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12 years ago 0 +0 / -0 6

Thank you, Foxman. I will check out your blog. I just started reading a book called "In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts" by Gabor Mate. My therapist recommended it and she says that it has drastically changed the way she approaches her patients with addictions. I'll let you know what I think when I finish it.

12 years ago 0 +0 / -0 1562

Hello Diana,

About five years ago, i entered AA but never knew what alcoholism really was. I was asked by my shrink to seek a spiritual solution. After landing in AA, i read the book called Alcoholics Anonymous. I learned 3 things about alcoholism. The first is the mental obsession or a delusion that tricks us into taking a drink after a gap (like in your case of 6 weeks of absence) and after we take that 1st drink, something happens in our body (not all the time) and triggers the phenomenon called craving so we end up drink much more than we originally planned for. And then there is the spiritual malady, being restless irritable and dis-contented when not drinking we can add few more symptoms remorse, guilt and depressed feeling.

And it is a progressive disease, it does not get better and there is no medication for that. The only solution is a spiritual solution.

On my blog there are some usual links to the book (Alcoholics Anonymous) and a workshop, when you get a chance please visit those and see if you can identify with the disease.

I was a functioning alcoholic, never had a DUI, never went to jail nor lived under a bridge but i was just lucky. It was all yet to happen. Lucky working the program of AA I am a free man today.

12 years ago 0 +0 / -0 270

Hello again Diana W,

Glad that you are feeling that it will not be hard to stop, though I'm sorry to learn that you had a scary experience 6 weeks ago. Please follow up and let us know how the assessment with the drug and alcohol counsellor goes; this sounds like a great idea.

Sonia

12 years ago 0 +0 / -0 6

Sonja, I have been looking around the site a fair bit. I don't have the desire to drink on a day to day basis. I spend most of my time with my son, I am home with him during the day and I work evenings. It seems that a lot of my friends social lives revolve around going out for drinks so I don't spend much time with them because usually I have no interest in drinking. After a while I just feel like I have to get out. My aim is always to have fun. Sometimes I am fine to drink nothing or even one or two but other times it gets out of hand. I know that I tend to drink faster and more if I am feeling nervous. Two days ago, my therapist said that I was an alcoholic. It was a shock to both myself and my husband. I am fully aware that it is a big scary problem to drink to the point of blacking out and I agree completely that I should get counselling and stop, just to be clear. Maybe I am just not clear about what defines an alcoholic. I felt like if I said anything that she would just tell me I was in denial and that what I was saying was typical of an alcoholic. I found out a month ago that I have celiac disease so I can't drink beer and I don't like to drink anything else. I feel like it isn't going to be hard to stop, the experience I had 6 weeks ago really scared me. I am hoping to see a drug and alcohol counsellor for an assessment/

12 years ago 0 +0 / -0 270

Hi Diana W,

Welcome! I also am glad to see that you've made the decision to get support quitting alcohol. Have you had a chance to browse around the site yet? Also, I'm curious to know what some of your triggers are. Identifying them may be helpful in putting together a plan to avoid challenging situations going forward.

Please post often and share your experiences with us. We will be here for you all the way!

Sonia

12 years ago 0 +0 / -0 272

Welcome Diana W.

I'm sorry that you had such a frightenning experience. Lots of us have had frightenning things happen to us in blackouts. You might find individual counselling helpful. You might find rehab helpful. You might find AA helpful.

All along with the great resources on this site.

I know taking the first step to getting help is really scary, but you've already taken it. Staying sober your life has a chance to be so much better.

Good luck.

splitimage

12 years ago 0 +0 / -0 6

My husband and I have been going to a therapist on and off for almost four years but I have never gotten any help for my drinking before. I guess I thought I was managing it on my own because I can easily go long periods of time without a drink. Now my life is in shambles.

12 years ago 0 +0 / -0 1853

Hi Diana,

Welcome to the AHC. We're glad to have you join our online community. As you can see, there are very supportive members that are here to help you through difficult times and guide you in your journey to quit alcohol.

I'm sorry you had such a frightening experience and hope you are recovering in a safe environment. Have you joined an online community before? Have you sought any additional outside help?

Here for you,

Vincenza, Health Educator

12 years ago 0 +0 / -0 73

Diana, my heart goes out to you. What an awful, frightening experience! I'm so sorry for what you've been through. And I'm glad you're here. You're in good company. Many of us have had similar experiences and we all struggle. We understand and accept. Welcome. It's not your fault, and it all begins with the first step.

12 years ago 0 +0 / -0 6

Like many of you, I grew up with an alcoholic parent and never thought I would be in this position, yet.......here I am. When I was younger, I used to drink excessively often. In the last four years I only drink once every 1-3 months but when I do, sometimes I can't stop and I drink to the point where I black out. I never drink in my home and I only drink in social situations. My husband has always worried that something bad might happen to me, or that something may have already happened that I can't remember. About 6 weeks ago I went out for drinks and was pretty badly injured. Long story short, no one saw what happened but police and hospital staff think that someone either hit me with something or drove my head into something. I have no memory of what happened and I'm not sure if it is from the head injury or from drinking. My husband says that he can't go through this anymore and he wants to split up. We were married in September, 2011. We haven't even received our marriage certificate yet. We have a beautiful son, he will be three in March. I don't want to lose my family :(

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