On The Wagon... then in 'ere!

khemist said:
Yeah, i get it, i'm done with it, if ending up in hospital and having to call an ambulance at work doesn't end it then nothing will.

Bare in mind this isn't drinking i was doing after the bender i went on before, this is the effects of it three days later when i thought i was on the mend.

I've managed to do a self cert for work until Thursday so i should be back to normal then it's onwards and upwards from here on out.

Good luck to everyone else and just STAY AWAY FROM THE DRINK, there is NOTHING fun about it apart from the first few drinks going from being sober to getting that feeling in you then it's just nothing but negativity.
Click to expand...

Yep. It's a fine fine line to tread. I know I'm at my best for about three drinks, a lovely buzz and then from there it's only downsides. But the devil enjoys tempting me.
 
Feeling a lot better now, not had anything since may 5th and planning to stay off it indefinitely.

Getting all the little things done to my motorbike now so i can get lots of riding in over the summer and the rest of the year instead of boozing.
 
Very well done Khemist, keep yourself busy with other things, like you are doing. Don't give in to any temptation no matter, be it because you've done something positive and feel the need to treat yourself, or at the other end of the scale, if you're feeling low. Just avoid it, period.

Shout out to all others moving in the right direction. Keep strong and take each day at a time.
 
5 months for me yesterday.

Did dry January as a personal challenge and have kept it going. This was after the best part of a bottle of red and a couple of pints a night. Every night. Habitual drinking had crept in.

Forever is a big word but no desire to go back to how I was as the benefits have been fantastic so will keep it going....
 
khemist said:
I was planning a couple of weeks driving since I passed my motorbike test but ended up going mental on vodka and never even touched the bike, in fact I forgot I had it.

Update I'm in the hospital now with a drip in me getting fed vallium because I felt I was going to have a fit at work, hadn't drank anything though.
.
Click to expand...

I'm sure you know this, but let's be clear: if your drinking brought you to this point it is costing you more than money, and if you continue it will kill you, and likely sooner rather than later.

khemist said:
I got out earlier today, i'm glad i called the ambulance (it was embarassing because i've been delivering to the same area for seven years) now because if i tried to finish my postal delivery i don't know how it would have ended up, i really think i would have had convulsions.

I was put on a drip and they gave me Six bags of sodium something, it was Yellow, not sure if it was saline or what not and also gave me quite a few valiums.

They also took around eight blood samples and game me an ultrasound that showed a fatty liver but nothing out of the ordinary.

It was the first time i have been in a hospital since i was a toddler and i hope it's the last although i was treaty very well by the staff there.

The thing is, this all happened three days after i had stopped drinking and i thought i was over the worst of it, that's the reason i went back to work, NEVER AGAIN!.
Click to expand...

For many problem drinkers, stopping 'cold turkey' like you did is dangerous, often more immediately dangerous than consuming alcohol. Such drinkers need medical supervision to detox as you did. As I said above, be under no illusion, your current alcohol use is dangerous and will kill you if you continue.

khemist said:
Yeah, i get it, i'm done with it, if ending up in hospital and having to call an ambulance at work doesn't end it then nothing will.
*** quote abridged for emphesis by phonemonkey *** so i should be back to normal then it's onwards and upwards from here on out.
Click to expand...
2 points here. Is this the first time you've experienced significant negative consequences relating to your drinking? I'm willing to bet it isn't, and that you have said 'if this doesn't stop me drinking, nothing will'. My experience of active alcoholism is waking up in wet beds/clothes/on wet sofas and being determined that this embarrassing or frightening scenario would be the one to cure me. The truth is though I soon forgot about the consequences of my drinking or convinced myself this time would be different because my desire to drink was stronger than my fear or embarrassment. I couldn't scare myself sober, most people can't.

Back to normal? What is your normal. You almost certainly didn't experience such significant withdrawal from one binge. The chances are your normal is to drink problematically, mine certainly was. Consider the thought that you don't need/ shouldnt want to return to normal. You need a new normal.

khemist said:
Feeling a lot better now, not had anything since may 5th and planning to stay off it indefinitely.

Getting all the little things done to my motorbike now so i can get lots of riding in over the summer and the rest of the year instead of boozing.
Click to expand...

Indefinitely is a big word, too big for me. I'm sober today, that's enough and has been for the last 3/4 years. That aside though - I'm going to ask you how. What are you going to do, or what are you going to do diffently to ensure you stay sober this time? I think its Einstien who said insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result.

Richard - London said:
How do get started? I find it so so hard not to pop into the pub on the way home
Click to expand...

The simple answer is don't go to the pub. What tools and methods you employ to achieve this is up to you, but could include walking home with a friend who won't stop at the pub, making it harder for you to, taking a different route home etc. I found AA meetings were where I learnt how to live a sober life. Plenty of tips, support and distractions in those rooms.

@khemist I don't know what part of Scotland you're in but I'm in Scotland too. If youre local enough, and willing I'd happily pal you to an AA meeting. You might just hear things that will help. Trust me if you're interest.

To both of you good luck and feel free to trust me if I can help.
 
phonemonkey said:
The simple answer is don't go to the pub. What tools and methods you employ to achieve this is up to you, but could include walking home with a friend who won't stop at the pub, making it harder for you to, taking a different route home etc. I found AA meetings were where I learnt how to live a sober life. Plenty of tips, support and distractions in those rooms.


To both of you good luck and feel free to trust me if I can help.
Click to expand...

Been 3 days, longest without a drink since I can remember, Dont even think the problem is with alcohol with me, had beers in the fridge without touching them for weeks, Think i just need a better mindset so the pub isnt always my default place to be :confused:
 
Richard - London said:
Been 3 days, longest without a drink since I can remember, Dont even think the problem is with alcohol with me, had beers in the fridge without touching them for weeks, Think i just need a better mindset so the pub isnt always my default place to be :confused:
Click to expand...

So, if not your alcohol consumption when at the pub, what is the issue with your pub visits? I don't often visit pubs these days but will every month or so for something to eat and while they're not my favourite places, they're not problematic if I go for the right reasons.

I used to think I couldn't be an alcoholic because I could abstain for periods of time. I just couldn't stop when I did start. I'd nip to the pub for a drink in town before I headed home at tea time and wake up the following morning on a friends sofa having missed the last train home. On one occasion I went to Edinburgh for a work training session, met a friend I hadn't seen in a while, got drunk and didn't go home for 5 days but I could go a week without drinking if that's how my shifts worked. I'm not saying you're like this, just trying to show you that not every alcoholic drinks morning to night every day and not touching the beers in the fridge isn't, by itself, evidence of a lack of a problem. Indeed using such logic was part of what kept me drinking far far longer than I should have.

Have a think about what the issue is, understanding the problem you'd like to fix is the first step to fixing it. For example if you visit the pub for company but leave unfulfilled by the superficial and aimless chat you could consider joining a club relating to a hobby of yours, or consider volunteering or classes to learn a new skill, all of which would provide more meaningful relationships than the more causal chat found at the bar.
 
Doing good, not had anything since May 5th and i've got two weeks holiday coming up at the end of next week, wont be touching a drop.

Just hope the weather improves here so i can get out on the motorbike more, hope all are doing well!.
 
khemist said:
Doing good, not had anything since May 5th and i've got two weeks holiday coming up at the end of next week, wont be touching a drop.

Just hope the weather improves here so i can get out on the motorbike more, hope all are doing well!.
Click to expand...

Glad its going well mate. Enjoy the holidays.
 
Drinking 80-100 units a week, sometimes more, never less for years now. (33 years old, 5 years+ drinking at this level, probably more) Starting day 1 tomorrow of no alcohol, aiming for 2 weeks+, wish me luck....
 
Good luck, stick with it you will be miles better for it. I was drinking a similar amount, coming to 4 years since I last had a drink. Best thing I’ve done after stopping smoking 20 years ago.
 
VTR said:
Drinking 80-100 units a week, sometimes more, never less for years now. (33 years old, 5 years+ drinking at this level, probably more) Starting day 1 tomorrow of no alcohol, aiming for 2 weeks+, wish me luck....
Click to expand...

Good luck!

I was almost exactly there not far off a year ago. Very similar situation. Like @Jimbeam3678 quitting is the best thing I've done for many years. You'll thank present-day you a few months down the line!
 
VTR said:
Drinking 80-100 units a week, sometimes more, never less for years now. (33 years old, 5 years+ drinking at this level, probably more) Starting day 1 tomorrow of no alcohol, aiming for 2 weeks+, wish me luck....
Click to expand...

Out of curiosity, why 2 weeks?

If alcohol is causing you problems and you can't control it, what makes you think you won't end up in exactly the same situation after your 2 week holiday? I'm not saying you need to stop drinking, though I did, but it certainly sounds like you need and want to change your relationship with alcohol. So what are doing to make that change?

If you change nothing, nothing changes. Think of it like an actual holiday, you might come home feeling refreshed and relaxed but you soon return to 'normal' unless you change job/house/family situation etc. If your normal is problematic drinking then that's where you'll return after your holiday if you don't make a change.

Good luck.
 
Well, going away for a few days now, the course of which will bring up the one-year anniversary for me! :D

Best decision I've made in years. I feel phsycially and mentally so much better than this time last year.

Hope everyone else is doing well.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom