Day 1

What a long and thoughtful reply.  YOu are on the right path and seem to be healing. keep gong Missy you can do it!! Our thoughts are with you. Robin

Hi Misssy. I'm 3 weeks sober too. Sorry not been posting. I got really bad flu just over a week ago and was really ill. As bad as alcohol withdrawals but lasted longer. Then had to do all my Xmas stuff in 3 days. Anyway I've had a sober Christmas...hooray! I agree with everything you've said about AA and made some lifelong friends there though there's some that I disagree with, but that's life!

Well done to all of you who have posted on here. Life is so much better sober and I was a hopeless drunk for years. Please stick with it and  a massive Good luck to you all xx

Well done to Missy and Paper Fairy for a sober Christmas! Celebrate with some special treats and whateve you fancy. We finally have a Xmas meal with family and stuffed goose, goos fat potatoes and haricots verts beans with fried onions and garlic in olive oil. All the best to you. Robin

Thanks Robin. Hope you enjoy the rest of Christmas and New Year celebrations. Great to be well again xx

Thank you Robin!  tre???

​How are you holding up?

Congratulations on being sober 3 weeks!  And getting the xmas shopping done even thou you weren't feeling well (that is very tough)...but I don't think you could have accomplished it if you were drinking...so good job!

Thanks misssy, same to you. Last year was a blackout and no one got their presents until half way through January! Was so ill. Horrible !! X

Hi missy and all,

Hope you have all had a good christmas. I'm doing fine thanks I had already been tapering off and laying off vodka as been thinking about this for some time. I actually feel great apart from a few sweaty, sleepness nights, a bit of queasyness and some fairly vivid flashbacks of my years of drinking causing a bit of self loathing. The true test for me is when I go back to see my friends in my hometown on Tuesday. Thanks for asking though Missy. I hope everybody else who is trying too lay off the drink is feeling O.K and not to ill.

The self loathing is normal and for me usually lasts about a week.

​Then it eases up a bit.  When you go meet with friends...leave early if you start getting the urge to drink.  If asked WHY you are not drinking...Use the "Im on a medication that I can't drink with" OR if you feel comfortable with these "friends"...I would tell them you are abstaining from alcohol...but wouldn't miss visiting with them because of it.

​And when a drink LOOKS GOOD while you are with them....try to recall how you felt on Day 1 and the whole week or so that you were tapering.

​I promise you when you leave...and accomplish NOT drinking...you will feel so good about yourself and it will make you that much stronger.

Hi emma and tre & co.

Some months ago I posted here about having given up, but guess what!  it didn't last, however, after having a very heavy Christmas alchohol wise I've signed up with Alchohol Concern's Dry January campaign, I'm not setting my sights any further than that at the moment but figure if I can do that I should be in with a chance. I actually started today the challenge toda.

I've enjoyed reading all the posts on this thread just now, thanks to everyone for sharing, its given me hope.

I was interested in the God thing of AA, not that I've ever been.  I am a Christian but oddly my faith and prayer have never helped, somehow this Alchohol Concern challenege feels different, its soemthing I think I can achieve - small steps

LIzzie xxx

Hi Lizzie,

​I wish you the very best of luck with the Dry January challenge. Please do not give up hope. We can do this together. Small steps lead to a destination more safely than larger steps.

​

Best of luck Lizzie!  You will realize so much in the month of January.  And hopefully it helps you enough to keep you stopped.

​Your skin will change, your mind will clear, you will have less anxiety, smile more, cry less, become more interactive with friends and family...many many benefits.  All of which the bottles steal from us.

Thank you Emma, your reply means so much to me, its great to be surrounded by people like you who know what its like and will support me.  BIG {{{HUGZ}}}

LIzzie xxx

Hi Misssy2  

Your words are so encouraging and the more I read of the benefits of quiting booze the more I like the idea.  I could certainly do without the anxiety (I',m bipolar II with anxiety), weight loss would be cool (my BMI is 40!), and just the lack of secrecy which makes me ashamed.  

I don't know what others were drinking but I'd got up to a bottle of wine a day with a large g&t at bedtime, it's been playing havoc with my health as I have high BP and assorted tummy/bowel problems, all of which I think will improve by cutting out the booze.  Your support is precious to me.  And this goes for everyone on this thread, I feel more support from you guys than anyone at my church, who won't reply to my Facebook committment to do this.

Lizzie xxx

Hi again Misssy2    Just re-read your last post and realised that another advantage you mentioned applies to me as I have bad urticaria type skin rashes on my legs, maybe it will even help this?

Lizzie

 

How do you convince a partner you are going to change? I dont want to drink and I feel as though I wont but my partner doesnt believe me as hes expecting me to say something to him now that will convinve him I'm changing

Hi Rowena

I can't really answer that one as I've been divorced and single since the early 90s and now live with my mum (I'm 57).  When I was married my drinking was tollerated and I had no intention of changing, now I'm a totally different person in lots of ways and want to change.  I see he/she is expecting a quick answer, which seems unreasonable to me, you just have to prove it by actions I guess, it all comes down to trust, but then trust when one is addicted to soemthing, as I have been previously (co-co0damol) is a difficult one because soemtimes the impulse to continue with ones poison of choice is stronger than ones will power.  I know, I've been there.  I don't think I'm addicted to alchchol like I was to co-codamol but the principle is the same. Sorry not to have seen your post earlier.  I hope everything works out for you both.

Lizzie

Hi again Rowena

Just scrolled up and re-read your earlier posts.  I can so relate to what your are going through and have done, all that secrecy about our driinking, the hiding of bottles,etc.  I hope you can bring your boyfriend onside and that he will help you.

LOve

LIzzie

Your welcome AND YES...I was getting weird rashes on my legs too...and they also went away after about 2 weeks of not drinking!

​So many benefits...you can do this Lizzie..with so much to look forward to.

 

Hi, Lizzie, very interested in your post as I'm a christian too, and it was some people at church who first talked about my need to do something about my drinking as I wanted to take up a position of lay ministry. And like you prayer didn't help. I was hoping that God would take away my desire to drink, but no. In fact it feelslike drinking is my factory setting, like I was made this way. My aim was never total abstinence, but a more normal relationship with drink, a take it or leave it attitude. I was doing well, but I've slipped over the last several months, possibly because I've achieved the ministry position (well I'm in the training) so I've lost motivation and my counselling sessions stopped. I still don't drink nearly as much as I was doing, and never around people from church, or before seeing them. Good luck with dry January.

Hello h1954

For me, cutting down has never succeeded, I've tried time and again to develop a healthy relationship with drink but have failed every time, it has to be total absitinance this time.  I too hoped The Lord would take away my desire to drink and even went to a healing service and had annointing and laying on of hands, but it didn't work, God has a funny way of answering prayers, I wonder if maybe Dry January is his answer to me?  

I congratulate you on your progress in the church, I know another minister with a drink problem and he writes the most amazing sermons ever, so don't let anyone tell you you can't combine drinking with success in the minstry.  Is it a sin though? the jury is out for me on that one. Jesus drank wine and we celebrate the eucharist with it, but there are passages in the NT preaching against it.  I don't know is the answer to that one, but it has to be soemthing one comes to a personal understanding with God oneself, don't ever let other Christians bully you for it.

I feel quite alone in my commitment to give up drinking as regards my Christian frfiends go (not here though on the forum which being fantastic).  I have a Facebook account in my full name (I keep this forum and FB totally seperate as FB is too public even just sharing with friends and I don't disclose on FB the things I talk about here) and if I post funny animal pictures I get loads of likes but if I post about this subject as I have recently I hear zilch back, no encouragement at all, its all quite depressing (not litterally, I have been properly depressed being bipolar but its a real downwer being ignored, do you understand me?) and its mainly Christians who are my "friends"on FB.

Sorry to ramble on.  Hope you are doing well

Lizzie

 

Hi Lizzie, I started sending you a much longer message, but it somehow got lost.  I will send again when I get chance, but in the meantime, hope you are going to cut down over the couple of days until January, as to stop drinking suddenly can be very very dangerous.  

Hi

I stopped on Monday, today is Wednesday so this is day 3 dry.  I was interested to hear you say that to stop suddenly was/is dangerous, why is that?  I haven't felt any ill affects yet, only benefits like not having a constant headache and not having the runs every  morning.  Cutting down just doesn't work for me, it has to be all or nothing as happened with both my smoking and co-codamol addictions, both of which I went cold turkey with and succeeded.

All the best

Lizzie

Hi,Lizzie, there's a specialist on this site called Paul who explains it well, but basically for some people if they stop suddenly the withdrawal effects are very severe and health damaging including seizures needing hospital treatment and in some cases death. Not wanting to be alarmist, but just to keep you safe. He recommends having some drink available in case you get very bad shakiness and sweating when you quit, so it doesn't get worse.

You're doing well, keep going

Best wishes

H

Hi H

I've seen Paul's posts, he's great.  And yes, I do have some wine and gin to hand in case I get the shakes.  So far, and its only day 3, I'm doing well, drinking lots of sparkling mineral water, flavoured sometimes with elderflower cordial, but not always as don't want to take in too much sugar.  I'm seeing my gp tonight and am going to talk to her about it too, I hope she will be pleased wkith me as she has been co ncerned about my BP for soem time.  I did own up to my drinking to her a couple of months ago so she is on my side.

Thanks as ever for your support, I really value it.

LOts of LOve

Lizzie

HI Lizzie. Good plan!! i wish you best of luck since you are on the right track. All the best. Robin

Hi everyone

I had a really productive consultation with my gp this evening, she is just brilliant and gave me lots of time to discuss all my health issues,  Tested my BP, still high, blood oxygen, OK, listened to my breathing etc.  Upshot, she gave me the steroid inhaler to add to my ventolin for my chest, something I have wanted for some time as my asthma has got quite bad since moving into the countryside, she gave me some paracetamol and a limited supply of 30mg codeine for my my tension headaches, we discussed addiction and I'm sure I can control it this time as I did well with the last prescription for it she gave me in November.  We discussed using amitryptiline for the headacahes but the mental health risks for me with it are high so we agreed to give it a miss and chose to go with the low daily dose of codeine plus paracetamol for the headaches as the risks are lowser, we also both hope that the lack of alchohol over the next few weeks will help my headaches.  She was pleased that I was trying to give up the booze and is there for me at any time, is doing bloods in a fortnight and BP twice this month with my next meeting with her in early Feb unless anything goes awry in the mean time.

I've only been with her since September and she has been so thorough and sympathetic to my muliple health issues.  I intend to write to the head of the practice to compliment both hera dnthe other staff all of whom are excellent.

Day 3 going well, no withdrawal symptoms and no cravings either so far.

Wishing all you want to everyone

Lizzie

That's fantastic Lizzie. It's great you've found a good doctor. Hope you continue to get better xx

Yay..and very odd for a Dr. to give meds like that to a recovering alcoholic.  But, good for you!  And congratulations on 3 days!  That is huge.

 

All went well!! good for you!! Robin

To Paper fairy, Misssy2, Robin2015....  Thank you for your kind replies and support as ever.  Today is day 4 and feeling optimistic again.  Yes, regarding the codeine, I was surprised she let me have it again but she doesn't give me many at a time and certainly not enough to get tollerant or dependent on, just enough to take the edge of my headaches which I've been struggling with for years.  I admit that I once had problems with the 30/500 co-codamol but I am a different person now, much more self controlled, at least that's how it feels today.  I have multiple health issues, some mental, some physical, the alchohol just being one among many, I do count my blessings though and am happy and content to be alive with a great suppoprt network, including all you folk on here.

Thanks again, I'll keep you posted.

By the way, anyone heard from Tre123 who started this thread?

Lizzie xxx

Havent heard from tre ...

​Lizzie...I think you will find with a little more time away from alcohol that most of your "issues" will subside or totally disappear.  Years ago I started having high blood pressure and when I quit it went back to totally normal.  Headaches to..depression got better (not completely) but better.  Its amazing how much havoc alcohol does to our bodies.  Glad you are doing well....

Thanks Misssy2

Thats what I'm hoping for, esecpailly the high BP which is a worry.  I've already, and its only day 4, felt some benefits.  For example I'm no longer going to the loo with the runs every morning, and I'm sure my concentration is better, I'm reading a book at the moment about the Tudor scholar and High Chancellor Thomas More and I'm doing much better than I was before I stopped the booze, its quite a "heavy" book so is a good test.  Also, last night for the first time in ages I got a decent night's sleep, did wake once and only got 6 hours but for me that is amazing.  Hard to say about the headaches yet, and it may have been you, but someone told me my skin will improve, that would be a real bonus.

I passed my first major hurdle at lunch today...  I'd cooked mum a cottage pie and offered her a sherry, which she likes, but didn't have one myself as I always did at lunch time when cooking, opting for a tonic water with cordial instead.

How are you though? have you got over your little blip?  Will tonight be difficult for you?  I'm sending you my very best wishes.  Mum and I don't celebrate new year, just watch telly, she sips Bailey's or g&t, which I make for he and I'll be on the decaf or Earl Grey.

Thansk again for your continued support, its great to be ablew to talk to peopole who have been through this and know how hard it is.

Lots of LOve

Lizzie