As many of you know I'm an alcoholic. Well as of this post I've decided last nite would be my last nite to booze it up. I've had this problem for a while, and I've had enough.
Let me explain what type of alcoholic I am, I'm the type that If I see alcohol in the fridge I can stay away from it, but the moment I drink even 1 beer or take one shot, I'll drink the fridge dry and empty it of all its contents.
This is a big step for me and I know I can do it.
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02-24-03, 03:01 PM
Shawn
I applaud your decision but caution you to rethink doing it all on your own, if this is really something you want to do then join a support group or even have a "sober" friend awaiting int he wings to help you in situations where you feel tempted to fall off the wagon.

Again BRAVO, and best of luck.

02-24-03, 03:39 PM
samantha
Ron I think this is great! I know you can do it too. Please tho, if you need help do not be afraid to get it. The aa suport group Im sure would be a great start. If you need an ear well you know also where to turn to. I have faith in you and just wanting to quit is the first major step in doing so. Cool

02-24-03, 03:49 PM
Lydia
WOW Ron - I am impressed!!! You are at that age where many wouldn't have the courage to face up to your reality!!! Along with the others (and many more to come, I am sure) I applaud your acknowledgement and decision!!!

I wish you the absolute best!!!!!!
Lydia

02-24-03, 04:38 PM
puppyblues
OMG Ron, I'm so proud of you! What a mature thing for someone of 21 years of age too admit. For most people, it takes them a majority of their lives to admit they have a problem, and the rest of it to get some help and actually STOP doing it.

I think that you will find a much better, richer, fuller life without the aid of alcohol. You will see things different, do things different..and will meet different type of people as well. This may be really uncomfortable for you at first, but remember that stepping outside your comfort zone makes it possible to see and do things that you wouldn't ever have thought you could or would do. And it's only uncomfortable for awhile.

Please remember to take baby steps, you can't just do it all on your own. Even if you don't go to AA or another program, remember that you have friends all over the world now, and I know that I for one will be here for you, night or day...without hesitation, without fail. After all, what are friends for?

I know this because I'm married (right now) to an alcoholic and I grew up with it all over my family. I for one, don't drink much because I see what it's done over the years to lots of my family members.

Good luck, 'Ronshay' Wink and know that all you have to do is send a fast email, or an IM and I will be here....at the drop of a hat. Smile

Your Friend, Laurie/puppyblues

02-24-03, 05:37 PM
kittypal
Ron, congrats, what a great attitude and a wonderful step. Your life will be so, so much better. There will be some rough spots, so please, please, either go to the chat for support or e-mail one of us, we are behind you 100% and will be there for you ANYTIME you need us. I will not wish you luck because I know you can do it!!!! Big Grin

02-24-03, 08:32 PM
soaringhorse
SeattleRon,
I hope and pray you are serious about this, because you have to get really serious to do this. I am an alcoholic but have stayed away from alcohol for over 7 years. Your description of how once you start you drink everything in site, that's exactly how I was. Goodness, only 21? Must have really drank alot to realize this allready. My hardest part was on the third day, it's when your body decides to go thru withdrawal because the alcohol is leaving your system. I hope you can do this on your own, but I couldn't. I had to be put in a care unit at the hospital, and spend Thanksgiving in there, over 20 days. I didn't want to stay but I did, because my life was so screwed up, I wanted to get it back. It worked, I had to quit hanging at the same old places, with the so called "drinking buds" but if they are just there when they want to party then are they really your freinds? Also I had to remove all alchohol out of my house, when I came home from the care unit. That way no teasing, you know? Please check into AA at the least, GET A SPONSER, as soon as possible. They will be there if you fall, and pick you back up. If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Best wishes, and remember.......Life is Grand! (when you can remember it, hehe)

02-24-03, 09:53 PM
Yelena
Yayy for Ron. Like puppy said, you're doing great, because it takes some people years to admit they're an alchaholic, and then even more years to get better,a nd here you are at 21 on your way. Good job.

02-25-03, 03:34 PM
SeattleRon
soaring horse, its weird because today is day 3, and I feel fine. I"m not even thinkin about it. I've been keeping busy with other things.
So far so good you guys.
What I want to do is to really not put it away all together, but only to drink on a special occasion I.E. a thanksgiving, christmas or new years type of thing, and to not get heavily wasted.
I don't want to go off it all the way, but I've made a choice to not just have a drink at 12 noon on a tuesday. Or make everything i drink irish.
I'm positive I can do this, but I'm glad to know I have you guys here to help me out. I think this is the only support group I really need. Thanks again!

02-25-03, 04:09 PM
honilov
Ron, I had no idea that you were an alcoholic, but I'm so glad that you decided to quit. You've taken the first big step, and I believe you are strong enough to go all the way. You've got my support to the highest degree. Keep us posted to your progress. Good luck.

Soaringhorse, it's so nice that you kicked the habit, and is staying dry.

02-25-03, 07:32 PM
gatman
An excellent move Ron. Admitting your problem in a public forum and to friends is a very good sign. We are here to help if we can. I will urge you to seek a local support group like aa also. I have faith in you Ron.

02-25-03, 08:41 PM
soaringhorse
Ron,
That's good to hear, hope it stays that way. I know it really doesn't help when your freinds come around, that' when you need to be tuff. But I'm glad you're not feeling the urge, I will tell you that chocolate does wonders when you're craving, lol. Just mind over matter, too. As far as the drinking occasionally, well, through AA I've learned theres no such thing for me, you see. Once I start, I don't stop. So the solution is not even to touch it. Once again, Good Luck! SeattleRon. Honilov, thanks for the compliment, it hasn't been easy, I did a little damge to my liver, but minor, luckily I didn't drink too much hard liquor. The road has been hard at times, especially when stress comes about, but I am happier and more gratifying for life now. My what a beautiful world it can be, if you let it.

02-26-03, 07:34 AM
Wildflower63
Sobriety is for people that can't handle their drugs.

I know, it sounds like a 60's bumper sticker. Drinking get to be too much of an aquired taste for some people. Why? Who knows! If it interferes with your personal, work, or your life in any negative way, it has to stop. Casual or just one drink isn't an option for you. It gets worse as time goes on.

Time flies. It takes it's toll on your body before you know it. The first sign of trouble are elevated liver enzymes found in a blood test. You get liver sclerosis, hepatitis, pancreatitis. I have seen it smack people in their early 40's. On a brain scan (can't remember which) it shows brain atrophy of a person in their 80's. In other words, it makes you dumb and there is no turning back. The damage is done. I have seen people drink themselves to death at relatively young ages to die because their liver is shot. They aren't transplant canidates because of the drinking history.

Addiction of any sort is never worth it, but so hard to stop. You're young. Don't do this to yourself. I'm a smoker and a lousy drinker. My body doesn't tolerate it at all for some unknown reason. I would kill myself trying to be an alchoholic. I can have one good drink, that's it or I am very sorry I had more. That doesn't exactly make you want to do it more often. I would die if you took away my cigarettes though.

Good luck to you!

[This message was edited by Wildflower63 on 02-26-03 at 07:51 AM.]

02-26-03, 02:42 PM
SeattleRon
Coming form you wildflower that means a lot.
Personally what I"m trying to do is to not constantly drink. I mean with me its go out to breakfast have a 7&7. Eat some lunch with friends have a drink. It got worse when I turned 21.
This is day 4 of me not drinking and I feel fine. I've made a promise to myself only to drink at special holidays. Thanksgiving christmas or newyears.
So far I feel great. I can say one thing, its never gotten in the way of work, I"m never late for anything and I don't drive drunk, well anymore. I do have a DUI, and that was my fault with that, and I feel bad about it.
It just became worse once i turned legal.
I couldn't help myself. Since I finally had acess to every booze in the world at anytime before 2am I was grabbin every oportunity I could.
It wasn't an everyday thing, but once I got started I'd drink the bar dry or sometimes go on a 5 day binge. I knew I could stop, I just didn't want to.
For me to quit isn't really that difficult, do I miss it, yea I do, but I realized What it did to my health so I ain't doing it no more. I want to live to have kids and see them have grandkids. I have a lot left to do in my life to sit here and waste it on a bottle of booze.

03-01-03, 08:21 PM
FredPuli
Ron, I'm a 'recovering' alcoholic too.Once you are adjusted to not taking a drink it gradually fades from your life. I could never say that I shall never ever drink again. Nobody ever can, if they are realistic.Why should they burden themselves ( all right, then: frighten themselves !) with such thinking? I rather hope I don't. I don't actually expect to. With any luck by the time a birthday or anniversary or such celebration comes along you will not feel a necessity to drink at it. Maybe you will. Maybe not.Who knows ? There is a risk, I suppose, that you will mean to have one or two but forget to stop.Well, we've all done it .I've opened a 'frig door to get one and found that I ended by drinking all of the bottle or all the cans. I can't remember why; I certainly hadn't planned on it in advance; but it seemed a reasonable idea at the time.Can;t say that I consciously made a decision not to stop ( I think). The idea that the first couple had switched on a chemical 'switch' in the brain, which some drinkers have, which means they can't switch off the drinking session, even if they'd wanted to from the first, would have surprised me.But it would explain it ( it's also true). It's why we sober drinkers would rather not risk even a couple, indeed even one, just in case.We might not stop the session, you see; in fact that is a certainty , having our 'switch'. You may find the same. Perhaps you have found it. Who knows? Now, AA consists of people who know all about drinking because every one of them has 'been there'and , at least for a minute or two didn't take a drink ( some have now had many thousands of such minutes ; one after the other !) Try them if you like. It helps not to be or feel alone in this. Try several different meetings at different places until you find one whose style you like. Pick up a phone and talk to one of the AA, if that seems a bit daunting. But do try them if only because they understand better than anyone; even your dearest friends, unless themselves recovering from alcohol like that, can never be quite like them. Good luck!

03-02-03, 09:55 AM
soaringhorse
Ron,
Just keep in mind that alchohol is a depressant, so therefore when you are already drunk and you start drinking, what does that do? It tends to make you more depressed. I've seen it too much, someone is sad, decides to ease their pain, drink until oblivion, calling people on the phone at ungodly hours, crying about how miserable their life is, and in the morning their problems are still there. Sad thing about is they're hungover, grouchy, and still have to deal with their problems. What I'm trying to say is you can't drink and mix all kinds of drugs together, a drug is a drug, whether it be marijuana, pills, alcohol, and yes cigarettes. I had to get rid of all that, except the smokes, that's the hard one. I think I'd pull my hair out if I quit. Talk about moody! As far as the liver, let me tell you about an uncle I had. He died of sirrhosis (spelling?) of the liver. He was in his forty's. It's not a pretty site, very yellow, blood coming from all oracles of his body. That's a pretty tuff way to die, but then I guess also dying from a car accident, when a drunk driver hits you is pretty bad too. I'm not trying to be morbid, just want people to know the outcomes of drinking.

03-02-03, 02:57 PM
Texan-In-Exile
Well will ya look at that!
Ron - these past couple of months, it's like we've watched you grow up right before our eyes!

More power to you Dude!

And I'm here for ya too!
Godspeed! --Mitzi

03-03-03, 09:34 PM
SeattleRon
i hear ya soaring horse.
me personally i've never been a mean drunk. I don't get outrageously drunk then start fights. I really don't know why i drink specifically. I think I just enjoyed the feeling of it. I knew it was unhealthy, and would cause problems, like my DUI. I really just enjoyed the feeling I guess.
Then again when I was younger, like in my teens, Before I'd hit the streets to sell pot and stuff I'd get drunk to kinda numb myself from what I knew that what I was doing was dangerous. That could be it too.
But today I"m legit, granted I'm on unemployment, but I do nothing illegal anymore. Maybe I did it to mask the wrongs I did in the past I guess. I really don't know.

03-04-03, 09:10 AM
Texan-In-Exile
Ron - You've reached a point at 21 that some people never reach in their whole lives.
If you've come this far this young, just think how much farther you can go in life.

If you ever start to feel deprived because you're not drinking, remember -
You're not being left out - you've made a choice to pass up something so that you can achieve a goal: To have a better life for yourself.

Attitude makes a lot of difference, and realizing that you're doing something (or not doing something) because you have chosen to, puts the control in your hands.
And it feels a lot better than doing something because someone is making you do it! (Plus - you get all the credit! Big Grin )

Good luck!

03-04-03, 01:33 PM
SeattleRon
thanks Tex!
and so far, i don't feel deprived, feel like i've been reborn.

03-04-03, 03:44 PM
Ewood27
I've decided to go off the sauce.
Ron, I'm a 'recovering' alcoholic too. Special occasions are difficult, I know. How do you tell your old drinking buddies that you won't have a drink, thank you? I can tell you from experience that "No thanks, I'm an alcoholic" stops them dead in their tracks and they just change the subject.

It's your decision, of course. Nobody else can live your life for you, but if you're serious about quitting you can't risk drinking on special occasions. It's all too easy then to have just one on a non-special occasion - and be back where you came from.

It's a very daunting prospect to face the whole of the rest of your life without so much as one drink. If that's too much, make your target manageable. Simply resolve not to have the first drink today.

Sometimes that's too much. In that case resolve not to have a drink in the next ten minutes - or even the next minute. I've had to do that, but it does get easier.

Above all, you're not alone. We're all rooting for you.

03-05-03, 02:58 PM
SeattleRon
thank you Ewood, I appreciate that.

03-05-03, 07:40 PM
FredPuli
Ewood is right ; well I say right, that experience is mine, anyhow ! Don't think ( worry ?!) that you'll never drink again. You might. In a few minutes even. But just at the moment you're not; maybe later and maybe not, but now at this second, well no and not for the next I guess. I personally never understand the thing about '1 year sober' or '5 years sober'like it's something to aim for or be proud of because , heck, they only managed a minute at a time too! Then I expect like me, like you, they got to forget that they were doing it. I agree about the social drink. I hope you don't try to test this for yourself, but an awful lot of us have and can say that they have had just the one and found that 'one was too many but even the bottle was nowhere near enough'.And once you've lost it, turned on that switch in your head that won't seem to go off, it's so hard to get back again.Stay happy!And good luck!

03-05-03, 08:16 PM
soaringhorse
I will have to admit, I had a couple of slips, which seem to come like in every six months. But for some reason, I knew I had messed up. So I had to start all over again, on my anniversary date of stopping. It happens, and as long as you try, try, again, it'll work. Sometimes its just that you have to make some changes in your life. Maybe try and relieve some of the stress, learn to indulge in things that make you happy. Take time out for you, because if you're not happy, then no one around you is. This is your life, and only you can control yourself.

03-15-03, 08:02 PM
EBknowsBUBBA
Back in my younger days, I had my share of times when I hit it hard. But when I got married, I married a lady who didn't want me to drink. So I didn't.

After a while, I realized it felt good waking up in the morning without a hangover. Over the course of time, I got to a state of mind, I don't even miss it.

Here I am 46 years old. Actually I feel just as good, perhaps better now than when I was 21 years old. Of course, I am not doing a lot of the crazy stuff to my body now, I was doing at that time of my life.

This is a decision you will not regret.

07-11-03, 07:46 AM
clarebear
One day at a time.

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