5 years and my personal struggles

[Dynam0]

Re: 5 years and my personal struggles

I was pretty stupid with alcohol from when I was 19 until about last year (almost 23). It wasn't so much me drinking small amounts every night as it was going out and getting black-out drunk ~4 times a week. I think most of it was the environment I was in (all my uni friends were drunks too), but on top of that, alcohol turns me into a pretty big idiot so it wasn't good for me either way.

I think for the most part I've just grown up and realized what's more important. Focusing on my relationship with my gf helps a ton especially since she doesn't drink at all. Plus I've been so busy with school I don't really get the chance to go out much. I still can't seem to find my stopping point whenever I drink though and always go over board, so it's still an issue for sure.

You're still young as it is. But as long as you find something to keep you busy and motivated that is more important to you than drinking, you'll be fine

ps. the 'drink less' strategy didn't and doesn't work for me. It works for a little while but eventually I'll have a night where I over-do it and it just escalates again. Works for some but not all.

[FontSize72LOL]

Re: 5 years and my personal struggles

If any of you have any suggestions or advice per my destructive alcoholism it would be greatly appreciated.

My only advice would be to find something to do in your life that can supplement your time better than drinking. If you had a hobby you can devote your energy into you'd probably feel better.

I was pretty stupid with alcohol from when I was 19 until about last year (almost 23). It wasn't so much me drinking small amounts every night as it was going out and getting black-out drunk ~4 times a week. I think most of it was the environment I was in (all my uni friends were drunks too), but on top of that, alcohol turns me into a pretty big idiot so it wasn't good for me either way.

I think for the most part I've just grown up and realized what's more important. Focusing on my relationship with my gf helps a ton especially since she doesn't drink at all. Plus I've been so busy with school I don't really get the chance to go out much. I still can't seem to find my stopping point whenever I drink though and always go over board, so it's still an issue for sure.

You're still young as it is. But as long as you find something to keep you busy and motivated that is more important to you than drinking, you'll be fine

ps. the 'drink less' strategy didn't and doesn't work for me. It works for a little while but eventually I'll have a night where I over-do it and it just escalates again. Works for some but not all.

This pretty much mirrors my experience, though instead of 19-23, for me it was 17-20.

[Spenner]

Re: 5 years and my personal struggles

It will be hard to completely escape the alcoholism until you can be mindful of the impulses, take control and moderate your thoughts. Reassociate things that normally would associate with wanting to drink, finding positive reinforcements in things that you would think have none (you can find them).

I guess what I'm saying is that you have to be aware of why you want to drink and finding the motivation to think of something better to substitute. Not with a lot of experience with it, but I hope it works out for you~

Also take into account that the more you drink, the more depressed you're becoming, just by the way the drug works.

[DossarLX ODI]

Re: 5 years and my personal struggles

find something to keep you busy and motivated.

I really like this advice. I'm basically never bored because of this and I don't have time to be depressed, haha.

[Choofers]

Re: 5 years and my personal struggles

Alcoholism is no joke, I've been able to curb my impulses for the most part, but some days... whew, I binge like crazy. I drank 3 bottles of wine over 4 days a couple weeks ago. Wine hangovers are the worst.


If you have friends that don't drink, hang out with them more often. Even if you're doing something lame.

[psychoangel691]

Re: 5 years and my personal struggles

Well I can relate on the frustrations but not on the drinking part. If it's anything like being addicted to cigarettes you might just have to try to drop the habit completely. When I was a smoker I tried doing the cutting back stuff and everything under the sun but always failed. I had to just decide I was done and deal with the withdrawal until it eventually passed. It sucked but I've been smoke free for over two years now which has been nice. I just had to find something to keep me occupied during intense cravings.

[FFRN00B90210]

Re: 5 years and my personal struggles

start smoking weed

[cedolad]

Re: 5 years and my personal struggles

Well I can relate on the frustrations but not on the drinking part. If it's anything like being addicted to cigarettes you might just have to try to drop the habit completely. When I was a smoker I tried doing the cutting back stuff and everything under the sun but always failed. I had to just decide I was done and deal with the withdrawal until it eventually passed. It sucked but I've been smoke free for over two years now which has been nice. I just had to find something to keep me occupied during intense cravings.

Being a mom helped a lot I bet.

[psychoangel691]

Re: 5 years and my personal struggles

Being a mom helped a lot I bet.

Being a mom has nothing to do with it, I had been trying to quite for some time. There are plenty of moms out there that still smoke and smoked throughout.

[cedolad]

Re: 5 years and my personal struggles

Being a mom has nothing to do with it, I had been trying to quite for some time. There are plenty of moms out there that still smoke and smoked throughout.

Well I meant like being pregnant put you in a position where you had to quit, unless you quit before Saphira, in which case if you did that is something to be proud of.

[psychoangel691]

Re: 5 years and my personal struggles

Well I meant like being pregnant put you in a position where you had to quit, unless you quit before Saphira, in which case if you did that is something to be proud of.

Honestly I'm not going to get into my personal life in those regards because it's no one's business. Quitting had nothing to do with my pregnancy or my child.

[cedolad]

Re: 5 years and my personal struggles

Honestly I'm not going to get into my personal life in those regards because it's no one's business. Quitting had nothing to do with my pregnancy or my child.

Sorry I didn't mean to offend you if I did, in any case quitting is a very hard thing to overcome and I still find trouble with it.

[korny]

Re: 5 years and my personal struggles

4-6 beers destructive alcoholic behavior? I probably drink 6 beers and 6 shots every night and i weigh 125 pounds, so you're not doin too bad brotha. I think you're an actual alcoholic if you wake up and need alcohol. You're gonna do what ya want regardless of what anyone says.

[j-rodd123]

Re: 5 years and my personal struggles

[qqwref]

Re: 5 years and my personal struggles

Replace the beer habit with something else. What I mean is, you've gotten yourself used to doing a specific thing (drinking) every night. If you stop doing that, even if you get off it, it may feel like it's missing, and if bad stuff starts happening in your life you could go back to the old habit as a comfort. The idea is to choose a new habit - writing in a journal, or drinking tea, or exercising, or anything else - and whenever you'd normally drink you do that instead. The brain's satisfied that you still have that comforting routine, but instead of a negative habit it's become a positive one. (This isn't something I'm just making up. The idea of replacing habits has been successfully applied to many things, for instance smoking. Feel free to google it for more info.)