Scared to Quit Drinking...

[David brown]

The majority of the shit I post on here is in jest and me being a f**kwit.. but Im looking for some serious advice mainly from someone that has gone through the same thing....

My drinking over the past 4 years has gotten a bit out of control and I can feel my mental health and general well being deteriorating as the days go by.. Im fully aware I need to stop drinking piss the amount of Money I have wasted on gambling and drugs is f**king embarrassing but it would never of happened if I didn't drink...my relationships with My real friends, family and woman have been the worse they have ever been and I don't see things improving unless I give up the piss...

Deep down though I'm to scared to quit. My whole social life is based around Drinking and I'm afraid if I give up the drink I will have nothing to do other then go to work and come home and pretty much do nothing...

Anyway enough self loathing...

So just asking for some advice on what to do and how to go by Quitting from hopefully someone that has gone through the same shit and succeeded.. At the moment its seem f**king impossible and I'm pretty sure its what's gonna kill me..

Cheers, any advice would be appreciated...

 

[mackdadday]

Maybe instead of going the whole hog you should just do a one month detox. It will be like sleeping in the forest next to the kingdom of heaven. Body can undergo some repairs and you can work on solidifying those lovely friendships. Things tend to look a lot more positive without the remnants of a hangover.

 

[myrrh ken]

Good one mate, never been through it and wish you all the best. Hard thing to do is recognise the problem, but i reckon harder still to take some action.

Why not look for a local AA? Im sure they have good coping techniques and the solidarity with other people in your situation. Youve got nothing to lose going along to check it out.

Otherwise i reckon finding something to focus on thats health related. Social sport teams, going to the gym, bushwalks, cycling. Stuff that makes getting smashed on the reg counterproductive.

 

[Twizzle]

Maybe you need some professional help.

It would be better than us amateurs offering advice.

 

[KeepingTheFaith]

Agree with getting professional help.

Aside from that though you need to find something you enjoy doing to fill the void, something you're really passionate about and then find friends who share that.

I'm lucky in that I was born with a genetic abnormality to my liver that is completely harmless to me unless I drink excess alcohol. I was trained to know my limits by the time I was 20 because of it.

Number 1 suggestion would be professional help, but definitely have a sit down and think about what you enjoy doing and how you would fill that void if you did quit drinking.

 

[Pete Cash]

How serious are we talking here. If you are drinking every day heavily and have been for some time then dont quit cold turkey go see a doctor. It is dangerous to just quit alcohol if you are a heavy user. Alcohol withdrawal is nothing to sneeze at.

I think you should talk to a doctor regardless. They will be able to set you up with a mental health plan and you will be able to talk it through with someone who knows what they are talking about.

 

[Life's Good]

As others have posted the best advice is to seek professional help. In acknowledging/accepting you have a problem means you have taken the first step. You will definitely have family/friends keen to support you so maybe get them to go with you at the start to help get the ball rolling.

I wish you the best of luck.

 

[Cherry_poppins]

Have you considered cutting back? Drinking something weaker?

You can drink without getting munted you know

 

[Angry_eel]

Alcohol is more of a habit problem then anything psychological like harder drugs. Think of the times you get plastered and try changing those habits. You've already done the step 1 and admitted you have a problem.

Professional help may also be needed if it's really serious.

P.S. - I quit for a year just for kicks. It turned out well, I lived, lost a few friends though.

 

[TheFrog]

My brother gave up the sauce cold twice. Obviously in between he got back on it but he's been dry for well over four years now. And he was a serious pisspot whose life was being messed up by it. So it can be done but everyone's different. Obviously you can't go to places you used to or associate with people you used to, especially if drinking was the basis of the friendship. New interests are needed (sport, running/walking, cycling, etc).

My suggestion is to read Peter Fitzsimon's "The Great Aussie Bloke Slimdown".(available on Kindle and such platforms). It's his story of losing weight but giving up the booze was a big part of it. He was a 2 bottles of wine a night every night man (this amounts to 14 or 15 standard drinks which is heavy drinking in anyone's language) and could not see how he could ever let go, but he did. It's a case of getting in the right mental space. He describes lightbulb moments. Like others have indicated, you might consider consulting professionals, but in the end you have to do it yourself and seeing professionals over a protracted period might become an excuse not to. Alcohol is a very sneaky adversary. AA has a record of success if you can handle what comes with it (the religion, which is an integral component).

 

[veggiepatch1959]

For a heavy drinker to quit full stop can be fraught with danger. You need to wean yourself off alcohol otherwise there's a chance you'll suffer seizures and other complications.

A course of Valium is recommended too as it will reduce the anxiety associated with withdrawal.

I found AA a waste of time as I'm anti religious, its similarities to religion was a bit too much. And the "My name is Joe and I'm a recovering alcoholic blah blah blah..." by same people week in, week out got a bit tedious.

 

[miguel de cervantes]

see your GP, they will put you the right track, possibly including the mental health plan. don't be intimidated by this, it is well worth it and a good investment in yourself.

 

[jim_57]

I can only echo what others have said, professional is definitely the way to go if it bad enough.

I was reliant on binge drinking to fill any spare time and looking back I sort of even thought that I was better company & more 'likeable' when I was drunk even though I regularly made a merkin of myself. My circumstances are pretty unique as it was moving out of my home state that probably helped me the most. Things I found that helped me though as any little idea may help.

• Finding a hobby/hobbies is a big one, something to occupy your time, preferably something that gets you out of the house.
• Education, obviously doesn't have to be a Uni degree, I found it healthy and fulfilling to be learning something regularily (musical instrument, upskilling for work, language, anything).
• Work - Now obviously not everyone has choice in this and it is easier said than done but I found what helped me the most was finding a job I was genuinely scared of losing with a 0 alcohol limit. Eliminates 4/5 nights potential drinking if you set yourself a hard/fast rule of not drinking on work nights. A job that requires weekend work too can really help get you out of the "it's friday, let's get on it" mindset.

More extreme measures would be moving town or self banning yourself from problem nightclubs/pubs. Best of luck!

 

[some11]

My problem was I couldn't just have one or two drinks, I had to binge every time I drank. Then I started drinking alone which I never usually did, and adding prescription drugs to the mix.

Not even being found face down next to my own vomit on the lawn after a night of taking xanax and drinking made me consider stopping. Eventually I just got sick of that feeling of guilt/shame whenever I woke up after drinking and had a very definitive commitment that I wasn't going to drink again one day.

You really have to want to quit, and what you do after that depends on how serious you consider your situation (is it full-blown addiction or a bad habit getting worse?), if you are physically dependent then you need to consult a doctor. If it's more episodic drinking then it's a bit easier as all you have to do is not go to a bottle shop and get used to sober living. I started riding a bike and getting into exercise a few months after I quit, you wouldn't believe what you can achieve once you rid yourself of the monkey on your back.

Talking to family and friends (those who get mental health) is always a good starting point, a problem shared is a problem halved as they say.

 

[Dogs Of War]

Agree with the guys, get professional help. A mental health plan is a good first step.

Another thing to look at is that most hospitals/out patients facilities offer groups to talk about the issue and how to work through situations you will encounter.

All states have a program like this. I would suggest ringing one of the helplines and with the advise given hear, you can get a little more info in regards to your situation.

 

[Dogs Of War]

Quick google search..

https://www.counsellingonline.org.au/

Might be a good start. Talk to someone about the next steps you want to take.

 

[Lambretta]

Some great feedback here guys

I have had a problem with drinking which has lasted years. Not waking up in my own vomit drunk bad, but definitely in the scope of drinking more than I should.

In recent times I have seen tell tale signs that the liver isn't coping as well as it should and I am taking steps to rectify this, but it's hard

I have decided I will start by cutting down the frequency, the amount and the alcohol content of the drinks I consume. One of the things about alcohol is that the more you have the more you crave. It seems to work in reverse. The less I drink, the less I want to drink - so sensible reductions are possible

I have set myself a limit of one bottle of wine and I am drinking mid strength IPA which is not only really nice but as I am not getting buzzed, I find it easy to stop after a couple

Keeping busy - having a hobby or a range of interests that don't involve drinking are good
I exercise on a regular basis and I found that I cut down on the grog quite a lot when I upped the frequency of the exercise, so the benefit hit home on two fronts. My weight normalised more quickly and I was able to exercise more efficiently

If you drink while watching the footy - try watching sober. It's amazing how much more of the game you notice and how much more enjoyable it can be.

Spend more time around friends who drink less often than you do. Peer pressure is often a big part of it. If they don't drink, you won't

Good luck

 

[veggiepatch1959]

Some great feedback here guys

I have had a problem with drinking which has lasted years. Not waking up in my own vomit drunk bad, but definitely in the scope of drinking more than I should.

In recent times I have seen tell tale signs that the liver isn't coping as well as it should and I am taking steps to rectify this, but it's hard

I have decided I will start by cutting down the frequency, the amount and the alcohol content of the drinks I consume. One of the things about alcohol is that the more you have the more you crave. It seems to work in reverse. The less I drink, the less I want to drink - so sensible reductions are possible

I have set myself a limit of one bottle of wine and I am drinking mid strength IPA which is not only really nice but as I am not getting buzzed, I find it easy to stop after a couple

Keeping busy - having a hobby or a range of interests that don't involve drinking are good
I exercise on a regular basis and I found that I cut down on the grog quite a lot when I upped the frequency of the exercise, so the benefit hit home on two fronts. My weight normalised more quickly and I was able to exercise more efficiently

If you drink while watching the footy - try watching sober. It's amazing how much more of the game you notice and how much more enjoyable it can be.

Spend more time around friends who drink less often than you do. Peer pressure is often a big part of it. If they don't drink, you won't

Good luck

Lots of good stuff in this post.

 

[stamford]

I'm in the same boat as David Brown - I drink every day and the thought of quitting fills me with dread - I enjoy a bottle of wine a day (beer makes me bloaty/puffy) - I would love to know what all of you guys drink , how much a day / how many days etc...its weird, even though deep down I know I would perform better at work,in the surf etcetc …I feel ripped off if I'm missing out on a drink....hell I get depressed if i miss out....great post btw....

 

[sensesmaybenumbed]

For me, it's just a 2 or 3 of beers after dinner, with generally 3 alcohol free days a week.

If I'm meeting up with friends out and about, perhaps a couple extra.
On no alcohol nights a glass of aktavite is the go to.