That’s probably pretty sage advice.
Hey. I think you can be sure that atleast a few former drunks are going to be fellow NFL fans. And, if you are near Cincinnati some of them will even be Bengals fans. (Look at me. I didn’t even go for the low blow Bengal joke!) (doh.)
Seriously, even with people you seem to have nothing in common with aside from drinking you will be able to pull something like football out to find a commonality. Knowing that there might be something like that it might be easier to allow them to help you stay sober!
Check out a variety of AA meetings. All kinds of people are in AA, including physicians (like QtM) and people with PhDs (like me). Visit around to different neighborhoods – keeping an open mind as you sit through a full meeting in each place – and see if you don’t find one frequented by people who have all of their teeth and most of their marbles (or vice versa). I’d be very surprised if you couldn’t find a meeting where you were comfortable enough to return. Then return.
Like Twickster and others said, the demographics in different AA meetings differ widely. I have felt what you are talking about before but then I found new meetings. The ones that I go to are mostly attended by upper-middle class professionals including doctors, lawyers, CEO’s, business owners, and other talented people. They certainly aren’t dumb, poor, missing any teeth, and there is not a mullet in sight. Sometimes they bring other speakers in from other places with those traits but that isn’t part of the core group. There should be some of those around where you are as well. Alcoholism is an equal opportunity condition and, once you get behind the scenes at groups like AA, you will be amazed at the range and number of people that have it.
I relapsed, sadly. Damn vodka and lemonade, Still haven’t explained it yet, wondering what is about to happen. I mean, I know, but still wonder…
[quote=“FoieGrasIsEvil, post:105, topic:515403”]
I relapsed, sadly. Damn vodka and lemonade, Still haven’t explained it yet, wondering what is about to happen. I mean, I know, but still wonder…
[QUOTE]
I’m a sad, little man, damn it…
Im,drunk and my children arent.
Fuck
Please don’t call 911. It isn’t that bad.
Hey, don’t forget - you can still stop now. You don’t have to keep drinking just because you started.
Sending good thoughts your way, FGIE. Relapses are par for the course with addiction, as I’m sure others will testify, but they don’t put long-term sobriety out of reach. It’s tough work, but you can work through this.
Shit. I was rooting for you, as were lots of others. You can do it, but you have to do it.
Relapse is part of the disease, while humilty is part of recovering. Don’t trick yourself into believing you can out-think this. Go back, take instruction, and there’s no shame.
I’m praying for you. 
I’m back this morning, bright-eyed and ready to start afresh. Thanks to all those whom were rooting for me, please don’t stop.
Day 1, sober.
I have a question: when the decision to relapse comes, is it instantaneous for most of you guys or does it germinate in your brain like an insidious little seed, eating away at your will half the day?
I had decided to drink before I even left work. Just curious. I supposes it can be either. It’s as if I had made up my mind before I made up my mind. Anyone feel like that?
Thanks again, all. I am going to start over. At least now I know I won’t get serious withdrawal symptoms other than being an insufferable asshole.
Recovering from the disease of alcoholism requires more intervention than a controlled detox, sadly.
An alcoholic drinks because they have the disease of alcoholism. That cycle is only interrupted by adequate therapy. The most effective therapies appear to be cognitive behavioral therapy combined with peer support. Also important is treatment of any co-existing Axis I psychiatric mood disorders such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, etc.
Get your ass to a meeting. The people in AA may not be as smart as you, but they’re smart enough to do what they need to do to stay sober.
Can the underlying cause for alcoholism be determined, and eliminated, so as to eliminate the behavior?
Ouch!
Don’t beat yourself up over it too much. Most people don’t make it after just one detox. It isn’t like the movies where someone screws up, goes into detox/rehab, and then comes out all shiny and new. The hard part is after you get out, especially the early period after you get out because you still have physical symptoms and feel like hell.
If you stop now, you can probably pick up about where you left off and not have to go back into the hospital again but that may not be the case if you have an extended relapse. There is no cure for alcoholism but there are some fairly recent studies that show the drug Campral boosts your chances of sustained alcohol recovery dramatically. It is a receptor blocker that doesn’t make you high or anything like that and primary care doctors usually don’t have a problem prescribing it to people that it may help. You can ask your doctor about Campral but you really need a some form of experienced support group too.
http://www.mywayout.org/blog/2006/10/30/medications-and-research/catching-up-on-campral/
Thanks Shags. Can I call you Shags? I don’t intend to drink again (famous last words!), and i was at least fortunate that I suffered exactly zero withdrawal symptoms from detox, aside from cravings. The cravings are intense, and enough to drive a person mad, though.
Yes, I will send you a private message and you can use the number as soon as you want.
Honestly, FoieGrasIsEvil, you have to want to be sober more than anything. I wish I could have quit where you are and not have had to find out what it took to get me to the point where I wanted to be sober more than anything.
I’m taking Campral, btw, and I think it does help somewhat, because my cravings have not been very intense. However, this is in conjunction with 3 months of intensive education, group therapy, and AA. I’m also taking Antabuse for extra insurance, but, again, it’s easy enough to cheat yourself and stop taking it. It mainly works to get you past casual temptation.