Lived Experience Forum

[Bubbles3]

Im am an recoverying alcoholic

Just want to know if there are anybody esle in the same place or tring there best to give it up.

What ever the situation is......this thread could be for for you

[Former-Member]

Hi @Bubbles3.  Great idea to open this thread.  I am not an alcholic myself, but my husband is.  He has recently been diagnosed with some very serious health issues, and he is now trying hard to cut back on his alcohol intake, but it is incredibly difficult both for him and for me as his wife and carer. 

I have just ticked the subscription box to receive an email whenever anyone replies to this thread.  I am interested in reading others stories and hopefully tips and tricks which may help my husband.

I greatly admire the fact that you are a recovering alcoholic, you are a true inspiration to others. Wishing you the best.

Sherry 

[Former-Member]

Hi @Bubbles3

I am a recovered alcoholic from many years ago when very young due to child abuse if that is of any interest 😊. If so will be back online tonight

[Bubbles3]

My story ....
I have been an alcoholic since i was 14 , i am niw 32.

It took 6 weeks in hospital about 3 years ago to get of the stuff. When i first got out i went back to drinking but it became less and less . I was put on meds to help me not drink to. Now i am able to most of the time only ha e a social drink. But it it only has to be when im in a happy mood. But if i drink when im in a bad mood its a total different story. I get aggressive and angry. And thing dont turn out good. Including police being called.

Dont get me wrong ....i still try hard every day day not to drink even when people infront of me are drinking.

It has taken me 3 years to not be addicted to it.

Im proud of what i have achieved and what i have become. I coyld have come close of loosing my kids if i kept on doing it.

Hope thus help @Former-Member @Former-Member

[NatalieS]

Hi @Bubbles3

Congratulations on your efforts to stop drinking, both for you and your kids' sake.

Trying to continue to stop drinking is so difficult: I have been dry for five weeks, and this time has been really difficult for me as the cravings are extremely intense. I stopped cold turkey due to health issues (enlarged/fatty liver.)  I started drinking when I was 14 as a way to cope with multi-childhood trauma. I am now 57.  I have been my husband's carer for 15/16 years and now that he has been diagnosed with two medical conditions that there's no cure for, he thinks it is his right to sleep with as many women as he likes before he passes away. He has no respect for me but there are a number of reasons why I stay (which I don't want to go into.) So my past is my present which is a double whammy for me and I'm trying not to drink but am turning to bad food choices instead.

Take care and all the best. 

[MaryMahem]

Hey @Bubbles3.

I'm an alcoholic, currently drinking, but not at high levels atm.  I go through stages of drinking and not drinking but feel that it makes no difference to my mood, my MI or my life generally.  My life sucks whether I drink or not, though I conceed there have been some very bad runs that have made my life worse at that time.  I don't drink like that currently.  A few glasses of wine is where I stay.

I admire people who can give up and maintain this, and who feel better sober.  I don't.  I feel worse as the full reality of my shitty existence has nothing to hide behind.  I really hope being sober makes you feel better and improves your life.

It is really hard to stay sober.  Keep up the good work.

[MovinOn1]

Hi, 

I joined the foum to respond to you. I am 46 years old and I stopped drinking on the 29th September, 2014. I am an alcoholic, I have not had a drink since. However, I have swapped that addiction for another, and am aware of that. It's possible to stop drinking, but unless you are getting some psychologial help, more often than not, you'll relapse.

Alcohol did not make anything easier, it did not take away the reasons for drinking. Drinking numbed me, and it meant that I hid/masked what was really the problem - I have BPD and do not have the skills to cope well with everday living. I had to hit rock bottim to start on the journey back up. Rock bottom is different for everyone. Drinking does not help me the best person I can be, I don't know who that is yet, but even now I'm a different prson to who I was when I was drinking.

AA is a good resource to use. Find the group that works for you. It's not religious, you can interpret the "Higher Power" as whatever works best for you, I heard someone substitute their own name for their higher power(God), and that's what works for them. The biggest thing I took away from AA was - You cnnot control everything, in fact, you really need to figure out what is in your control, and work hard on not getting stressed about the stuff that isn't. So, just for today, I won't drink. 

I am happy to answer any questions that I can for you.

[Former-Member]

Hey @MovinOn1 and a very big welcome to the Sane Forums to you.  Good on you for joining, and thankyou so much for your post, together with your offer to answer any questions other members may have.  

And a very big congratulations to you for stopping drinking on 29th September 2014.  A little over 3 years without an alcoholic drink.  Wow ... thats a milestone well worth celebrating.  Do you have a favourite non-alcoholic drink with which you are able to celebrate occasionally?  Have you found some new ways of rewarding yourself?

Hi also to @Bubbles3 @MaryMahem @NatalieS @Former-Member.  All wonderfully strong and brave people.

Sherry xx

[MovinOn1]

Hey Sherry,

Thank you for your kind welcome.

I do not have any favourite drinks really, but anything that is sugary I cannot resist. If I did not have anxiety that takes my appetite away for days or weeks at a time, I would be a big as a house due to the aount of choclate that I eat!

I drink a lot of herbal teas and am a bit of a coffee snob, and I put my soda stream to good use as I drink a lot of plain soda water. 

[Former-Member]

Ahh huh, a chocoholic. @MovinOn1 I think you will find plenty of those around the Forums.  I'm definitely one!  I do love my cholocate.  I'm really sorry to hear you suffer from bad anxiety, I do too as I have PTSD. But hey, there are advantages!  For some of us, it takes away our appetite and prevents overeating.  Is that a good thing?  I guess we need to find the positives in life aye?

I also love a lot of the herbal teas, something I didnt used to appreciate until relatively recently.  I too used to drink too much alcohol in the past, not a huge problem, but definitely potential to become so.  I used it generally when I was home on my own, having panic attacks and just wanted to forget or knock myself out enough to get some sleep at night.  It can be a trap cant it?  Anyway I made a concerted effort to not drink alcohol any more.  And to do that, I would have a nice herbal tea at night after dinner instead of alcohol. Now I really like some of those teas.  I particularly like peppermint and some of the peppermint blends.  I dont drink coffee at all, I just dont like it and never have.  Always been a tea girl.  I do like a good spiced chai latte, and is my favoured cuppa when going out to a coffee shop anytime.

Oh and I do like soda water as well.  In fact any drinks that are not sweet.  I have never drank any of the fizzy soft drinks.  

Its lovely to have you here @MovinOn1, and my welcome to you was very genuine.  As I said on an earlier post on this thread, which you probably read, my husband is a diagnosed alcoholic.  Or what they like to call 'alcohol dependent' these days.  I am doing my best to help him cut back, as its almost impossible for him to stop like you apparently did.  He had a recent operation in hospital and was there for 3 weeks.  He suffered from alcohol withdrawal very badly, and made his recovery that much slower.

@Bubbles3 @MaryMahem @NatalieS @Former-Member

Sherry 

Here are some chocolates for you @MovinOn1.  I hope you like caramel as well, one of my favs.

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