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AMA
Original poster

I'm an alcoholic - AMA

183 replies

RedRedWhiney · 30/10/2022 21:24

Thought this might be a good thread for anyone questioning their drinking or has loved ones with alcohol problems.
I'm in the care of the drug and alcohol support services, I'm also a professional woman holding down a good job.

So ask away...

OP posts:
Original poster
RedRedWhiney · 30/10/2022 22:26

FusionChefGeoff · 30/10/2022 22:24

Most AA meetings are in the evenings just to counter your statement that all the help is during work time.

So my question is have you ever tried AA?

No, and my support person advised against it.

OP posts:
mrsharrisgoestoparis · 30/10/2022 22:26

AA do 24 hour meetings on Zoom which are great

Original poster
RedRedWhiney · 30/10/2022 22:30

I'm off to bed now as bottle is empty, and we'll cravings!!!!
Will pick it back up tomorrow :)

OP posts:
OnTheBrinkOfChange · 30/10/2022 22:31

Has it affected your stomach? I was drinking about half a bottle a day of red wine, well, perhaps five days a week. I knew it was too much. However I found the acid in it really really affected my stomach and I was being sick even after a tiny glass of red wine. I had a bit of a trial and realised that if I drink gin I wasn't sick, I stopped myself thinking like that, luckily. Knowing that I would have terrible indigestion and would probably vomit if I drank was a really great way of stopping drinking. The benefit just wasn't there.

DomesticShortHair · 30/10/2022 22:35

Is it that you like being drunk, or are scared of being sober, or something completely different that compels you to drink?

Supersimkin2 · 30/10/2022 22:39

If you sober up are you scared that you’ll have to face family and friends?

Are you frightened of realising your family and friends might not like you cos of what you’ve done to them? Do you like them any more, come to that?

kittenkipping · 30/10/2022 22:47

Did you ever feel liver pain? I think I do . And I think I too have a problem. How did you get help? I told my gp YEARS ago and asked for help. After two years on omeprazole caused by "acid " ie alcohol. They prescribed thiamine twice daily in addition to omeprazole and said to contact aa. The thiamine continues on repeat prescription as does the omeprazole. And my alcohol intake. What do you have to say to the gp that makes them do something? Because whilst I occasionally try to, I'm not sure I CAN do something. I always fail

forgotmyusername1 · 30/10/2022 22:47

I am moving in with my best friend tomorrow for a week as she is starting an alcohol treatment programme at home (drug withdrawal). As she lives alone she needed someone with her so i am doing it. She is currently on about 1l of gin a day so has to have a managed withdrawal. Can anyone give me any idea what to expect. She should have stopped drinking 10pm tonight and is taking first medication tomorrow morning.

Sarahlou677 · 30/10/2022 22:51

My dad was an alcoholic, he passed away 2 weeks ago at only 65. I really hope you can kick the addiction, I have seen how hard it can be

FusionChefGeoff · 30/10/2022 22:59

Is your support person a recovering alcoholic?

petshihtzu · 30/10/2022 22:59

How did you get referred? Was it long? My mum has been drinking for 23 years and I'm 23. 😿

whenimakeithome · 30/10/2022 23:02

kittenkipping · 30/10/2022 22:47

Did you ever feel liver pain? I think I do . And I think I too have a problem. How did you get help? I told my gp YEARS ago and asked for help. After two years on omeprazole caused by "acid " ie alcohol. They prescribed thiamine twice daily in addition to omeprazole and said to contact aa. The thiamine continues on repeat prescription as does the omeprazole. And my alcohol intake. What do you have to say to the gp that makes them do something? Because whilst I occasionally try to, I'm not sure I CAN do something. I always fail

Did you contact AA?

Whycantibetangy · 30/10/2022 23:02

What are your physical symptoms and did you have to mask them?

WonderingWhatNow · 30/10/2022 23:03

Do you think rarely getting drunk but drinking regularly because you feel you ‘need it’
makes you an alcoholic?

DetoxedAlcoholic · 30/10/2022 23:08

@forgotmyusername1 ask your friend what they've been told to expect. I had hallucinations, got confused by time and at one point lost use of my legs. I had to have a bowl for sick as I couldn't make it to the toilet in time and even a sip of water would trigger it. The worst was over quite quickly though. I suggest you plan the pills out and have a day ready with times and doses.

For those wondering alcohol has to either be very very slowly cut down, we're talking like a unit a week, or cold turkey BUT with huge amounts of pills to prevent deadly seizures.

kittenkipping · 30/10/2022 23:09

Whenimakeithome - no. I am an atheist and cannot engage in a Christian programme. But the thread isn't about me. I just wanted to ask the op

DetoxedAlcoholic · 30/10/2022 23:11

@kittenkipping go back again to the GP and ask for help and referral to a local drug/alcohol addiction service. Try AA but it's not for everyone, an alternative is the SMART programme.

DetoxedAlcoholic · 30/10/2022 23:13

@kittenkipping AA does not have to be Christian. If you've tried meetings before and they were too focused on that you could try another group's meetings. CA or NA can also be less religious seeming.

Notwashingup · 30/10/2022 23:19

@forgotmyusername1 that's an amazing thing you are doing. Alcohol contains loads of sugar so go armed. Sugar in tea/coffee, chocolate, sweets, ice-cream will all help replace the sugar your friend is used to and hopefully provide comfort and distraction.

tolerable · 30/10/2022 23:23

do you a)recognise you as an alchoholic?
b)want to stop drinking?

whenimakeithome · 30/10/2022 23:23

kittenkipping · 30/10/2022 23:09

Whenimakeithome - no. I am an atheist and cannot engage in a Christian programme. But the thread isn't about me. I just wanted to ask the op

AA isn’t Christian, which you’d know if you’d looked into it

userxx · 30/10/2022 23:29

petshihtzu · 30/10/2022 22:59

How did you get referred? Was it long? My mum has been drinking for 23 years and I'm 23. 😿

Bet she was drinking before you came along. Must have been tough growing up.

kittenkipping · 30/10/2022 23:31

Whenimakeithome - screen shots From AA Great Britain website today - in the first 6 steps of 12 only 5 mention God. I'm sure you are right and I've failed to research and it's nothing to do with Christianity. My failure. Amongst many. In my opinion it's a Christian organisation, who's aims (as per their steps and online guidance) are geared toward religion and therefore are not for me.

However once more, I'll say, this isn't my thread. It's an ama. I asked the op a question.

I'm an alcoholic - AMA
I'm an alcoholic - AMA
whenimakeithome · 30/10/2022 23:34

kittenkipping · 30/10/2022 23:31

Whenimakeithome - screen shots From AA Great Britain website today - in the first 6 steps of 12 only 5 mention God. I'm sure you are right and I've failed to research and it's nothing to do with Christianity. My failure. Amongst many. In my opinion it's a Christian organisation, who's aims (as per their steps and online guidance) are geared toward religion and therefore are not for me.

However once more, I'll say, this isn't my thread. It's an ama. I asked the op a question.

‘God’ is a god of your own understanding. Someone in my group considers nature to be her god, someone else thinks of the universe as his.

kittenkipping · 30/10/2022 23:39

But I am an atheist. Not agnostic. There is no god. None. No higher power nor afterlife. I don't believe in karma or afterlife or higher power or any of it. I'm glad you and your group do in many differing ways. Faith is an admirable quality that I wish I had .