I quit drinking 25 years ago. A few years ago I started having an occassional beer again. I seldom finsih it and have no desire for the buzz associated with alcohol anymore. That wasn’t always true, I had to learn to like an appreciate myself just as I am. When I accomplished that drinking had nothing to offer me anymore.
If anyone else is thinking about similar circumstances and reading this forum–either now or in the future–the conversation is as relevant as ever. Few threads actually require the ongoing attention of the same particular people.
God damnit. I do this every time.
Yes, but this one does. People are addressing questions and comments to Rack-a-Bones as if he or she is still here, and he isn’t.
Five freaking years.
It took making my mom crying to stop. I like drinking. I have a good job. I own my car. I have no debt. But I’m pretty sure my kidneys are gone. I’m not here for sympathy It’s a hard thing to deal with. Watch any TV show or a movie, there is always a scene involving drinking. You donlt notice that unless you’re someone who … blah.
I’m always here. This is my favorite place on the Internet. I can’t believe there are still message boards. I was here when it was a column in a newspaper. I’m just not wordy. But I’m struggling right now. I don’t expect replies. But this is a place where I know I’ll get some good advice.
I was here for the flying blimp fiasco. I’d love to read that one again.
Good luck
hows the sobriety going, BTW?
oh, 5 years
congratualations!!!
Did I just not say it isn’t going well?
I struggle. What do you want? A renouncement?
I thought this thread was only 15 days old… I see now you’ve been sober 5 years. That’s good. I’m wishing you nothing but success my man.
But I know, life can be hard.
Trying to figure out which mod to ask to delete this. Nothing worse than finding out you still failed
Hey, you’ve only failed if you quit trying!
Look man, I’ve been clean and sober for 22 years.
But I don’t have a job, I don’t have a 4 year degree, I don’t pay my own bills, I’ve never held the same job for more than 9 months and only held one job that long. I’m 50 pounds overweight and have weighed exactly the same for like 9 years and been on a “diet” the whole time.
I fuck up, a lot. But I don’t give up. My struggles are more mental health now, depression, bipolar, but… I don’t give up. Maybe someday I will succeed. Until then I will keep trying.
Dude, I have trouble reading a book that is 200 pages long, the self discipline to do that… but I won’t give up!!!
I’m not asking for help. Just know it’s a hard thing to deal with. We all have our demons.
This forum can be a bit caustic. But I came back here because people are honest about their opinions.
ok, well… best of luck to you. I like posting here too…
Rack, if you want to quit, have you tried seeking treatment? There’s a reason it exists: most addicts & alcoholics can’t quit on their own – that’s nothing to be ashamed of, by the way – but many of those can quit with help. Almost every alcoholic who wants to quit tries doing it alone first. After that doesn’t work is when they go to a professional. That’s where you are, the middle of that process.
I would bet there’s nothing stopping you from calling up a local treatment center tomorrow.
5 years ago you had a choices, your choices are fewer now. NOW There is really only 2. You know what you have to do…and you can do it.
JUST DO IT!
I would suggest a 12 step program, the 12 steps will give you guidelines to follow that if adhered to just might eliminate your need for alcohol and improve your lifestyle.
Rack - no advice, just best wishes.
Hello Rack. Wanting to talk to you.
The biggest, by far, issue I had when I had to quit drinking was asking for help.
I am a fairly smart guy. I also have a fairly heightened sense of personal responsibility in that if I fuck up, I take it really hard (note, this is a very bad trait for an alkie to have).
So, for a long time I knew I had to stop drinking but I wanted to do it my way. The downside to this is, of course, the fact that my way never worked.
In past threads about A.A. there have been quite a few people who are critical of A.A. and many of those point to the whole powerless over alcohol thing as a bad thing. I think those who are critical of the idea of being powerless over alcohol don’t understand what that actually means. What it actually means is that, for me at least, my method of controlling my alcohol intake when I drank didn’t work. Furthermore, every other method I tried did not work. I was, and still am, powerless to control what I drink if I start drinking.
Once I admitted this to myself, I was able to *let go and ask for help *and actually accept it.
After that, I started just doing what others (mainly A.A. people) told me. I learned how to live without drinking.
And, by doing so, I gained control over my drinking in that I haven’t had a drink in 11 + years and haven’t had the urge in ~ 10.
Slee
He hasn’t logged into the message board since posting to this thread just before Halloween.