zig Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 I think I'm drinking way too much. I've come to terms with the fact that I'm possibly an alcoholic. Life is slipping by in a fog and I'm ready to change. I love to drink but is it really worth stopping? I'd like to hear some encouragement and success stories from people who have quit drinking. Do you get your life back? Does your mind clear out from the fog? I noticed I'm getting a lot of mood swings lately and that's why I question if my drinking if the cause of it. Thanks. 3 Link to post Share on other sites
dtj567 Posted June 18, 2013 Share Posted June 18, 2013 I haven't experienced this myself, but several of my family members were alcoholics. my grandfather was one when he came back ww2, he hurt a lot of people. It wasn't until he stopped drinking he changed his life for the better. His son and my uncle on the other hand drink himself until he was homeless then eventually it killed him. It is worth it. Link to post Share on other sites
pureinheart Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 I think I'm drinking way too much. I've come to terms with the fact that I'm possibly an alcoholic. Life is slipping by in a fog and I'm ready to change. I love to drink but is it really worth stopping? I'd like to hear some encouragement and success stories from people who have quit drinking. Do you get your life back? Does your mind clear out from the fog? I noticed I'm getting a lot of mood swings lately and that's why I question if my drinking if the cause of it. Thanks. It's very much worth stopping love. Yes your head will clear. Yes you will get your life back, and then some. Now some possibly tough questions: Why do you drink? How much do you drink and for how long? First order of business would be to get sober. Do you think DT's will be a factor? If so you may not want to do this alone. DT's are serious and may need medical/rehab attention. Have you considered rehab? Rehab can address all problems, the DT's and the reason you've been drinking in the first place. I know you said you "like" drinking, and I'm not saying that isn't the truth, but why? Has something happened to you that causes you to want to numb out? Something that drove you to this state? Link to post Share on other sites
jphcbpa Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 The best news is you don't get you old life back.....you get a whole new life. 4 Link to post Share on other sites
peppermintpaddy Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 I think I'm drinking way too much. I've come to terms with the fact that I'm possibly an alcoholic. Life is slipping by in a fog and I'm ready to change. I love to drink but is it really worth stopping? I'd like to hear some encouragement and success stories from people who have quit drinking. Do you get your life back? Does your mind clear out from the fog? I noticed I'm getting a lot of mood swings lately and that's why I question if my drinking if the cause of it. Thanks. i quit many years ago and completely turned my life around( and my family's life) Alcoholism is a mental illness,and like all mental illness,it'll tell you you ain't got it...deal with problem number 1 first,and everything else will fall in place(eventually)....get your ass to AA- it works for me and millions of others... Link to post Share on other sites
ForeverHopeful1 Posted June 22, 2013 Share Posted June 22, 2013 (edited) Having grown up in a home with an alcoholic father, I can definitely say that my father is a much better man now than he was prior to becoming a full blown alcoholic, and obviously a much better man than he was while drinking. Even in the years he hadnt fallen 100% victim to alcohol, he is a much better man having seen and hit his rock bottom. We can only look back now and understand he needed to hit rock bottom to be the amazing man he is now. Although it put our entire family through hell and back, we have an angel here with us now and we are truly blessed to have been able to go through that, to be where we are now. We would have never been as close as we are, had we not come from such a low, low place. He hurt a lot of people and destroyed life as he knew it. He literally lost everything but his wife (if anything, my parents showed me loyalty.) He even lost my brother and me for quite a while. We were physically around, but only because we had nowhere to go, but our relationships were shattered for many years. My father didnt have a problem with alcohol. He had a problem with sobriety. NOW - We actually work side by side helping those in need as a team. A GREAT TEAM!!! No one who knew us 15 years ago would have ever imagined us working together, let alone running a sober living home and charity together. We run a recovery house together where we house individuals for 3 months at a time. I run the charity/warehouse/clothing bank side of things, and my father (13 years sober now) runs the farm - which is where individuals stay for 3 months at a time. We help get them back on their feet and teach them how to become/stay active in the AA world and in their own lives. AA isnt for me. It isnt supposed to be though. I dont have issues with alcohol. My father, however, even after 13 years, attends roughly 4-5 meetings a week. To this day! AA is a very powerful tool and I stand behind it 1000% I can guarentee things in life will be MUCH different when you are sober, than they are now, and I cannot for the life of me understand why a sober you, wouldnt be a better you. Edited June 22, 2013 by ForeverHopeful1 2 Link to post Share on other sites
JDPT Posted July 13, 2013 Share Posted July 13, 2013 I've dealt with alcohol issues in the past. Everything essentially revolved around it without neglecting daily responsibilities. It's difficult but not impossible to let go as everything revolved around alcohol, in order to "have fun" liquor needed to be involved and although I feel that my life is now boring without it I feel like I'm much better off without it. I can't honestly say that I will never have a drink again, but what I do know is that I don't want to go back to that place where alcohol once took me. I've learned to face my fears and issues head on without the need to self medicate and quiet honestly it's much better this way. Link to post Share on other sites
Babolat Posted July 24, 2013 Share Posted July 24, 2013 I have struggled with alcohol my entire life. My dad was an alcoholic, my grandmother was. I am not, I drink on occassion, maybe once a week, 2-3 beers. I can quit anytime. I do not drink at home; I am more of a light social drinker when I am with other drinkers. Though, I do have to watch myself as sometimes i do not know my limit, which concerns me. My issue is with others, when they drink. By others, I mean SOs. I was dating a girl for a while who liked to drink and I always saw it as ugly, bad, reckless, irresponsible. My ex wife liked to drink too, 1-3 glasses of wine a night, an occassional weekend of drinking with friends. I always saw it as something bad; yet on occassion I will do the same. Why do I judge those that drink heavy who are close to me (wife and girlfriend)? Link to post Share on other sites
peppermintpaddy Posted August 6, 2013 Share Posted August 6, 2013 I have struggled with alcohol my entire life. My dad was an alcoholic, my grandmother was. I am not, I drink on occassion, maybe once a week, 2-3 beers. I can quit anytime. I do not drink at home; I am more of a light social drinker when I am with other drinkers. Though, I do have to watch myself as sometimes i do not know my limit, which concerns me. My issue is with others, when they drink. By others, I mean SOs. I was dating a girl for a while who liked to drink and I always saw it as ugly, bad, reckless, irresponsible. My ex wife liked to drink too, 1-3 glasses of wine a night, an occassional weekend of drinking with friends. I always saw it as something bad; yet on occassion I will do the same. Why do I judge those that drink heavy who are close to me (wife and girlfriend)? why?I should think its obvious,you were brought up in an alcoholic family,the family get the spots.... Link to post Share on other sites
jphcbpa Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 I have struggled with alcohol my entire life. My dad was an alcoholic, my grandmother was. I am not, I drink on occassion, maybe once a week, 2-3 beers. I can quit anytime. I do not drink at home; I am more of a light social drinker when I am with other drinkers. Though, I do have to watch myself as sometimes i do not know my limit, which concerns me. My issue is with others, when they drink. By others, I mean SOs. I was dating a girl for a while who liked to drink and I always saw it as ugly, bad, reckless, irresponsible. My ex wife liked to drink too, 1-3 glasses of wine a night, an occassional weekend of drinking with friends. I always saw it as something bad; yet on occassion I will do the same. Why do I judge those that drink heavy who are close to me (wife and girlfriend)? untreated al-anon. have you ever gone to al-anon meetings? 1 Link to post Share on other sites
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