I'm a recovering alcoholic.... AMA

[GinNoMore]

I'll do my best to answer any questions

Hi, when did you realise you were an alcoholic, was it was particular moment?

How long have you been sober?

My mum will never be sober. AIBU to go LC with her to protect my own sanity? Feel guilty about it every day

What method of recovery do you use? (AA?)

How many 'day 1's' did you have?

Did anyone ever go no contact with you? And did it make you better or worse for your recovery?

TodaysFish...I'm not qualified in any way to answer but my gut instinct is that you need to look after yourself and do what you need to do to get through this and consider reaching out for help and support ie counselling. Please don't feel guilty, although I understand why you do and can't just switch it off.

What was it that made you stop?
My dad died at 49 from alcoholism he was told that if he drank again he would die. He lost the sight in one of his eyes and was admitted to hospital after almost dying.
He carried on drinking and died.
Now I've had children I can't imagine how he could chose something that would kill him over his child.

My dad was a functioning alcoholic for years. was then sober for many years. Now openly drinks and admits to it. Now dismisses that he does or has ever had a problem with it. I genuinely feel like I have ptsd abou the shit I went through as a kid due to his drinking but at the same time realise he's an adult. I've been offered counselling with an alcoholics charity but seems ridiculous. Is this something you've ever had experience with for your own family. Do they frantically worry about you now. Do you think you can go many many years and be cured and start drinking socially again? Ps. Congratulations

Thank you for this thread OP.

What made you finally give up? And how did you do it?
How did the alcohol change you? (It turns my mother into a nasty, violent, non-functioning human.)

I knew I was alcoholic at 15. My drinking was a problem from the get-go. I had blackouts very early on.

I've been sober 7 years.

I'm a member of AA. I can't recommend it enough. It's changed my life completely.

I've only had one Day One luckily. So far so good

The reason I finally stopped was intervention from Social Services.

How much were you drinking per day?

Were SS involved because you had children? I guess what I want to know is did you continue drinking when you were pregnant?

pugalugs I don't believe an alcoholic can ever drink socially. All or nothing. We tend to be extreme people.

I think your Dad is kidding himself.

My family is as dysfunctional as it ever was so my sobriety is viewed warily. My Dad is an alcoholic too so my childhood was grim and like you I still suffer the consequences of that.

TodaysFish

Looking after yourself is paramount. Have you thought about contacting Al-Anon? They do great work for people in your position. Your sanity should definitely come before your Mother. I hope you're OK

I drank different amounts at different times. The problem wasn't how much I drank, it was how it affected me and how it aggravated my underlying emotional issues.

I do have children so the SS intervention was because of their welfare.

I kept a lid on my drinking when pregnant but it was a struggle tbh.

Newdad People have cut me off when I was drinking. It made no difference to me. I still drank.
In recovery I've been able to reconnect with people that my drinking drove away. I'm very lucky.

Hi.. you are doing brill.. x

Do people who have extreme food addictions go to your AA group? If not would they be welcome?

There's a fellowship called Overeaters Annonymous. Different addictions tend to group together but it's common for people to be cross addicted.

Sorry I didn't answer that well..... an over-eater would to OA, an alcoholic to AA, a drug user to NA. Cross addicted people use more than one fellowship.