr. Pepper is looking tasty though.
I am not sleeping tonight as I am so wired from the high of this win, and probably the caffeine from the Dr. Pepper.
*Looks at the whiskey* Nah, f*** off, you don't taste good tonight. That Dr. Pepper is looking tasty though.
I am not sleeping tonight as I am so wired from the high of this win, and probably the caffeine from the Dr. Pepper.
My addictions are Magic Basketball, Gaming (3250 games in my physical collection as of today), Magic Basketball, FIBA, Computers, and Magic Basketball.
Did I mention Orlando Magic Basketball?!
Basketball is the World's Game, and you will never change my mind.
I was an absolute fitness fanatic during the first few months of 2012, and I was in the best shape of my life back then (though I didn't change my diet enough to truly get the results I wanted).
Another motivation for me to quit drinking is that I am 20 pounds overweight. I should be around 145 - 150. Since 2020, I am now 170 lbs. I always healthy maintained my weight until I started drinking on the job and every night back in 2020 with the worst job I have ever had.
Okay, time for bed. I'll try to get some sleep despite the high from tonight's win and the caffeine running through my system due to the Dr. Pepper I just drank.
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Quit and don't look back. You will do this.
cyclonefanatic.com
10 years sober and this post was the date I got my life back.
Wish me luck
I'm a regular poster with a new name for this. After a lot of praying and talking it's time to admit I'm an alcoholic. For the past 15 years my life has revolved around alcohol. I need to stop before I hit rock bottom. As of Saturday I've had my last drink. I must succeed. I will succeed...
cyclonefanatic.com
10 years sober and this post was the date I got my life back.
Kudos to you if you can do this on your own it is not easy. From what you said though, I honestly think you need professional help. Seizures and DTs are no joke and it you are getting them just after cutting back a bit you are in deep. Trust me, I know. I am an alcoholic and tried recently to quit on my own. It was impossible and brought me to the brink of death.
I knew I needed help and made the very hard decision to do something I never thought I’d ever do. I checked myself into rehab. 30 days and I just got out on Sunday. It literally saved my life.
My journey is new but with AA and out patient therapy I feel very confident moving forward with a sober life. FYI, also please don’t take the advice to switch to THC. I’m not against it but for an addict, which I believe you are, substituting one drug for another is a very very bad idea.
I knew I needed help and made the very hard decision to do something I never thought I’d ever do. I checked myself into rehab. 30 days and I just got out on Sunday. It literally saved my life.
My journey is new but with AA and out patient therapy I feel very confident moving forward with a sober life. FYI, also please don’t take the advice to switch to THC. I’m not against it but for an addict, which I believe you are, substituting one drug for another is a very very bad idea.
