Posted by T_R_D on April 1, 2004, at 11:03:58
In reply to Alcohol and Recovery, posted by aspirin2004 on April 1, 2004, at 7:46:11
> I'm 40+ years old and have just figured out I am an alcoholic. I went to a alcohol counselor last Saturday and he gave me some direction but I failed tonight and drank a bottle of cognac. I woke up early in the morning and called in sick for work. Just how does someone stop drinking?
Hi aspirin2004. I like your handle :)
I know where you're coming from. I have battled alcohol abuse for years. Only now am I starting to take the first steps to stop. I think there are a couple of things:
You need to really want to quit (which it sounds like you do since you already saw a counsellor)
You will stumble and relapse and it will be very frustrating.You've been in a vicious cycle for so long that it's really hard to stop the perpetuating behaviour. It probably won't happen the first time you decide to quit. It's not a fault on your part...it really is just the nature of the beast.
Having an understanding of why you drink is fundamental to quitting. Do you know why? I was self-medicating a bipolar condition that was undiagnosed, then misdiagnosed then finally (now) properly diagnosed and being on the correct meds have changed things dramatically. When I am no longer manic I no longer feel like drinking. It's quite unbelievable! So I think tapping into the psychology of your drinking is imperative.
There are lots of supports out there. There is even medication to help you quit...one that supposedly takes away cravings (I tried it--didn't work for me...) and another that will make you physically ill if you drink (I didn't try it as at the time, I don't think I was fully committed to stopping--we find all sorts of ways to justify our behaviour don't we!?!?)
If you feel like support groups are worth trying I recommend them. Again, they didn't work for me but I know they have helped others immensely.
What sort of helath coverage do you have? You could check into a treatment facility if you think it's serious enough. I'm from Canada and I researched some in my area...they were quite good. I never went through with it but I was *this close*...
I hope this hasn't been too much rambling and of some help to you...what do you think?
Take care and post back!
Karen
poster:T_R_D
thread:331203
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/subs/20040130/msgs/331278.html