Problem/Dependent Drinkers and Alcoholics (recovering or active) Support III

[ornamentalhaggis]

Time for a new thread already!

Welcome to the thread, the purpose of this is to give anyone who is having any trouble with their drinking, a safe place to come and post about it honestly and without judgement.

There are many of us that use the thread for support and encouragement: some in recovery, others just needing a place to share about their worries. It's been going on in one form of another for a while now and has helped many people.

Thank you to all of those who have kept it going thus far, and welcome to anyone who has decided the time has come to ask for help.

Everybody's welcome, no matter what stage your drinking is at.

Jump right in, the water's fine

kokeshi

HI everyone.

Habitual- why will you have to drink? Its just that for me, I still go to parties if I want to, but I don't drink. I don't HAVE to drink- why would you drink if you don't want to, if you see what I mean. I do know its hard, but you CAN choose not to- if you want to that is.
Is anything going on to make you weepy? I hope you feel a bit better as the day goes on.

Jellibabe- CAT is contact a mumsnetter- its on the blue thing that goes along the top of the page. Sadly, no fun is involved, or perhaps I've always done it wrong! The people I HAVE contacted have become really good 'cyber' friends though, so I am really pleased I did it.

Daisy- I've lost quite a bit of weight now too, and it does feel good doesn't it?

Hope everyone is ok today.

BM and Haggis- wtf are you both?!

fio sobering post. I am not an excessive drinker amount wise so no fear of that here. I also have a dd with visual impairment so the need to remain clear headed is never forgotten.
Habitual you sound a lot like me. A lot.

Did anyone feel the earthquake last night?
I was just about asleep and thought that someone was shaking my bed, then I realised everything was shaking. It was quite scary

Lardy - earthquake?

Hello Everyone - like Teasle losing some weight since not drinking which is such a bonus as one of reasons I drank was because of my frumpy shape !!!

Had a bit of bad night last night really really wanted to drink - I played my nintendo ds game for hours to distract myself but honestly thought I was going to cave - have a bottle of sherry left over from Christmas that DP knows about so cant bin it to avoid temptation!!! Had a row with my ds - felt like crap so wish I could log on at night but for those who dont know I dont as I dont wanting DP checking history etc or to delete history it looks weird - hope I am OK tonight - its my b'day tomorrow not looking forawrd to it although I am being taken out for lunch so reckon I will partake of a couple of glasses of bubbly - will stay away from wine as its my fave and of course my downfall.

Has anybody heard from Souvenir wondering how she was?

Good luck today/tonight everyone its sometimes feels so hard just not lifting that glass

yes, earthquake. I thought I was dreaming but it's been all over the news. 5.2 on the richter scale (my whole house shook for 10 seconds) and centred on Market Rasen in Lincolnshire.

It felt like someone had lifted up the end of the bed and was shaking it, and all the furniture and the windows were rattling.

There's been a bit of structural damage around the country as well.

If it's been last week I would've thought it was me seeing things as a result of the drinking

Glad you were able to be there for your DD Fio. I think it raises an interesting point though. If there's a possibility that you may be faced with a situation like that, and you can't guarantee what state you'll be in, you should definitely try being brutally honest with yourself about your drinking. Dressing it up in more palatable terminology doesn't make it any less dangerous.

I think there's a tendency to think that alcoholism only happens to other people, or that they're the stereotypical old smelly men that we're so familiar with. Alcoholism is insidious, no-one starts of with the intention of reaching the gutter, it starts of with the innocuous couple of glasses of wine, progesses to bottles etc and before that person realises, they're in the throes of alcoholism. I think it's really dangerous to try and play about with controlling drink. If you have a pre-occupation with it, you have lost the element of control then you're on a slippery slope.

I've seen it happen to too many people, I'd urge anyone who has daily problems with booze to go to the GP and think about attending an AA meeting. It's NOT about will-power or weakness, an addiction is a serious medical issue which needs professional support. PLease accept all the help you can get.

Did I scare everyone away?

Hi Haggis, just off to bed now- will check in tomorrow. x

Night teasle. What about our lurkers then? Go on come back and post!

Teasle I want to drink, I like to drink but I do not want to drink as much as I was. I want to NOT drink during the week and only drink on social ocassions. I used to be like that a good ten years ago. We never drank at home, only when going out and that is what I want to get back to. I will take it easy on Saturday night and alternate my drinks with water. I think, given time, that I will be happy to NOT drink if we go out. I suppose it is early days still yet. I just want to get back to being in control of my life.

Habitual- I hope you didn't think I was having a go at you- I didn't really know your drinking history etc, and remember I write from the perspective of a recovering alcoholic, so my take on things will be coloured from my own experiences and all the people in recovery I talk to.

I have agreed to talk in an AA meeting tonight- to basically tell my story about how my drinking progressed, what it was like, and what its like now in recovery. You have to be completely honest and it is very difficult, and somewhat scary, so today I will mainly be worrying about that.

How is everyone else today?

Hi everyone - it's the non-mum would like to be a mum here - I have been lurking and hope you don't mind if I jump onto the thread again...
After my resolve not to drink this week, I've drunk every night. Feeling very upset with myself. Am going to try not to drink tonight and then at least I can prove I can do it at least one night.
Next week I have 2 hospital appointments and the last thing I want to be is hungover for them. Trouble is, the more I think I mustn't be, the more I fixate on having a glass of wine...
Every day's a new day I guess - if I stay off the wine tonight I'll be really chuffed -that sounds terrible doesn't it - being stupidly pleased about not drinking for just 1 night!!!
Thanks for letting me get this off my chest...
russ

Oh no Teasle not at all! I suppose I was justing trying to explain myself. I did not think for one moment you were having a go, the opposite in fact.

My drinking history is that I never used to drink until after my second child was born and we had a friend stay for 10mths and this friend used to buy boxes of wine and drink from the moment she got in until the moment she went to bed - she was even drinking in the mornings at the weekend. I fell into the habit of joining her for a drink in the evenings. After she left, I started drinking one or two drinks a night on my own. A 70cl bottle of whiskey used to last me a fortnight. Now I am drinking 2ltrs of whiskey in a fortnight and that is also restraining myself.

I like to drink, meet with friends, have people round, so I don't want to give it up altogether, I want to be able to break the habit of drinking EVERY night and get back to just drinking on social occasions.

My sister though, has done what I have done and she is now almost teetotal, so I know it can be done. I just have to have the will power to do this.

I think I do have the willpower. I have stopped smoking, lost 2st 7lbs in weight and the last beast to tackle is the drinking.

I want to be back to the alert, energetic person I was, not the frantic coping day by day person.

Alcohol is definitely the hardest to give up. I have drunk every night for the past 10 years or more.

Hi russ- how would you describe your drinking patterns and behaviour, and why do you think you drank every night last week after rsolving not to? You don't have to reply if you don't want to, just for yourself to think about really.

Cross posted with you there Habitual!
Thankyou for sharing your history with us. I definately identify with what you say about how drinking habits can creep up. x

HI fio- I had been concerned when you posted that your good intentions of encouraging posters to think about their drinking could perhaps just make them feel ashamed and guilty, which doesn't help anyone with an addiction problem.
I think, personally, that is just because I know OH and others try really hard to make this thread a safe environment for people to post honestly if they feel they have a drinking problem.
Again, that is my own interpretation.

I'm so glad you responded, because now posters, me included, know you have a history of problematic drinking, and that you write from a psition of concern.

I hope your DD is ok, it must have been awful for you.

Checking in for my weather report. Have managed to stay off alcohol. My eyes look brighter and my skin is less spotty. Must be saving some much needed cash too so all good stuff.

Attending the clinic tomorrow. Not sure what to do on Sat eve although I know I can give the house that extra sparkle. I could attend an AA meeting (I have done before) but I don't want my life to be just about cleaning and alcohol. Not strong enough to visit friends as I'm sure in company I would weaken. Any ideas?

Thanks for the CAT info. Thinks thats a great idea which I will try to sort out.

I post things all the time and then worry that I've come across badly- actually I often DO get things wrong.

I'm glad you are doing well with your sobriety, by the way!

Sorry. cross posted again, last one was to Fio.

Hi Jellibabe, sounding good.

FioFio any misunderstanding must be clarified by now? Stop worrying .x

Teasle I know what you mean about posting things that come across badly.

I feel bad about posting after reading morespams thread. Realise now my reaction was not about what I had previously posted just that I was feeling exceptionally sensivitive about my own drink problem.

If your looking in morespam I am truly sorry.

Eh? Jellibabe your posts were fine, what were you worried about?